PhD Studentship: Formalizing Software Reliability: Theoretical Foundations and Practical Methods

Research theme: Formal Methods

How many positions: 1

This 3.5 year PhD is funded by the Department of Computer Science at The University of Manchester. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax free stipend, set at the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26) and tuition fees will be paid.

This project explores the development of Validation Portfolios—a novel framework to systematically combine diverse Formal Methods for maximizing software reliability while minimizing cost.

Formal Methods (FMs) are mathematical techniques used to verify the correctness of software systems. While many powerful FMs exist—such as model checking, symbolic execution, and interactive theorem proving—they are rarely applied together in a coordinated manner. This project aims to change that by introducing a rigorous foundation for selecting and integrating FMs across complex software systems.

The research will develop a theory that treats software as a network of interconnected components, each with varying criticality, complexity, and verification needs. By mapping each component to the most appropriate FM tool based on cost-efficiency and expected reliability gains, we aim to construct validation portfolios: automated strategies for targeted and efficient software validation.

A central challenge is to enable meaningful reasoning about the trade-offs between effort and assurance—how much trust do we gain in a system for a given verification cost? The project will tackle this by quantifying verification costs and guarantees in a way that is compatible with real-world development practices.

Working in tandem with empirical validation, the project will also explore how this framework can support continuous integration pipelines, enabling adaptive verification strategies as systems evolve.

Ultimately, this research will result in a principled, scalable methodology for deploying Formal Methods in practical software engineering contexts, helping organizations make informed decisions about where and how to apply formal verification most effectively.

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.

To apply, please contact Dr Cordeiro - lucas.cordeiro@manchester.ac.uk. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

Application deadline: 16/05/2025

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