PhD Studentship x 1 in Developing Human-Centric AI for Social Robots

About the Project

AI and social robotics are transforming the way we interact, communicate, and support human well-being. As social robots become more integrated into our daily lives, a crucial challenge is designing AI that allows these robots to communicate meaningfully and appropriately with users. In this exciting opportunity, you'll investigate how humans communicate using social signals like facial expressions, gaze, and body movements. By integrating insights from human perception and cognition, you'll be at the forefront of developing robots with advanced social intelligence. This PhD project offers an opportunity to delve into the complexities of human social communication, using this understanding to design intelligent robots that can genuinely understand and engage with people.

Supervisors

You will be co-supervised by Dr. Chaona Chen (primary supervisor) and Prof. Tony Prescott (secondary supervisor).

Dr. Chaona Chen is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Robotics in the School of Computer Science, specializing in the computational modelling of social signals and the role of cultural conventions in human-robot interaction. Previously, she was awarded a prestigious Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowship and worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow.

Prof. Tony Prescott is a Professor of Cognitive Robotics in the School of Computer Science and co-founder of Sheffield Robotics. He is a fellow of British Psychological Society and was a distinguished fellow at Sage Centre for the Study of Mind. His research combines robotics and AI with psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, aiming to create synthetic entities with human-like capacities. Prof. Prescott has published over 240 articles, received £10M in grants, and co-founded two robotics companies.

For an informal discussion about the project, contact:

Dr. Chaona Chen ( chaona.chen@sheffield.ac.uk) with the email subject line [PhD_Application_2025].

About the Research Group

You will join Dr. Chaona Chen’s lab based at the School of Computer Science and Sheffield Robotics. Our School is rated as 7th nationally for its research environment quality, with 99% of its research classified as either world-leading or internationally excellent in the REF 2021.

Sheffield Robotics (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/sheffieldrobotics) is a multidisciplinary research institute dedicated to advancing robotics technology and understanding its societal impact. Bringing together expertise from engineering, computer science, cognitive science and neuroscience, the institute focuses on developing innovative robotic systems for real-world applications.

Candidate Requirements

• A minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree or Master’s degree with Merit in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Robotics, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience).
• Strong programming and/or cognitive science background, with an interest in human-robot interaction or computational behavioural science. Prior knowledge of robotics (e.g., coursework or research experience) would be an advantage.
• For non-native English speakers, an IELTS score of 6.5 overall (with no less than 6.0 in each component) is required.

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted directly to the University of Sheffield using the Postgraduate Online Application Form:

(https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd/apply/applying).

Please list Dr. Chaona Chen as your proposed supervisor.

Funding Details

This PhD studentship will cover standard UK home tuition fees and provide a tax-free stipend at the standard UK Research Council rate (currently £19,237 for the 2024/25 academic year) for 3.5 years. If you are an overseas student, you are eligible to apply but you must have the means to pay the difference between the UK and overseas tuition fees by securing additional funding or self-funding.

Further information on international fees can be found here:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/new-students/tuition-fees/fees-lookup

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