Project: Empowering Future Innovators: Advancing Early Career Researchers through Digital Technologies Leadership (TECHLEAD)
Funders: This project is supported by the British Council under the Early Career Fellowships Programme (Grant ID: 1860), as part of the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) which is managed by the UK Government’s Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT). The ISPF puts research and innovation at the heart of international relationships, supporting UK researchers and innovators to work with peers around the world on the major themes: planet, health, technologies and talent. For further information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-science-partnerships-fund-ispf.
Project Lead: Professor Huan X. Nguyen
Mentors and Supervisors: The selected early career fellows (ECFs) will be supported by a team of mentors and supervisors chosen from a diverse pool of academic members, ranging from senior lecturers to associate professors and full professors, with varying STEM research backgrounds from various departments Computer Science (CS), Design, Engineering & Maths (DEM) and Nature Science (NS). Project lead Professor Huan Nguyen will work with senior members, Prof. Xiaohong Gao, Prof. Sally Priest, and Prof. Balbir Barn in coordinating the mentoring and supervising process.
About: We are recruiting three Early Career Fellows to work at the London Digital Twin Research Centre and other departments at Middlesex University London for a period of one year as part of the British Council ISPF Early Career Fellowships Programme. Grants under the British Council ISPF fellowships programme allows fellows to collaborate internationally, and gain access to new research environments, facilities, knowledge, and expertise, to enhance the quality of their research environments and enable them to translate research and innovation into economic and societal benefit. The Early Career Fellowship Programme focuses on the Tomorrow’s Talent ISPF theme and has the following objectives: 1) Provide the selected early career researchers with a foundation to launch their careers in research and innovation; 2) To widen participation by increasing the number of opportunities for researchers including those whose backgrounds are underrepresented in their research field, and who have not yet held a permanent research-related post or academic post with a research specific element; 3) The scheme has a focus on inclusivity: to provide up and coming researchers with a foundation to launch their careers, creating lasting benefits to the fellow and both the UK and the international partner country research communities through sustainable collaboration; and 4) Establish collaboration between hosting and sending institutions on one of the ISPF themes.
Research Areas: (but not limited to)
a) Digital twinning for: crisis and resilience, decarbonisation in transport, Net-Zero, environment, healthcare (particularly stroke care), built environments, smart manufacturing, telecommunications, energy grid, and green hydrogen.
b) Next-gen telecommunication networks: Beyond 5G and 6G, and IoT smart solutions.
c) AI and computer vision: AI in telemedicine, AI-powered nature disaster prevention, AI-enabled colour-enhanced systems for early cancer/disease detection management, AI for stroke care, and AI for infectious diseases
d) Quantum computing and cybersecurity: for digital twinning, for 5G and 6G
e) Digital technologies for governance, modelling the damage reducing effects of flood warnings, climate change, water hazards, resilience and wellbeing of communities and key livelihood systems, geomorphological response to flooding
f) Digital technologies and AI to support environmental biotechnology, microorganisms in sustainability, bioengineering, e-waste and household waste treatment and management, circular economy, wastewater surveillance, urban pollutants
g) Robotics and automation
h) Digital twin and AI to support optimisation of cognitive load humans
Bursary and benefits:
The selected ECFs will enjoy a good benefit package:
1) Minimum £3,200 monthly net income
2) Research related expenses up to £10,000 per 12 months (consumables, small equipment, travel and subsistence within the UK, publication costs, or other expenses related directly to the research project)
3) Return airfare, visa, health insurance and NHS surcharge
4) Childcare support (up to £4800 per year)
Timeline:
- Advertisement and recruitment process: February to April 2025
- Interview and decision: May-June 2025
- Visa application: June-August 2025
- Fellowship start: September and October 2025
Contact:
Please email Professor Huan Nguyen at H.Nguyen@mdx.ac.uk if you have any question.