PhD Study : Creation of a SMART infrastructure management tool using remote sensing methods to identify, quantify and categorize litter in urban and highway environments.

Summary

This project will help create a ground-breaking vehicle-mounted remote sensing system capable of detecting, quantifying and identifying types of roadside litter. At the heart of this project is the ethos of ‘smart infrastructure’, which brings together technology, government and society to enable characteristics such as informed management strategies, sustainable environments and higher qualities of life.

This project is essential as UK regions like Northern Ireland are officially filthy. Over 95% of all streets and public spaces contain litter with associated annual spend exceeding £40 million. Many millions more are lost on property prices, tourism, crime and mental health. Work will involve investigation of hyper/multi-spectral and RGB photography methods to both detect and identify litter in urban and/or highway environments. Machine learning techniques will be employed to analyse very large data sets generated by continuous remote sensing.

The project will also involve liaison with key infrastructure owners and focus on increasing public awareness of the need for behavioural change, provide platforms for key stakeholder engagement and enable optimum monitoring and amelioration techniques to be identified. The project will contribute to the development of a coherent national strategy relating to litter and embed identified best practices within the routine operations of a diverse network of infrastructure owners.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• Clearly defined research proposal detailing background, research questions, aims and methodology

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• Masters at 65%

Funding and eligibility

The University offers the following levels of support:

Vice Chancellors Research Studentship (VCRS)

The following scholarship options are available to applicants worldwide:

• Full Award: (full-time tuition fees + £19,000 (tbc))
• Part Award: (full-time tuition fees + £9,500)
• Fees Only Award: (full-time tuition fees)

These scholarships will cover full-time PhD tuition fees for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance) and will provide a £900 per annum research training support grant (RTSG) to help support the PhD researcher.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Please note: you will automatically be entered into the competition for the Full Award, unless you state otherwise in your application.

Department for the Economy (DFE)

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

• Candidates with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, who also satisfy a three year residency requirement in the UK prior to the start of the course for which a Studentship is held MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance.
• Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals who satisfy three years’ residency in the UK prior to the start of the course MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance (ROI nationals don’t need to have pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to qualify).
• Other non-ROI EU applicants are ‘International’ are not eligible for this source of funding.
• Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies. Further information on cost of living