Deadline: April 1, 2019.

The Government Office for Science offers UK Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowships to outstanding early career science or engineering researchers. These Fellowships are designed to promote unclassified basic research in areas of interest to the intelligence, security and defence communities. The Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure, Department for Transport, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Home Office, and the National Cyber Security Centre are among the organisations represented in the UK Intelligence Community for the Postdoctoral Research Fellowships.

One round of applications is held annually. Members of the IC identify research topics and Postdocs work locally with University Research Advisors to develop and submit research proposals that align with the topics.

 

RESEARCH TOPICS

1. Optimisation of the scalable partitioning of complex network graphs for processing

2. Effective markers for the detection of synthesised hazardous materials in waste products.

3. Use of artificial intelligence to validate data and to automate correction of poor-quality data.

4. Application of sensing networks for situational awareness and early detection of threats.

5. Research into improved methods for trapped-ion magnetometer sensors, detection and reporting.

6. Opportunities and risks in the application of machine and deep learning to security screening.

7. Controllable and quantifiable methods for real-time explosive vapor generation.

8. Modelling the effects of mechanical stress for batteries in wearable applications.

9. Pathogen roles in complex diseases and unattributable infections, diagnosis and mitigation.

10. Ultra-narrowband transceiver design for long range low power and low-profile communications.

11. Characterization of physics and approximations in urban weather and atmospheric dispersion models.

12. Mathematical intuition in neural discovery and understanding (MINDU).

13. Construction and evaluation of a compressive imaging system from a single indium gallium arsenide photo sensor.

14. Quantum and optical sensors.

15. Detecting needles in haystacks – how can quantum sensors help improve security screening.

 

ELIGIBILITY

• Research Fellowships must be held at a UK higher education institution/university in a department that can show it is capable of fully supporting the research project and researcher
• It is the responsibility of the applicant to make contact with the host institution and gain the formal approval from the relevant Head of Department prior to submitting an application
• The proposed research project must address one of the topics outlined on the website (also included at the end of this document)
• Research Fellowships are aimed at early career researchers. Applicants must have been awarded their PhD no more than four years prior to the submission deadline, Monday 1 April 2019. If applicants have had maternity/paternity leave or other extenuating circumstance, this will be taken into consideration if the relevant dates and detail are provided within the application
• PhD students are eligible to apply, but must have been awarded their PhD before they start the Research Fellowship or the offer will be withdrawn
• Research Fellowships must commence between 1 October 2019 and 1 December 2019
• The applicant must not hold a permanent academic position, e.g. lecturers are not eligible
• UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellows are required to devote all their working time to the Research Fellowship. The Research Fellowship must be the Research Fellow’s only source of employment
• Applicants have no nationality restrictions. The host institution of the research fellowship will be responsible for securing all necessary work permits and related costs
• Applicants who have applied to this scheme before and were unsuccessful are eligible to re-apply
• No security vetting is required as part of the Research Fellowship scheme, but by applying to this scheme the applicant is agreeing to be vetted if it becomes necessary during the Research Fellowship. Applicants are asked to declare any reasons why they might not be eligible to work in this area (see Statement of Support and Declaration in the application form). For non-UK citizens, applicants should be aware that there is a 5-year continuous residency requirement prior to the commencement of the Research Fellowship
• Any applications that are incomplete or do not adhere to the guidelines will be rejected

 

GRANT

The Goverment Office for Science will fund up to £100,000 per year at 80% of Full Economic Costs. Each application is capped at a maximum grant of £200,000 over a 2-year period.

 

OFFICIAL LINK

 

UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Programme