Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Researcher in Privacy in Embedded AI

Post highlights

• Develop knowledge and skills in tackling privacy issues in the cutting-edge field of Embedded AI
• Highly paid Doctoral Researcher opportunity in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security
• Opportunity to study and conduct research in Reading and partner locations.
• Employed as a Researcher (for three years) and registered as a PhD student at the University of Reading.
• Part of the European ANT: Embedded AI Systems and Applications project, that includes 22 world-leading partnering institutions and companies and a cohort of 18 PhD Researchers; the ANT project will design high performance distributed Embedded AI algorithms and systems under stringent resource constraints as well as adaptivity, scalability, robustness, privacy, security and explainability requirements, and transfer the scientific innovations into 4 high-impact applications for autonomous robotics, underwater IoT, mobile healthcare and smart farming.

Job Summary

This post is a Doctoral Researcher in Embedded AI Privacy for three years as part of the ANT Doctoral Network (https://ant-dn.eu/). You will investigate the privacy threats and preserving techniques along the Embedded AI pipeline. You will first conduct a comprehensive analysis of privacy vulnerabilities in state-of-the-art embedded AI models and systems, and develop a deep understanding of the underlying model- and system-level causes for privacy leakage. Based on the vulnerability analysis, you will further design effective and lightweight privacy-preserving solutions under resource constraints on embedded devices. You will also propose a privacy-by-design framework to ensure that privacy protection is fully integrated into the Embedded AI system development pipeline. You will have opportunities to develop these skills at our state-of-art facilities at Reading, but also through secondments (7 months total) with Delft University of Technology, Netherlands to develop lightweight privacy-preserving and security-enhancing methods for Embedded AI, and with Philips in Netherlands to integrate privacy-by-design framework into mobile healthcare applications. You will also work closely with the other 17 Doctoral Researchers within the ANT project and there will be opportunities to present your work at national and international conferences.

The ANT Project

ANT is a Marie Skodowska-Curie Doctoral Network titled ‘ANT: Embedded AI Systems and Applications’. It is funded under the Horizon-MSCA-DN-2023 programme. This project brings together Principal Investigators and collaborators from 22 academic and industry partners from across Europe and the UK. ANT will train 18 Doctoral Researchers and implement an innovative and interdisciplinary research and training programme aimed at addressing the fundamental challenges of Embedded AI and accelerating the development of Embedded AI systems and applications. The ANT doctoral candidates will design high performance distributed Embedded AI algorithms and systems under stringent resource constraints as well as adaptivity, scalability, robustness, privacy, security and explainability requirements. The scientific innovations will be transferred into 4 high-impact applications for autonomous robotics, underwater IoT, mobile healthcare and smart farming.

The ANT Doctoral Researchers will be located across Europe at partner institutions. The coordinating partner is Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) and the hiring partners are NXP Semiconductors (Netherlands), University of Trento (Italy), University of Cambridge (UK), TU Darmstadt (Germany), Graz University of Technology (Austria), University of Reading (UK), IMEC (Belgium), IMDEA Networks (Spain), and Brunel University of London (UK). Other partners University of Massachusetts (US), STMicroelectronics SRL (Italy), SENSORY-FI S.L. (Spain), ABB Schweiz AG (Switzerland), University of Antwerp (Belgium), University of Fribourg (Switzerland), XOsight B.V. (Netherlands), A5 SRL (Italy), AVL LIST GMBH (Austria), PHILIPS Electronics Nederland (Netherlands) will contribute to the research and training programme.

Eligibility, qualifications and skills for the position

Eligibility

• The PhD Researcher must be an ‘early-stage researcher’, i.e., at the time of recruitment have not already been awarded a doctoral degree.
• The PhD Researcher is required to undertake physical, transnational mobility (i.e. move from one country to another) to take up this appointment.
• The PhD Researcher must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to their recruitment. Compulsory national service and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.

Qualifications and skills

• At least a 2.1 grade (or equivalent) in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in computer science, electrical engineering, telecommunication engineering, applied mathematics, or relevant subjects.
• Proficient in at least one or two of the following skills: machine learning/deep learning, cyber security, embedded systems, data science.
• Good communication skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Application process

Please adhere to the following guidelines to apply for this position:

In your online application, please ensure that you:
Include the name and email contacts of two academic referees;
Attach a detailed curriculum vitae, including qualifications and experience, publications (if applicable)
Complete the supporting statement (maximum 1-page statement) section outlining your research project experience to date (this can be related to undergraduate or postgraduate research projects and/or research work experience etc);

In addition to completing an online application, we will require the following documents:

1. Transcripts of degrees
2. Please complete the ANT eligibility form available at the bottom of the advert

Both documents should be compiled into a single pdf* document and sent to Dr Xiaomin Chen at xiaomin.chen@reading.ac.uk. Do not include additional documents other than what have been requested. Do not include substantive information in the body of the email. For the subject of your email, please use: ANT application [your surname].

The deadline for applications is 11/04/2025.

Interview date is TBC

Please note that applicants that do not follow these guidelines may not be considered for shortlisting.

Conditions of employment

The salary for the post corresponds to the 2023 MSCA Doctoral Network funding model. The salary includes (all figures are gross pay per year before taxes and other deductions are made) a living allowance, a mobility allowance and if eligible a family allowance. Thus, the gross salary will range from
£42,978 - £46,974 (depending on eligibility for the family allowance) per annum for three years; this is gross pay per year before taxes and other deductions are made.

The Doctoral Researcher will be employed for three years as a Researcher and is required to register for a PhD. The PhD programme in the School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences is typically a three-year programme. Please note that the salary attached to this Doctoral Researcher position in years 1-3 is considerably higher than what PhD students are usually paid in the UK. Additional eligibility requirements set by the University of Reading for postgraduate course must also be met, including evidence of English language proficiency.

There are numerous benefits of working at the University of Reading, and you can find out more about what we offer here https://www.reading.ac.uk/human-resources/working-life

Contact details for advert
Contact Name: Dr Xiaomin Chen
Contact Job Title: Associate Professor
Contact Email address: xiaomin.chen@reading.ac.uk

By reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship may be possible under the Skilled Worker Route. Applicants wishing to consider the SWR must ensure that they are able to meet the points requirement before applying. There is further information about this on the UK Visas and Immigration Website.

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and champions LGBT+ equality. We are a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2). Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.