Design of Experiments for Learning from Online Networks

We are recruiting new Doctoral Researchers to our EPSRC funded Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) PhD studentships starting 1 October 2023. Applications are invited for the project Design of Experiments for Learning from Online Networks

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) of approximately £19,668, including inner London weighting, plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of 42 months (3.5 years).

You should be eligible for home (UK) tuition fees there are a very limited number (no more than three) of studentships available to overseas applicants, including EU nationals, who meet the academic entry criteria including English Language proficiency.

You will join the internationally recognised researchers in the Department of Mathematics

The Project

This PhD will develop statistical methods, theory, algorithms and tools to perform experiments on networks, combining the areas of Design of Experiments and Network Science. Focus will be on online experiments: consider the motivating example of optimally allocating adverts to social media users in real-time to maximise learning about relative advert strengths. In networked experiments, the relationships between experimental units have a large effect on how we design experiments. We seek to optimise designs here.

Please contact Dr Ben Parker at ben.parker@brunel.ac.uk for an informal discussion about the studentships.

Eligibility

Applicants will have or be expected to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in an Engineering, Computer Science, Design, Mathematics, Physics or a similar discipline. A Postgraduate Masters degree is not required but may be an advantage.

Skills and Experience

This project would suit a strong candidate with a background in statistics. A good understanding of statistical theory, particularly statistical inference is necessary, which will normally come from an MSc course in Statistics or similar. It would be advantageous to have experience or interest in one of more of: Network Science, Design of Experiments, Computer Science (Algorithms), or Operational Research. Strong programming skills (or a desire to develop them) will be required, use of R is preferred.

You should be highly motivated, able to work independently as well as in a team, collaborate with others and have good communication skills.

How to apply

There are two stages of the application:

1.Applicants must submit the pre-application form via the following link https://brunel.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/epsrc-dtp-23-24-pre-application-form-brunel-university-lon-3

by 16.00 on Friday 26th May 2023.

2.If you are shortlisted for the interview, you will be asked to email the following documentation in a single PDF file to cedps-studentships@brunel.ac.uk within 24hrs.

• Your up-to-date CV;
• Your Undergraduate degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) essential;
• Your Postgraduate Masters degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) if applicable;
• Your valid English Language qualification of IELTS 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in each section) or equivalent, if applicable;
• Contact details for TWO referees, one of which can be an academic member of staff in the College.

Applicants should therefore ensure that they have all of this information in case they are shortlisted.

Interviews will take place in June 2023.