PhD Studentship: In Generative Deep Learning for Robot Hearing

4 weeks ago


Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

Supervisory Team: Dr Christine Evers

Project Description:

Are you keen on conducting research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, deep learning and robot perception? We are recruiting a fully-funded (UK fees) PhD student who will work amongst a team of researchers on an exciting, EPSRC-funded research programme on "Active Audition for Robots (ActivATOR)".

About ActivATOR:

Life in sound occurs in motion. As human listeners, audition - the ability to listen - is shaped by physical interactions between our bodies and the environment. We integrate motion with auditory perception, for example to hear better (by approaching sound sources of interest), or to identify objects (by touching objects and listening to the resulting sound).

This project will enable machines to imagine, control and leverage the auditory consequences of physical interactions with the environment. By transforming the ways in which machines make sense of life in sound, the research outcomes will be pivotal for new, emerging markets that enable robots to augment, rather than rival, humans to surpass the limitations of the human body. Therefore, the proposed research has the potential to transform and disrupt a whole host of industries involving machine listening, ranging from smart prosthetics and assistive listening technologies to maritime exploration, environmental monitoring, and autonomous vehicles.

PhD Opportunity:

ActivATOR will bring together a highly interdisciplinary team of researchers, industry partners, and external academic collaborators. Building on our network of collaborators, this PhD project will be supervised by Dr Christine Evers (Univ. Southampton), Dr Mohammad Belal (National Oceanography Centre), and Prof Daniel Clark (Univ. Southampton).

As part of your PhD project, you will:

  • Conduct fundamental, underpinning research in the area of generative deep learning.
  • Publish your findings at top-tier venues.
  • Collaborate with external academic partners to broaden the scope of your research.
  • Liaise with our industry partners to ensure commercial impact of your research.
  • Participate in engagement activities with the public, policy makers and key stakeholders to ensure societal benefit of your research.

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr Christine Evers, Associate Professor (School of Electronics and Computer Science - Vision, Learning & Control Group). Email:

Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent).

Closing Date: 31 August 2024. Applications will be considered in the order that they are received, the position will be considered filled when a suitable candidate has been identified.

Funding: We offer a range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students, including Bursaries and Scholarships. For more information please visit PhD Scholarships | Doctoral College | University of Southampton Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered.

How To Apply

Apply online: HERE Select programme type (Research), 2024/25, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, next page select "PhD Computer Science (Full time)". In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor Dr Christine Evers.

Applications should include:

Research Proposal

Curriculum Vitae

Two reference letters

Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date

For further information please contact: feps-pgr-

A range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students, including Bursaries and Scholarships



  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    PhD Supervisor: Antonia MarcuSupervisory Team: Antonia Marcu, Jonathon HareProject description:Deep Learning (DL) is a widely successful tool. However, there are many fundamental challenges left to solve in DL. One such challenge is "simplicity bias'', which is a model's bias towards learning simplistic rules even at the cost of performance. As a result,...


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Project title: PhD Studentship in Nanophotonics and Metamaterials: Development of Switchable and Programmable Metasurfaces using Novel Materials Supervisory Team: Prof. Otto Muskens; Dr Ioannis ZeimpekisProject description:Metaoptics, the application of metasurface concepts in optical systems, is a rapidly growing field that has the potential to...

  • PhD Studentship

    4 weeks ago


    Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory Team: Benjamin CameronProject descriptionThis PhD is focussed on a new theoretical/computational method to measure material properties in places where they are really difficult to measure: e.g. in a shock wave, in a shear band, or at a crack tip. These are all of critical importance in many engineering problems such as car crashes, manufacturing...

  • PhD Studentship

    4 weeks ago


    Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory Team: Dr N.C. Townsend, Prof D.A. Hudson and Dr J.A. Bowker (industrial)Project descriptionShip model testing is expensive and time consuming. Can we derive hydrodynamic seakeeping and manoeuvring characteristics with focused datasets, eliminating time consuming single variable investigations?In this PhD program you will develop and test novel...

  • PhD Studentship

    4 weeks ago


    Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory Team: Ioannis ZeimpekisProject description:Revolutionising the semiconductor industry with next generation 2D materials and devices.Moore's Law is currently being challenged with Nvidia CEO recently claiming it is over. The scaling of transistors cannot continue due to physical limitations of silicon posing a threat to the sustainable evolution...


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    PhD Supervisor: Dr Nema AbdelazimSupervisory Team: Dr Nema AbdelazimProject description: The University of Southampton is expanding its PhD research in the area of Quantum Technology Engineering. In addition to the research project outlined below you will receive substantial training in scientific, technical, and commercial skills.We are offering an exciting...


