Engineering research projects
Our academics are working on a wide range of projects suitable for PhD students to join. Some may also be suitable for the MSc by research.
Some projects may be funded by research councils or industry. If funded projects are available, these will be listed below. We also have a wide range of projects for self-funding students, or those with other sources of funding.
When applying for a research degree in Engineering, you need to name one or more members of academic staff who can supervise your studies. We strongly encourage you to contact them to discuss a project before you apply. They will be happy to discuss your project and application.
Find out more about our Communication technologies group.
Contact
Professor Paul Mitchell
paul.mitchell@york.ac.uk
Current group structure
The group consists of over 70 academics, post-doctoral researchers and PhD students. Our work is broadly arranged around four capability areas:
- Communication systems and protocols
- Signals and waveforms
- Applied electromagnetics and devices
- Audio and acoustics
We apply our fundamental research to a number of specialist application areas:
- Immersive and interactive technologies
- Electromagnetic compatibility
- Ultra-high capacity density systems
- High altitude platforms
- Underwater networks
PhD opportunities
We have a wide range of opportunities across these research capability and application areas, from more theoretically focused research through to simulation based modelling and practical experimentation. In addition to projects listed by individual academics, you are encouraged to get in touch if you have your own ideas for possible research topics if they are aligned with our areas of expertise. PhD Projects are offered directly through the School of Physics, Engineering, and Technology.
We have close relationships with a number of industry partners. We also support our projects through local state-of-the-art facilities that have been purpose-built for our research and teaching.
Find out more about the Healthcare engineering group.
Contact Dr David Halliday, david.halliday@york.ac.uk
Current group structure
The Healthcare engineering group consists of around 25 academics, PhD students and post-doctoral researchers. We undertake research with the goal of improving the way we understand, diagnose and treat the human body in health and disease. The group makes extensive use of measurement technologies, assistive technologies and analysis and modelling techniques. We adopt an interdisciplinary approach working with colleagues in the life sciences and medicine. We seek to integrate data from different organisational levels: molecular, cellular and systems.
PhD opportunities
PhD projects cover experimental and theoretical work in healthcare, looking at basic science through to technological development and clinical impact. PhD project topics include:
- Algorithms to assist with diagnosis
- Biomechanics, orthopaedics and prosthetics
- Biomolecular and biomedical sensing technologies
- Design of bioelectronic and medical devices
- Metaverse and investigative virtual technologies
- New ways to analyse and model biological processes
- Robotics to assist with surgery, diagnosis and healthy living
Find out more about the Intelligent systems and robotics group.
Contact: Andy Tyrrell
andy.tyrrell@york.ac.uk
Current group structure:
The Intelligent Systems and Robotics Discovery Research group has over 30 staff and PhD students. The next generation of electronic technology will be smaller, faster, smarter, sustainable and more energy efficient than ever before. Our research into intelligent systems and robotics is driving this revolution. The strategic view of the group is to balance adventure with continuity in interdisciplinary research in order to make a tangible impact. Much of our research links engineering with nature. Learning from biological processes, the group’s research is involved in the development of novel biologically-inspired electronic, computational and robotic systems and programs, endowed with capabilities such as adaptation, evolution, growth, healing, replication and learning. These technical developments are applied to a variety of real-world applications areas, including VLSI technology design and fabrication, autonomous intelligent robots, novel computational structures and smart energy conversion.
PhD opportunities:
PhD projects are available in each of our three key research areas: Bio-inspired Computational Architectures, Intelligent and Adaptive Robotics and Sustainable Energy Systems. Within these broad areas main areas of interest include: Evolution and development for engineering design, Self-aware and self-repairing systems, Unconventional computation, Interpretable (white box) Machine Learning and data analysis, Sustainable, nature-inspired robotics, Self-aware and self-learning, connected, explainable data (sensor)-driven robots, Modular, adaptive, multi-modal versatile robot ecosystems, and Advanced sustainable energy technologies.