Trusted Evidence Gathering and Timeline For Law Enforcement

About the Project

A current weakness in many evidence gathering infrastructures is the handling of digital evidence bags, and how they are handled through criminal investigations and for insurance purposes. This work aims to understand the key stakeholders involved in the handling of digital evidence, and understand the key areas of the trustworthiness of the data, including the immutability of the gathered evidence and in the evidence chain. Overall, the privacy-preserving of the data gathering and access will be important drivers for the research.

Academic qualifications
First degree (minimum 2:1 classification) in Cybersecurity or Digital Forensics or similar

English language requirement
IELTS score must be at least 6.5 (with not less than 6.0 in each of the four components). Other, equivalent qualifications will be accepted. Full details of the University’s policy are available online.

Essential attributes:

• Subject knowledge in programming, particularly Python, blockchain and cloud computing
• Able to work independently

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

• Completed application form
• CV
• 2 academic references, using the Postgraduate Educational Reference Form (download)
• Research project outline of 2 pages (list of references excluded). The outline may provide details about
  1. Background and motivation of the project. The motivation, explaining the importance of the project, should be supported also by relevant literature. You can also discuss the applications you expect for the project results.
  2. Research questions or objectives.
  3. Methodology: types of data to be used, approach to data collection, and data analysis methods.
  4. List of references.

The outline must be created solely by the applicant. Supervisors can only offer general discussions about the project idea without providing any additional support.

• Statement no longer than 1 page describing your motivations and fit with the project.
• Evidence of proficiency in English (if appropriate)

To be considered, the application must use

• the advertised title as project title

PhD Start Date: October 2026

Funding Notes
International applicants should note that visa application costs and the NHS health surcharge are additional costs to be taken into consideration, and successful applicants will need to cover these expenses themselves.