Combined Part-time PhD

Combined Part-time PhD / Research Assistant in AI Higher Education This role sits in the EC-funded Translational Research and Innovation in Ophthalmology Vision Centre of Excellence programme and will contribute to an Education & Training work package. UCL Institute of Ophthalmology conducts cutting-edge research, attracting principal investigators, post-doctoral fellows and MD/PhD students of the highest international calibre to a stimulating research environment. The Institute is committed to a multi-disciplinary research portfolio that furthers an understanding of the eye and visual system linked with clinical investigations targeted to specific problems in the prevention and treatment of eye disease. About the role Combine a part‑time PhD fellowship with a paid 0.5 FTE Research Assistant post in a team that aims to design and develop AI models to support learning for students. Your PhD (with a paid part-time stipend) will explore how universities are adapting to generative AI, what students and staff are doing, and what this means for assessment, integrity and course design. You will be part of a team that develops a RAG-based LLM to support higher education students in Ophthalmology and you will study students’ interaction with the model. The goal of this investigation is to computationally model productive interactions while diagnosing strengths and limitations of AI models in the delivery of personalized support for higher education students. You’ll use NLP approaches to label student interactions and analytics methods for sensemaking of these interactions. For the ecosystem level questions, you will use interviews and surveys, alongside classroom experiments, to build practical guidance that helps educators use AI effectively and ethically. The project is designed to stay responsive as tools evolve, so your research remains relevant and useful. Alongside the PhD, your paid RA role helps build and run a new online learning experience - a 15‑hour “New Technologies in Ophthalmology” course delivered with an AI‑powered tutor - working within an experienced educational team and colleagues across UCL and Moorfields. Day‑to‑day this means contributing to course materials organisation and sourcing, work on the AI tutor core & safety (such as RAG layer, templates, guard rails etc.), support checks of learner progress and prepare the course for pilots in summer schools and training events. You’ll also work on outcome measurements, which can feed back into your PhD. This post and PhD studentship is available from 01/02/2026 and is funded until 31/12/2030. Salary for the 0.5 FTE Research Assistant role will be Grade 6b, Point 25 (pro rata of £39,148 per annum). A stipend is also included for the 0.5 FTE PhD studentship (£13,000 per annum). This post and PhD studentship do not meet the eligibility criteria for visa sponsorship. About you You will have a degree or equivalent experience in computer science, human computer interaction, digital learning technology or a related field and have experience with data science /digital tools (and basic scripting or coding). You are motivated by applying AI in education are a good communicator and have excellent organisational skills. What we offer Working with some of the greatest intellects in the world, UCL also offers a generous pension scheme and holiday allowance, plus closure and bank holidays as well as enhanced parental pay and more. Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more. Application Process If you have any queries regarding the vacancy please contact Professor Marcus Fruttiger (m.fruttiger@ucl.ac.uk ) If you have any queries regarding the application process please email: ioo.hr@ucl.ac.uk . To apply for the vacancy please click on the 'Apply Now' button below. Please ensure you attach your CV and highest academic qualification. In addition, please ensure you provide a personal statement outlining how you meet the criteria to support your application. Please DO NOT attach research papers. Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality. #J-18808-Ljbffr