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Funded PhD in Smart Optical Design: AI Tools for Next-Generation Cinematic Camera Lenses University of Surrey in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Fully funded studentship covering home and international tuition fees (international fee waiver), additional research training, travel funds, and UKRI standard rate stipend of £21,805 for the 2026/27 academic year.
Deadline
Jan 17, 2027
Country
United Kingdom
University
University of Surrey

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About this position
PhD opportunity at the University of Surrey in Smart Optical Design: AI Tools for the Next Generation of Cinematic Camera Lenses.
This funded project sits at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Computer Graphics, Machine Learning, and computational imaging. The research aims to build a computational framework that combines data-driven modelling and differentiable rendering to accelerate lens design and simulation. The project will explore both forward simulation (predicting imaging output from lens configurations) and inverse design (proposing lens architectures to meet target image-quality or perceptual objectives).
Supervisors: Dr Marco Volino and Dr Jean-Yves Guillemaut, School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Surrey.
Eligibility: Open to UK and international candidates. Applicants should have, or be close to, a first-class or high 2:1 honours degree in computer science, electronic engineering, applied mathematics, physics, or a related field; a Master’s degree is preferred. Strong maths skills, programming ability in Python and/or C/C++, and experience with machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow are desirable. Background in computer vision, graphics, computational imaging, optics, rendering, or physics-based modelling would be an advantage.
Funding: Fully funded studentship with tuition coverage for home and international students, research training, travel funds, and a UKRI-standard stipend of £21,805 for 2026/27.
Application: Submit your application via the Vision, Speech and Signal Processing PhD programme page. Instead of a research proposal, upload a document with the project title and the relevant supervisor’s name.
Deadline: 17 January 2027. The project is scheduled to start in April 2027, with later start dates possible by contacting Dr Marco Volino after the deadline.
Funding details
Fully funded studentship covering home and international tuition fees (international fee waiver), additional research training, travel funds, and UKRI standard rate stipend of £21,805 for the 2026/27 academic year.
What's required
Open to UK or international candidates. Applicants should meet the minimum entry requirements for the PhD programme. Preferred background is a first-class or high 2:1 honours degree, and preferably a Master’s degree, in computer science, electronic engineering, applied mathematics, physics, or a closely related discipline. Strong mathematical foundations in linear algebra, optimisation, probability, and numerical methods are expected. Experience in computer vision, computer graphics, computational imaging, or machine learning is desirable, along with excellent Python and/or C/C++ programming skills and familiarity with PyTorch or TensorFlow. Interest in interdisciplinary research, and prior experience with optical systems, inverse problems, generative models, or high-performance computing would be advantageous.
How to apply
Apply through the Vision, Speech and Signal Processing PhD programme page. Upload a document stating the project title and the name of the relevant supervisor instead of a research proposal. Contact Dr Marco Volino if you need to discuss a later start date after the deadline.
More information can be found here
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