The University of Manchester – UKRI CDT in Decision Making for Complex Systems
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Funding: Fully funded 4-year PhD
Start Date: September 2026
Application Deadline: Friday, 5 December 2025
Project Supervisors: Prof. Richard Allmendinger, Dr Ahmed Kheiri and Dr Mauricio Alvarez
URL: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/adaptive-multi-objective-search-in-expensive-high-dimensional-socio-technical-systems/?p189755
A fully funded PhD position is available at the University of Manchester within the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Decision Making for Complex Systems, starting in September 2026. The project, entitled Adaptive Multi-Objective Search in Expensive High-Dimensional Socio-Technical Systems, is offered in collaboration with the Honda Research Institute (HRI) Europe, a research arm of Honda, one of the world's largest and well-known automotive companies.
The PhD will develop adaptive optimisation frameworks for complex socio-technical systems, with a particular focus on energy distribution networks for electric vehicles. These systems involve large, high-dimensional search spaces and multiple conflicting objectives such as fairness, explainability, and environmental impact. The work will draw upon methods from AI, machine learning, and Bayesian optimisation, integrating insights from operational research and decision support. The successful candidate will have opportunities to engage with HRI researchers and join their global PhD cohort.
Applicants should have a strong background in optimisation, machine learning, or a related discipline. Prior experience with multi-objective or Bayesian optimisation (especially Gaussian Processes) is desirable.
The position is fully funded for four years, covering tuition fees and a UKRI tax-free stipend.
Applications should be submitted via the University of Manchester online portal under "PhD in Artificial Intelligence", including academic transcripts, CV, a one- to two-page supporting statement, and contact details for two academic referees. The application deadline is 5 December 2025.
For informal enquiries, please contact Prof. Richard Allmendinger at Richard.Allmendinger@manchester.ac.uk or Dr Ahmed Kheiri at Ahmed.Kheiri@manchester.ac.uk.
More details and application link: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/adaptive-multi-objective-search-in-expensive-high-dimensional-socio-technical-systems/?p189755
Other Related PhD Projects in the CDT
*) Explainable AI for Passenger Flow and Commercial Decision-Making in Complex Airport Systems, supervised by Prof. Julia Handl and Dr Ali Hassanzadeh. More info: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/explainable-ai-for-passenger-flow-and-commercial-decision-making-in-complex-airport-systems/?p177088
*) Transfer Learning for Bayesian Optimisation in Fluid Dynamics, supervised by Prof. Manuel Lopez-Ibanez and Dr Saleh Rezaeiravesh. More info: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/transfer-learning-for-bayesian-optimisation-in-fluid-dynamics/?p189420