Open positions

We are always looking for new excellent group members. You will have the chance to work in the forefront of science in human-computer interaction and human-centred security with world leading researchers. You will be involved in understanding today’s problems in HCI and security, and in inventing and evaluating forward-looking solutions for tomorrow.

Current open positions

Opening (RA (or Postdoc RA) position): We are looking for an RA (start date March 2022, up to 13.5 months) with hands-on experience research and programming experience in XR to work on an understanding and mitigating XR Dark Patterns. The position is funded by Meta and involves close collaborations with their Metaverse Security Team. More info and link to application can be found here: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CVV903/research-assistant-associate. Deadline 9 January 2023
Opening (RA (or Postdoc RA) position): We are looking for a postdoc (start date January 2022, up to 15.5 months) with hands-on experience in programming for VR/AR/MR to work on user and bystander privacy in XR, and child safety in Social VR. The projects are funded by REPHRAIN and Facebook Reality Labs respectively. More info and link to application can be found here: [https://my.corehr.com/pls/uogrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=070747. Deadline 10 November 2021
Opening (postdoc position): We are looking for a postdoc (start date August 2021, 18 months) with experience in applying machine learning in HCI and/or security problems. In particular, the successful candidate will work on analyzing thermal images using image processing and ML techniques as part of the [PT.HEAT project which is funded by the PETRAS National Centre of Excellence for IoT Systems. Apply here: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CGP041/research-assistant-associate. Deadline 23 June 2021
Opening: As part of an EPSRC project on Assessing, Mitigating and Raising Awareness of the Security and Privacy Risks of Thermal Imaging EP/V008870/1, we are looking for a PhD student to start as soon as possible. The studentship is funded is fully funded for 3.5 years on the UK rate, and covers tuition fees and a monthly stipend. International candidates will need to fund the difference in tuition fees using other means.

PhD Opportunities

If you are interested in working with us as a PhD student or postdoc, please send me on email. State briefly why you are interested and include 1) your CV, 2) your publications list and/or your latest thesis (e.g., MSc thesis or final year project report), 3) highlight the experiences and interests that are relevant to the work we do in SIRIUS, and 4) information about your grades so far. No need for a separate cover letter or certificates.

Apart from the open positions, there are scholarships every year offered by the University of Glasgow and others.

• Scholarships through the University of Glasgow: deadline for the opportunities below is 31 January every year. More info about the application process can be found here:
  • School of Computing Science Studentship: There are several studentships offerred through the school every year. These are funded by the EPSRC, the college of science and enginering, or the school itself. All of those offer a monthly stipend, but some cover tuition fees at the UK rate whereas others cover them at the international rate. Non-UK students are eligible to apply; if you were selected for a studentship that pays the UK rate of tuition fees, you would need to fund the difference using other means. Deadline is 31 January every year. More info here.
  • Excellence Bursaries: covers the tuition fees fully for UK students, and partially (£10,000) for international students. Note that this scheme does NOT include a monthly stipend, so you need to finance your life expenses using other means.
  • Chinese Scholarship Council nomination: the School of Computing Science can nominate up to 4 candidates every year for the CSC scholarship. It is not guaranteed that the CSC will award our nominees, but historically this has always been the case. Our college then matches this funding to create a fully funded studentship (tuitions + stipend).
• Industry co-funded Studentships: if you are able to secure half the costs of a PhD studentship from a potential industry partner (currently set at £35,000), I can support you in getting match funding from the University of Glasgow to create a fully funded studentship (tuition fees at the UK rate + monthly stipend).
• Industry studentships: some companies offer scholarships. Examples include: Google, Adobe, Facebook, and Microsoft.
• Carnegie PhD Scholarships: highly competitive - more info here.
• SOCIAL CDT: The UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Socially Intelligent Artificial Agents (or SOCIAL CDT) funds 15 PhD students every year. Dr Mohamed Khamis is part of the supervision team. You would need to select one of projects listed on the SOCIAL CDT website, and apply before the deadline. More details about the eligibility criteria and deadlines can be found on the [SOCIAL CDT website] (https://socialcdt.org/).

Postdoc Opportunities

When there are no funded positions advertised, and you are interested in joining the group, then you must secure your own postdoctoral fellowship support. We would be happy to provide assistance if required. For possible sources of postdoctoral funding, take a look at the linksbelow, and please get in touch (mohamed.khamis@glasgow.ac.uk) if you wish to apply for any of the fellowships.

There are postdoc fellowships available every year. I am happy to support you in your application for a fellowship to fund your postdoc in our group. Take a look at the following opportunities (The deadlines were last checked in January 2021, they may have changed since then):

• Newton International Fellowships(funds non-UK citizens that are working outside the UK for a 2-year fellowship).
• Marie Sklodowska-Curie European Fellowship(open to researchers moving within Europe. Funds 2-3 years).
• Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship(Open to early career researchers who currently have, or will have, a need for flexible support due to personal circumstances (e.g., parental/caring responsibilities, clinically diagnosed health issues or other personal circumstances that create a need for a flexible working pattern.)
• Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellowships(There are multiple grants with different requirements.)
• German Academic Research Foundation (DFG) Walter Benjamin Programme (up to two years)
• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience (12 months in Glasgow, 6 months in Germany. Deadline is usually in August)
• Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoc.Mobility fellowships (deadlines in February and August. Non-Swiss nationals who spent 2 years or more at a Swiss research institution are also eligible.)
• Fullbright Awards (for US citizens)
• There are other fellowship schemes from the Academy of Finland, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and the Croucher Foundation.

The following schemes allow you to fund your own position at the University of Glasgow. You would be independent from the SIRIUS lab but you would still be able to collaborate with us.

• Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship: Deadline is in February every year.
• The Newton International Fellowship: Deadline is in March every year.
• The Daphne Jackson Trust: Open call.
• The EPSRC Fellowship: Open call.
• The Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship: Deadline is in November every year.
• The Ernest Rutherford Fellowship: Deadline is in September every year.
• The Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship: Deadline is in September every year.
• The Royal Society Research Fellowship: Deadline is in August every year.
• Note that in addition to the fellowship you can also apply for match-funding from the University of Glasgow’s LKAS scheme to top up your fellowship by £100,000.

Master and Level 4 final year projects for University of Glasgow students

If you are a student at University of Glasgow looking for a Master or a Level 4 final year project, contact me (or any group member) via email or stop by my office. We often have topics in HCI, Usable Security, Thermal Imaging, Eye Tracking, and Virtual Reality.