University of East Anglia
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Faculty of Science funded studentship
PhD Studentship in Intelligent Coordination of Aerial and Ground Vehicles for Future Urban Mobility University of East Anglia in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Funding is available for UK applicants for three years and comprises home tuition fees plus an annual stipend. The current UEA/institutional PhD stipend is £21,805, subject to any agreed inflationary uplift for 2027/28.
Deadline
Feb 24, 2027
Country
United Kingdom
University
University of East Anglia
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About this position
This PhD project at the University of East Anglia investigates intelligent coordination between autonomous aerial systems and ground vehicles, particularly electric vehicles, for future urban mobility.
The research will examine how aerial and ground vehicles can cooperate in urban logistics, sensing, infrastructure monitoring and emerging city services. Rather than treating drones and ground vehicles as independent systems, the project will explore their complementary capabilities: aerial platforms offer flexibility and rapid access, while ground vehicles provide greater carrying capacity, endurance and links to established transport and energy infrastructure.
Key research challenges include allocating tasks across heterogeneous vehicles, determining when and where vehicles should interact, and jointly managing routing, scheduling, charging and energy use under dynamic urban conditions. The work aims to support integrated air–ground mobility systems that can operate efficiently and sustainably across multiple vehicles.
Depending on the research direction, the student may develop mathematical optimisation methods, scheduling algorithms, simulation models, machine-learning approaches or multi-agent decision-making techniques. Particular attention will be given to changing demands, limited vehicle energy, differing operational capabilities and the scalability of real-time coordination.
The project is based in the School of Computing Sciences and is supervised by Dr Xu Zhang. It offers a research environment combining artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, optimisation and connected transport technologies to address future urban services.
Funding details
Funding is available for UK applicants for three years and comprises home tuition fees plus an annual stipend. The current UEA/institutional PhD stipend is £21,805, subject to any agreed inflationary uplift for 2027/28.
What's required
A minimum 2:1 degree in Mathematics, Computer Science or Electrical Engineering is required. The studentship is available to UK applicants.
How to apply
Apply through the University of East Anglia PhD studentship advert or its linked application route. Review the project and eligibility requirements before submitting the required application materials.
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Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the provider.