University of Leeds
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3 weeks ago
PhD in Railway Inspection and Maintenance University of Leeds in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
This is a non-funded PhD project. Applicants are expected to be self-funded or secure external funding. The post notes that visa, Immigration Health Surcharge, flights, and other arrival costs must be met by the applicant unless covered by alternative funding.
Deadline
Apr 30, 2027
Country
United Kingdom
University
University of Leeds
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About this position
PhD in Railway Inspection and Maintenance at the University of Leeds.
This PhD focuses on railway inspection, railway maintenance, structural health monitoring, remote sensing, computer vision, 3D scanning, augmented reality, UAV sensing, satellite sensing, predictive maintenance, and digital approaches for railway infrastructure monitoring. The project explores automated and non-disruptive methods for track inspection, defect detection, ballast degradation monitoring, settlement tracking, and maintenance decision support.
Example directions include automated rail surface defect detection using vehicle-mounted computer vision, integrating UAV imagery and 3D laser scanning, augmented reality tools for maintenance teams, and data fusion between satellite radar and train-borne sensors. The theme is flexible and can be tailored to interests in digital rail engineering, geomatics, AI, or structural track mechanics.
Funding: This is a non-funded PhD. Applicants should be self-funded or have external sponsorship/funding in place.
Eligibility: Applicants should normally have at least a first-class or upper second-class British Bachelors Honours degree, or equivalent, in an appropriate discipline. Relevant backgrounds include Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Railway Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Geomatics, Remote Sensing, Robotic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Applied Physics. International applicants must meet the University’s English language requirement (IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component or equivalent).
Deadline: Friday 30 April 2027. Applications are reviewed continuously, and early submission is encouraged.
How to apply: Apply via the University of Leeds research degree portal. Select the Research Degrees – Research Postgraduate route, choose PHP Civil Engineering Full Time, and set the proposed start date to 1 October 2027. Include the project title, Professor David Connolly as proposed supervisor, your funding status, transcripts, personal statement, and CV.
Funding details
This is a non-funded PhD project. Applicants are expected to be self-funded or secure external funding. The post notes that visa, Immigration Health Surcharge, flights, and other arrival costs must be met by the applicant unless covered by alternative funding.
What's required
Applicants should normally hold at least a first-class or upper second-class British Bachelors Honours degree, or equivalent, in an appropriate discipline; some research degrees may require a Masters degree. Suitable backgrounds include Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Railway Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Geomatics, Remote Sensing, Robotic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Applied Physics. If English is not the first language, applicants must meet the University of Leeds minimum English requirement of IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component or equivalent, with the test dated within two years of the start date.
How to apply
Apply through the University of Leeds research degree application portal. Select Research Degrees – Research Postgraduate, choose PHP Civil Engineering Full Time, and use 1 October 2027 as the proposed start date. State the project title and Professor David Connolly as proposed supervisor, and include your funding status plus supporting documents.
More information can be found here
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