Two Fully-Funded PhD Opportunities at UCL's CASA Connected Environments Lab
UCL is now accepting applications for the EPSRC Landscape Award (UELA) 2026/27, offering 50 fully-funded four-year PhD studentships starting 1 October 2026. Among the 100+ projects listed, two of them are based with us at Connected Environments Lab.
Project 1: Overlayed Realities – Situated Visualisation and Analyses for Managing and Predicting Resilient Urban Systems
Supervisor: Dr Valerio Signorelli
Cities are increasingly layered with digital information, yet much of this data remains fragmented and difficult to interpret in context. This project explores how Human-AI collaboration can transform Extended Reality (XR) technologies from passive visualisation tools into platforms for analysing and interpreting urban systems.
The research aims to make urban data more legible, experiential, and actionable, supporting better decision-making in areas such as climate adaptation and urban resilience. Applicants will work across disciplines, architecture, computer science, urban studies, game design, geography, and develop immersive toolkits that turn complex datasets into situated narratives.
Project 2: The Invisible Cyclist – Mandating V2X Presence Messaging for Autonomous Urban Streets
Supervisor: Prof Duncan Wilson
In partnership with The Bicycle Association of Great Britain
This high-impact project addresses a critical safety challenge: the inability of vehicles to detect cyclists when line-of-sight is obstructed. With autonomous vehicles on the rise, this research aims to ensure cyclists are no longer invisible to connected road systems.
You’ll engineer a low-power IoT transmitter for bicycles that guarantees sub-2-second V2X communication, and develop the policy and economic case to mandate V2X receivers in all new vehicles. This is a rare opportunity to combine technical innovation with transport policy to shape the future of safer urban mobility.
UELA Studentship Highlights:
- 50 fully-funded studentships (Home & International; max. 15 international places)
- Start date 01 October 2026 (flexibility possible for exceptional circumstances)
- Explore all 119 projects here
- Full studentship info & application guidance here
- Application deadline: 05 January 2026 at 1pm
If you're interested in immersive technologies, urban systems, IoT, or shaping future mobility and resilience, these projects offer a unique opportunity to make a real-world impact. Please share with anyone who might be interested!