Human Robot Interaction PhD Studentship 2027 in UK | Fully Funded

Human Robot Interaction PhD Studentship 2027 at King’s College London funds a fully funded 3.5-year PhD focused on human-robot interaction, robot learning and social reasoning, with placements and evaluations in real healthcare environments. The first sentence contains the focus keyword and summarises the programme and funding.

The studentship is funded through CO-STAR in partnership with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and led by Dr Oya Celiktutan. The successful candidate will be based at King’s College London, join the Social AI and Robotics Lab (SAIR), and work on deploying and evaluating robotic systems in hospital environments.

Human Robot Interaction PhD Studentship Benefits

• The studentship provides 3.5 years of full PhD funding in accordance with King’s College London and Royal Academy of Engineering arrangements, including tuition fees, a doctoral stipend, and research support for computational and experimental work, as well as a laptop, training and professional development, research-related travel, and conference participation.
• Stipend: For 27/28 a tax- free stipend of approximately £24,514 p.a. with possible inflationary increases after the first year.
• Bench Fees: £3,000 p.a.
• Tuition fees: Overseas or home fees.
• Other (please outline): Funding is available for 3.5 years for home and overseas students.

Human Robot Interaction PhD Studentship Eligibility Criteria

• NMES, Engineering.
• PGR.
• Applicants should have, or expect to obtain, a strong undergraduate degree (typically a UK First or 2:1, or an equivalent international qualification) in a relevant discipline, such as robotics, engineering, computer science, human-computer interaction, or a related field.
• A relevant Master’s degree and/or research experience would be advantageous but is not essential. Applicants should demonstrate a strong interest in human-robot interaction, socially assistive robotics, and healthcare applications.
• Strong mathematical skills and knowledge of machine learning, together with excellent programming skills, are essential for this project. Candidates should also be highly motivated to work hands-on with physical robotic platforms, including systems such as the Mirokaï robot developed by Enchanted Tools, and to develop and evaluate robotic behaviours in real-world hospital settings.
• The successful candidate should be comfortable working as part of an interdisciplinary team comprising researchers, engineers, healthcare professionals, and target users. Strong communication, analytical, and research skills, as well as an ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines, are therefore important.
• Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the University’s English-language requirements for postgraduate research study.
• Applications are welcome from UK and international candidates. We particularly encourage applications from candidates from groups that are currently underrepresented in robotics, engineering, and related research fields.

How to Apply forHuman Robot Interaction PhD Studentship

• Project for an Oct-27 entry point, applications open 20th October.
• To be considered for the position candidates must apply via King’s Apply online application system. Details are available at https://www.kcl.ac.uk/engineering/postgraduate/research-degrees.
• Please apply for Engineering Research (MPhil/PhD) and indicate Dr Oya Celiktutan as the supervisor and quote the project title in your application and all correspondence.
• Please ensure to add the following code [1213] in the Funding section of the application form.
• Please select option 5 ‘I am applying for a funding award or scholarship administered by King’s College London’ and type the code into the ‘Award Scheme Code or Name’ box. Please copy and paste the code exactly.
• The selection process will involve a pre-selection on documents and, if selected, will be followed by an invitation to an interview. If successful at the interview, an offer will be provided in due course.
• Further information can be found at https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply.
• Contact Oya Celiktutan at oya.celiktutan@kcl.ac.uk for queries about the project.
• If you require support with the application process, contact pgr-engineering@kcl.ac.uk.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are the most frequently asked questions about the Human Robot Interaction PhD Studentship. These answers cover eligibility, benefits, deadlines, application steps, and contact information based on the official programme details.