PhD Studentship in Computer Science: Policy-Compliant Secure AI

Award Summary

100% home fees covered, and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £21,805 (2026-27 UKRI rates)

Overview

Artificial intelligence now supports high-stakes decisions in cybersecurity, finance, healthcare, and public services, where accuracy alone is not enough. Such systems must also respect legal, regulatory, contractual, or organisational limits on their use and disclosures. Enforcing these is hard when the data, the model, and the rules belong to different parties, none of whom can hand over what they hold. Privacy-preserving AI protects data and models but not rules, while guardrails inspect everything in plaintext and offer weak formal assurance.

This PhD asks how to build AI services that remain useful while enforcing such constraints and protecting sensitive information. Open questions include what compliance means formally when no party sees the whole picture, how enforcement can be verifiable rather than trusted, and what these guarantees cost.

The work spans cryptography, privacy-enhancing technologies, and trustworthy AI: stating requirements precisely, designing methods that meet them, and building prototypes fast enough to use. Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a strong degree in computer science, cybersecurity, mathematics, or a related subject. Experience with cryptography, machine learning, or systems implementation is valuable, as are solid programming skills and an interest in proofs and prototypes.

Selection is competitive: academic quality, research potential, and fit with the project. The successful candidate joins the Cryptography and AI Security Lab at Newcastle University

Number Of Awards

1

Start Date

January 2027

Award Duration

3.5 years

Application Closing Date

10 October 2026

Sponsor

School of Computing 

Supervisors

Aydin Abadi (Newcastle University)

Ameer Mohammed (Kuwait University)

Mohammad Naseri (Flower Labs)

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants should hold (or expect to obtain) MSc or equivalent in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Synthetic Biology, Engineering Biology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, DNA/RNA Nanotechnology, or closely related discipline. Applicants should possess or be highly motivated to acquire strong knowledge in the following areas: (1) cryptography, (2) Privacy-enhancing technologies, such as FL, (3) mathematics (including number theory and game theory), (4) machine learning, and (4) computer programming in C++, Java, or Python.

The studentship covers fees at Home rate (UK and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status and meet the residency criteria). International applicants must cover the difference between Home and International fees.   

Applicants whose first language is not English require IELTS score of 6.5 overall and minimum 5.5 in all sub-skills.  

International applicants may require ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme. 

How To Apply

Apply using Newcastle Portal  

Once registered select ‘Create Postgraduate Application’.   

‘Course Search’ to identify programme of study:   

• search for the ‘Course Title’ using programme code:8050F 
• Research Area: Computing Science 
• select ‘PhD Computer Science (Full time) – Computing Science’ as the programme of study   

Provide the following information in the ‘Further Questions’ section:   

• ‘Personal Statement’ (mandatory field) - upload document or write statement directly into application form   
• studentship code COMP2183 in ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field   
• when prompted for how you are providing your research proposal - select ‘Write Proposal’. Type in title of the research project from this advert – and provide your own statement.

Contact Details

Dr Aydin Abadi

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