Fully Funded PhD in AI Safety and MCP Security Vulnerability Detection at Loughborough University Loughborough University in United Kingdom

Fully funded PhD opportunity at Loughborough University in Computer Science, focused on AI Safety and the detection/mitigation of security vulnerabilities in AI systems that use the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

The project is sponsored by Darktrace and includes a 25% stipend top-up above the standard rate. It is a UK/home students only studentship, and the university advertises it as a fully funded PhD with UK fees covered.

Research themes include program analysis, formal verification, software testing, cybersecurity, and multi-agent systems. The project aims to identify potentially malicious MCP servers and develop defence mechanisms to protect AI agents from compromise. This is a strong fit for candidates interested in software engineering, programming languages, AI security, and trustworthy AI.

Supervision is by Dr Chengyu Zhang (primary supervisor), with Dr Shaheen Fatima and Professor Georgina Cosma as secondary supervisors, all at Loughborough University.

Entry requirements: a first-class undergraduate degree is required; if you also hold a master's degree, it must be at distinction. The advert highlights programming ability (e.g. Python, C/C++), and experience in machine learning, cybersecurity, or program analysis is an advantage. Strong analytical ability, communication skills, self-motivation, and independent research aptitude are expected.

Deadline: 21 July 2026. Start date: October 2026. Apply online via the university page and contact the supervisor with your CV for pre-application details.