FLock.io Oxford DPhil in Computer Science Scholarship: Security of AI Systems

Student fee status: Home

Supervisor: Prof Ivan Martinovic, Dr Simon Birnbach

Start Date: October 2026

We are pleased to be able to offer the FLock.io Oxford DPhil in Computer Science Scholarship, a fully funded DPhil scholarship in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oxford.  The scholarship provides funding for a Home fee status research student in the Security theme under the supervision of Prof Martinovic, to commence next academic year (October 2026).

The successful applicant will join the Systems Security Lab, an internationally-leading research group with a focus on cyber-physical systems security and the security of AI systems. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate with other members of the team and of the department.

This scholarship has a broad scope, and we invite applications covering both theoretical and system aspects of AI security. Potential projects might explore attacks and defences concerning AI systems such as data poisoning, adversarial samples, or model inversion. We are also interested in projects that focus on the impact of adversarial attacks on AI systems deployed in a wide range of deployment areas including but not limited to distributed systems and AI agents.

The scholarship will provide an annual stipend (at the UKRI rate) at least £20,780 per annum for 3.5 years (42 months). The scholarship will also cover the costs of course tuition fees at home level. Research students in the Department of Computer Science are also provided with a fund for travel to conferences and workshops (subject to approval).

Applicants must satisfy the usual requirements for studying for a doctorate at Oxford, and apply online by Tuesday 3 March 2026 via the DPhil in Computer Science, quoting scholarship reference 26-CS-IM. Candidates are expected to have a strong computational and/or mathematical background, with undergraduate studies in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics or related disciplines. Candidates must also have good writing, communication and presentation skills (see the University's web pages on the DPhil in Computer Science for details).

For further information or for informal discussions about suitability, please contact Prof Ivan Martinovic (ivan.martinovic@cs.ox.ac.uk) and Dr Simon Birnbach (simon.birnbach@cs.ox.ac.uk). For further information about the scholarship or the application process, please e-mail Computer Science Graduate Admissions.