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University of Bristol

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PhD Studentship: Learning and Decision-Making Under Uncertainty in Public Health University of Bristol in United Kingdom

Degree Level

PhD

Field of study

Computer Science

Funding

Available

Deadline

Jan 31, 2027

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Country

United Kingdom

University

University of Bristol

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Keywords

Computer Science
Epidemiology
Biology
Probabilistic Modeling
Reinforcement Learning
Active Learning
Salud Pública
Statistics
Disease Surveillance
Control System
ML

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About this position

[4-year University Scholarship with minimum tax-free stipend at the current UKRI rate (2025/26 standard stipend £20,780), RTSG £8,400, and full tuition fees covered.]

PhD Studentship at the University of Bristol on Learning and Decision-Making Under Uncertainty in Public Health.

This fully funded PhD project sits at the intersection of machine learning, AI, statistics, and public health. The research will develop new methods for adaptive learning, sequential decision-making, and control in uncertain and evolving environments. The project is motivated by important health applications such as adaptive disease surveillance, outbreak monitoring, resource allocation, and intervention planning.

Methodological themes include reinforcement learning, active learning, Bayesian decision theory, and stochastic optimisation, with an emphasis on partially observed systems, distributional shift, and scalable probabilistic modelling. The project also highlights network-based representations and dynamic mobility/contact networks as motivating examples, making it attractive to students interested in interpretable AI for complex real-world systems.

The studentship is offered by the University of Bristol and is described as a 4-year University Scholarship for the 2027/28 academic year. Funding includes a minimum tax-free stipend at the current UKRI rate, RTSG support, and full tuition fee coverage. The current example stipend listed is £20,780 for 2025/26, with RTSG £8,400.

The supervisor is Dr Mengyan Zhang, whose academic profile is linked in the posting. Her research focuses on sequential decision making and public health. The project is best suited to applicants with foundational knowledge of machine learning and strong self-motivation. Applicants are encouraged to prepare a strong CV, personal statement, transcript, and optionally a research proposal and other supporting research materials.

Deadline information in the post gives a closing date of 31 January 2027. Applications should be submitted online through the Bristol postgraduate application portal, and applicants should also email the supervisor using the specified subject line.

Funding details

Available

What's required

The ideal candidate will have foundational knowledge of machine learning and strong self-motivation. Applicants should prepare a CV, a 1-2 page personal statement, a transcript of any completed or ongoing qualifying degrees, and may include an optional research proposal plus supporting materials such as research outputs, a thesis, or a coding repository.

How to apply

Apply online at the University of Bristol postgraduate application portal and select the project/programme title on the Programme Choice page. Enter the studentship details in the Funding and Research Details sections. Also email your application to [email protected] with '[PhD Application + Your name]' in the subject line.

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