Digital infrastructures are at the heart of our societal fabric. Securing the ever-increasing interconnectivity and dependencies across the boundaries of blended infrastructures is the next frontier for cyber security. It requires highly skilled researchers to proactively anticipate and address the challenges of security and resilience for our current and future digital society.
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Based at the Universities of Bristol and Bath, our 4-year unique interdisciplinary PhD programme provides you with an immersive challenge-led training approach with the opportunity to learn from world-leading researchers drawn from the two universities, industry and research partners.
Our approach is fundamentally different from regular research training. Building on the successes of our TIPS-at-Scale programme, and as a member of an interdisciplinary cohort, students learn from leading experts within multiple disciplines, including psychology, management, engineering, sociology and computer science. This approach provides a holistic understanding that is more attuned to the realities of tackling cyber security problems across complex interconnected IT, OT and IIoT systems.
You will gain hands-on experience of realistic large-scale infrastructures in our state-of-the-art critical infrastructure and Internet of Things testbed at Bristol, become familiar with major programmes of research on human aspects of security and privacy in Bath, and enrich your learning with our masterclasses, innovation challenges, sandpits and placements/internships at industry partners and international research centres.
Applications for September 2025
Our applications window is currently closed. We may open it again in early Summer.
Professor Awais Rashid outlines how the current cybersecurity challenges are addressed by the CDT with a new generation of leaders and experts.