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory Team: Richard Guest and Jennifer Williams Project Description: Increasingly AI-based biometric technologies, such as facial recognition and voice biometrics, are playing a major role in assisting public authorities to protect the public, reduce serious crime, and help safeguard vulnerable persons. From a technical perspective, there are...

  • PhD Studentship

    4 weeks ago


    Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory Team: Dr N.C. Townsend, Prof D.A. Hudson and Dr J.A. Bowker (industrial)Project descriptionWave energy can be used to improve the performance of ships and boats. By exploiting hydrodynamically the available wave energy, the motions, emissions, and powering requirements of ships operating in adverse weather conditions can be significantly...


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory Team: Dr Seung Lee (School of Chemistry), Prof. Jeremy Webb (School of Biological Sciences and National Biofilms Innovation Centre), Prof. Paul Stoodley (University of Southampton), Dr Rob Howlin (Haleon, industry), Dr David Bradshaw and Dr Ricarda Hawkins (Haleon, industry) Project Description:A fully-funded 4 year National Biofilms Innovation...


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    PhD Supervisor: Dr Seung Lee Supervisory Team: Dr Seung Lee (School of Chemistry), Prof. Jeremy Webb (School of Biological Sciences and national Biofilms Innovation Centre), Prof. Paul Stoodley (University of Southampton and Ohio State University)Project description:A fully-funded 4 year PhD studentship (Institute for Life Sciences studentship) for research...

  • PhD Studentship

    4 weeks ago


    Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory team: Neil SandhamProject descriptionYou will join a group of PhD students and post-doctoral researchers using high performance computing to advance understanding of high speed aerodynamics. Over the past decade we have developed efficient open-source software that enables us to run large numerical simulations with billions grid points on mixed...


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory Team: Prof. Otto Muskens; Alberto PolitiProject Description:In this project, the student will develop new technologies for integrated quantum optical chips allowing programming and tuning of devices under different operating conditions and in particular for operation in a cryogenic environment. The ability to actively control different parts of...


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    PhD Supervisor: Prof David WhiteSupervisory Team: Prof David White, Dr Benjamin Cerfontaine, Prof Susan GourvenecLead the Way in Sustainable InfrastructureAre you interested in civil engineering technology and offshore wind energy, and have a passion for geotechnical engineering? This PhD position is for you. This project is a unique opportunity to...


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory Team: Professor Pedro Rivera and Dr Andrew Hamilton Project Description:Metal powder-based additive manufacturing is an emerging 3D printing technology that provides great topological freedom, allowing for component shapes unattainable via wrought technologies. However, the majority of the metal 3D printing has been on alloys designed for wrought...


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Project title: Learning for Control: Enabling Efficient Networked Autonomous Systems Supervisory Team: Konstantinos Gatsis Project description:There is an ongoing transformation in engineering autonomous systems that aim to achieve complex objectives with limited human intervention in applications such as robotics, self-driving cars, and industrial systems....


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory Team: Dr Han WuPhD Supervisor: Han WuProject description:In the wake of growing data privacy concerns and the enactment of the GDPR, Federated Learning (FL) has emerged as a leading privacy-preserving technology in Machine Learning. Despite its advancements, FL systems are not immune to privacy breaches due to the inherent memorisation...


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory Team: Chris-Kriton Skylaris (90%) Andrea Russell (10%)Project description:Proton-exchange Membrane (PEM) hydrogen fuel cells are an emerging technology for environmentally sustainable transport and other carbon-neutral energy applications. A crucial component of these devices are the metallic catalyst nanoparticles which allow the chemical...


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Project title: Next Generation Machine Learning for Data Analysis Supervisory Team: Dr. Andersen AngProject description:We are seeking highly qualified candidates for doctoral positions on the research of Machine Learning (ML). We are looking for a MSc in applied mathematics, computer science, operations research, statistics, engineering, mathematics, or a...


  • Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory Team: Dr. Swathi Krishna, Prof. Bharath GanapathisubramaniProject descriptionIf you are a student of aerodynamics, chances are that you have drawn a conventional airfoil with nice, laminar incoming flow at some point. Enough of those steady, uniform streamlines We welcome you to join us in disturbing the incoming flow and unravel in its...

  • PhD Studentship

    4 weeks ago


    Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom University of Southampton Full time

    Supervisory team: Ben LinetonProject descriptionThe mechanical response of the cochlea to sound exhibits an intriguing array of different non-linear phenomena, involving interactions across time and frequency. These remain poorly understood but can be assessed using otoacoustic emissions (OAEs): low-level sounds detectable in the ear canal.OAEs are measured...