8 x Fully Funded PhD Positions in AI Agent Security at Lancaster University

Opportunity	8 x Fully Funded PhD Positions in AI Agent Security at Lancaster University
Host	Lancaster University
Location	Lancaster, United Kingdom
Study Level	PhD
Funding	Fully Funded, stipend provided, tuition covered
Stipend	UK home fee level stipend and tuition.
Application Deadline	Open - Apply as soon as possible
Apply	Official application page ↗

About the Position

Lancaster University is seeking candidates to join the world’s largest AI security group. These PhD positions focus on protecting AI models and agents from rapidly emerging cyber threats. Topics include prompt injection, data leakage, jailbreaking, model backdoors, agent hijacking, and more. The positions are highly sought after and provide the skill and training necessary to become a researcher specializing in AI security.

Research Areas

Topics of interest include:

• Discover new types of cyber attacks / security vulnerabilities in AI and agents.
• Create defence systems and countermeasures against AI agent cyber attacks.
• Design run-time detection systems for prompt injection and jailbreaking.
• Explore different cyber attack modalities (i.e. malicious instructions in images/audio).
• Build and develop LLM guardrails and firewalls.
• Investigate hidden security characteristics within neural networks.
• Identify ShadowAI – malicious AI agents hidden within an organization.
• Uncover backdoor attacks and model hijacking within ML artefacts.

What We Offer

• A 3.5-year fully funded PhD studentship at UK home fee levels (including both tuition and stipend).
• Access to a large-scale GPU data centre entirely dedicated to our research lab.
• Comprehensive training in AI agent technology and cyber security techniques.
• Internship and employment opportunities at Mindgard, an award-winning AI security company.
• Opportunity to travel to conferences internationally to present your research.

About You

• A good background in Computer Science, ideally a BSc in Computer Science (or equivalent) with a 2:1 classification and above.
• Interest in Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Distributed Systems, or a combination.
• Highly motivated, capable of working independently and as part of a team.
• Good communication, technical knowledge, and writing skills.

Funding

• 3.5-year fully funded studentship at UK home fee levels (tuition and stipend).

Eligibility and Requirements

• This position is only available for UK home students.

Application

These positions are available now; candidates are strongly recommended to apply as early as possible. For informal enquiries, contact Professor Peter Garraghan. To apply, visit the school PhD opportunities page.

Official Link

https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/scc/study/phd/phd-opportunities/

Important Notes

• Application deadline: Open - Apply as soon as possible - late or incomplete applications are normally not considered.
• Listing details were recorded from the official source at the time of publication; always confirm the latest requirements on the official page before applying.
• Prepare the documents listed in the eligibility and application sections before starting the online form - transcripts, CV and references take the longest to collect.

How to Apply

Submit your application through the official portal before the deadline: Open - Apply as soon as possible. Read the eligibility requirements carefully and prepare all requested documents — early applications are strongly recommended for competitive awards.

Open the official application page ↗

Application guides

• How to Email a PhD Supervisor: 7 Templates and Practical Tips
• How to Read a PhD Job Advert: Funding, Eligibility and Application Steps
• UK Student Visa Application: CAS, Documents and Financial Evidence