AutoTrust Project Call

AutoTrust: Building Future Leaders Call for Project Proposals

Do you have an idea for a project you would like to lead?

ECS (Southampton) and WMG (Warwick) are offering a unique opportunity to create and manage your own funded mini-project in connected and autonomous vehicles, focusing on AI, HCI, Privacy and Cyber Security, and to be part of the AutoTrust project community.

Funding for 3-12 month projects is available to research fellows, but there are also opportunities available for PhD students and undergraduate internship. You will be able to shape your own project ideas, and develop experience in managing your own project. The funding is in collaboration with the National Automotive Innovation Centre and WMG at the University of Warwick. There will be opportunities to work with industrial partners, such as Jaguar Land Rover, as well as the Alan Turing Institute, and academics and researchers at both the University of Southampton and Warwick. You will be part of an exciting project that addresses key challenges in the areas of connected and autonomous vehicles. 

AutoTrust is a joint EPSRC platform grant with Southampton and Warwick. Our explorations in AutoTrust are around three themes in Autonomous Vehicles:  Human to Vehicle; Vehicle to Vehicle; Vehicle to System -fundamentally, wherever data is shared in the Internet of Vehicles.

Who should apply? The funding is flexible and anyone with the appropriate background and ideas can apply. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • You are in the middle of your PhD and would like to suspend in order to do a 3 to 6-month internship in your area of interest.
  • You are about to finish your PhD and are looking for a post doc position.
  • You are already doing a post doc and your contract is about to finish.
  • You are an undergraduate student and would like to do an internship.
  • You just finished your undergraduate degree and would like to do a research project.
  • You are an academic wanting to organise a workshop or do user studies.
  • You are a researcher at an external university wishing to visit and collaborate on the project. 

What background do I need?

The project is highly multi-disciplinary, and we welcome researchers from a wide range of backgrounds, including but not limited to: computer science (e.g. AI, HCI, cyber security, control), transportation, sociology, psychology, economics.

What do I need to do in order to apply?

To apply, you need to write a short project proposal (dowload template). In addition, you need to include a CV and references.

What will the funding provide?

Apart from the salary (except for academics), you can request other funding needed for your project. This can include but is not limited to:

  • User studies
  • Using the 3XD simulator at Warwick
  • Travel to conferences and for collaborations with other partners
  • Organising a workshop
  • Hiring an intern to do a specific task

Who oversees the project?

Although you will be responsible for running your own project, you will work closely with one or more of the investigators from the AutoTrust project: Prof mc schraefel (Southampton), Dr Enrico Gerding (Southampton), Dr Seb Stein (Southampton), Prof Carsten Maple (Warwick), Prof Tim Watson (Warwick). They will act as mentor and collaborator. In addition, you will be part of the AutoTrust project meetings. There will be local meetings (e.g. within Southampton), as well as offsite meetings. In addition, workshops will be organised where you will have the opportunity for networking and presenting your work.     

What are the areas of research?

The research explores challenges in the area of connected and autonomous vehicles and overcoming obstacles to improve efficiency, trust and security of the internet of vehicles. There are 4 key research themes: interaction, automation, services, and security. See the Overview page and Research Themes page on this site for more details.

Is there a deadline and how will the application be reviewed?

Applications can be submitted any time, although we may also advertise specific job openings which will have their own deadline. Applications received will typically be reviewed in 2-3 weeks, and, if we believe the application fits within the scope of the project, you will be invited for interview.  

Where do I submit my application?

Please submit a query via email to Enrico Gerding eg@ecs.soton.ac.uk about your project idea first, before submitting