"PhD Studentship: Teaching Intelligent Agents to See, Think and Act with Vision and Language"

Newcastle University

Qualification Type:PhDLocation:Newcastle upon TyneFunding for:UK Students, EU Students, International StudentsFunding amount:£20,780 tax-free annual living allowanceHours:Full Time

Award Summary

100% fees covered, and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £20,780 (2025/26 UKRI rate). Additional project costs will also be provided.

Overview

How can we revolutionise intelligent systems that still rely on fixed rules and structured commands?

For example, if asked to “pick up the red book on the shelf,” a traditional robot would need the exact location and object details programmed in advance. If anything changes, it may fail.

This project explores how to build more adaptable systems using vision-language-action (VLA) models. These combine computer vision (to see), natural language understanding (to interpret instructions), and action generation (to respond), enabling robots to perceive, reason and act flexibly.

The models will be trained on simulated datasets to learn general behaviours, then fine-tuned for specific tasks. The aim is to create intelligent agents that could demonstrate human-like understanding and adaptability if applied to real-world scenarios.

Number Of Awards

1

Start Date

1st October 2026

Award Duration

4 Years

Sponsor

EPSRC

Supervisors

Dr Shidong Wang

Professor Nick Wright

Eligibility Criteria

We are adopting a contextual admissions process. This means we will consider other key competencies and experience alongside your academic qualifications. An example can be found here.

A minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project is our standard entry, however we place value on prior experience, enthusiasm for research, and the ability to think and work independently. Excellent Analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements. A Masters qualification may not be required if you have a minimum 2:1 degree or can evidence alternative experience in a work or research-based project. If you have alternative qualifications or experience, please contact us to discuss flexibilities and request an exemption.

Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills. International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme.