A Fully Funded Doctoral Studentship in Automated Verification Techniques for DNA Computing

 Oxford University is offering a fully funded D.Phil studentship associated with the project “Automated Verification Techniques for DNA Computing”, funded by a Microsoft Research PhD Scholarship. This position will be based in Oxford University's Computing Laboratory, co-supervised by Professor Marta Kwiatkowska from the Computing Laboratory, and Professor Andrew Turberfield from the Department of Physics. There will be an internship opportunity at Microsoft Research Cambridge associated with the studentship, and the student will additionally be co-supervised by Dr Andrew Phillips.

The goal of this project is to develop efficient and scalable techniques for formal verification of DNA computing designs. DNA computing is a new and fast-growing field that aims to engineer artificial computing devices using bio-molecular materials such as DNA. The project will develop new modelling languages and verification techniques, with a particular emphasis on quantitative approaches such as probabilistic model checking.  The project will work with a variety of techniques, such as symmetry reduction, graph transformation, abstraction and refinement, statistical model checking and verification for systems biology. There will also be a focus on building software tools and validating the techniques developed against experimental data from state-of the art DNA assembly/computation methods.

 The studentship is fully funded (at EU fees level - overseas candidates will need supplementary funding) for 3 ½ years and is available immediately but with a start date no later than October 1^st 2011.  The studentship includes a stipend of at least £13,590 per year as well as provision for travel to conferences.

 Candidates must satisfy the usual requirements:

 http://www.comlab.ox.ac.uk/admissions/dphil/dphil-criteria.pdf

 for studying for a doctorate at Oxford. In addition, the students should be skilled in theoretical computer science and in some of the above-mentioned areas, and must have good writing, communication, presentation, and organization skills. 

Applications can be made online here:

https://apply.embark.com/grad/Oxford/14/

 The closing date for applications is 28^th February 2011.

When applying please quote the following studentship codes:

 11-COMP-MZK-WEB (if you are applying via Computing Laboratory web pages)

11-COMP-MZK-JOBS (if you are applying via jobs.ac.uk)

 11-COMP-MZK-FIND (if you saw the advert on Findaphd.com) 

If you have any questions about the studentship or application process please email:  Julie.sheppard@comlab.ox.ac.uk