Salary
The starting salary will be 33,951 GBP on Grade E depending on experience and skill set.
Contractual hours
36.5
Package
Generous holiday allowances, flexible working, pension scheme. Additional Mobility and (where applicable) Family Allowances will be paid. Please see below.
Job category/type
Research
Date posted
11/02/2026
Job reference
Q13412
Environment, Science and Economy
This new full-time post is available to start between 1 June 2026 and 1 December 2026 on a fixed term basis for 36 months, based at our Streatham campus. The post must start by 1 December 2026. Summary of the role
The Faculty wishes to recruit three Graduate Research Assistants (PhD studentship) as part the SAILING Doctoral Network, an EU-funded Marie Sklodowska-Curies Actions (MSCA) initiative (part of the HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01-01 call; Grant Agreement ID The SAILING Doctoral Network aims to train 12 next generation scientists in creating an intelligent and automated energy management system powered by secure AI and digital twin for the Internet-of-Energy (IoE). SAILING will carry out the project on an international and inter-sector scale via extensive collaboration and knowledge sharing. Individual projects within the SAILING programme map into five interrelated science objectives: 1) to create a high-fidelity IoE digital twin; 2) to develop secure AI techniques for IoE; 3) to design an intelligent and scalable IoE energy management strategy; 4) to develop agile IoE fault detection and accurate failure prediction methods; 5) to construct an intelligent energy optimisation system. SAILING combines excellent training for doctoral researchers, diverse supervisions and international mobility for impactful research to benefit society and the economy. SAILING aims to provide next generation scientists with skills and knowledge most sought-after in academic and non-academic employability sectors.
The University of Exeter has 3 vacancies: See separate advertisement for DC4 and DC11.
This vacancy notice is for the DC7 position only: Doctoral Graduate Research Assistant (PhD studentship) in accurate spatial-temporal prediction of energy generation and demand .
This specific PhD project focuses on developing a hybrid prediction model to forecast variable energy generation and demand. The key objectives are to create
a prediction model integrating the domain knowledge in IoE,
a hybrid deep neural network for spatial-temporal information representation,
and an effective feature selection mechanism for prediction.
The post will include 2 separate secondments, about 3-months duration each, to other EU and Associated Country partners of the SAILING Doctoral Network for training and collaboration purposes.
About You
The successful applicant will be able to present research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information (orally, in writing and electronically), and contribute to proposals and applications to external bodies.
Applicants Will Be Educated To First Degree Level (or Equivalent Qualification/experience) In a Relevant Discipline (e.g., Computer Science, Communication Engineering, Electrical/Power Engineering, Energy Systems, Applied Mathematics, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence) And Be Able To Demonstrate Sufficient Knowledge Of Research Methods And Techniques To Work Within Established Research Programmes. Applicants Will Be Able To
Demonstrate strong quantitative and analytical skills and an ability to learn new methods quickly.
Show interest in Computer Science/Internet-of-Energy/Cybersecurity/Artificial Intelligence and their data, modelling, and operational challenges.
Develop and evaluate algorithmic solutions (e.g., machine learning, optimisation, statistical modelling, distributed systems), depending on project direction.
Implement research prototypes and run reproducible experiments using programming and tooling.
Work with datasets, including data preparation, experimental design, benchmarking, and reporting of results.
Collaborate effectively with supervisors and partners, including contributing to network-wide training, secondments, and dissemination.
Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role and eligibility criteria. What we can offer you
Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career
A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy
39 days leave per year
A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon.
Specific To SAILING MSCA PhD Studentships
Full employment contract with competitive salary for three years.
An additional supplementary allowance of ~£3300* per annum which attracts both NI and pension.
Mobility allowance (~£5750*/year), and family allowance if applicable (~£4000*/year) adjusted for the cost of living in the host country (in this case UK). *Values subject to exchange rate when appointment is made.
Access to state-of-the-art facilities, laboratories and expert supervision.
International secondments and training events and networking with 11 fellow PhD students from the SAILING MSCA Doctoral Network.
The University of Exeter We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.
Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the worlds most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).
We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment
We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.
We follow an open, transparent, merit-based, impartial and equitable recruitment process in line with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.
Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. The University of Exeter is dedicated to promoting the role of women in science, and, therefore, explicitly invites women to apply.
With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.
We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people. Further information
For further information please see our website SAILING Doctoral Network or contact Professor Geyong Min, e-mail
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