European Space Agency (ESA) funded PhD

Studentship
University of Ulster -Faculty of Computing and Engineering
Detecting Anomalies from Satellite and Terrestrial Electromagnetic Data Sources by
Big Data Analytics
Applications are invited for a European Space Agency (ESA) funded PhD studentship tenable
in the Faculty of Computing and Engineering at the Jordanstown Campus.
Detecting anomalies from electromagnetic data sequences recorded by the SWARM satellite
and the CSELF network is aimed at discovering abnormal change points within the data
sequences. These change points will be formulated to be normal and abnormal changes,
which could be in turn referred to as seismic anomalies. The proposed research will focus on
developing change detection algorithms based on big data analytics through identifying
change points and comparing two distributions: one estimated from the recorded data
sequences and another from dynamic streams. The algorithms will integrate three main
functional components: 1) identifying change points in data streams using wavelet and
martingales; 2) annotating change points with a set of features; and estimating probability
distribution with non-parameter approaches. The algorithms will be employed to analyse
electromagnetic data obtained from space and torrential data sources with a focus on
investigating the correlation between abnormal changes and earthquake events, the analysis
results will be used to design an intelligent system for earthquake study.
Candidates should have a nationality of an ESA member state (i.e. Austria, Belgium, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United
Kingdom and Canada) or an European Cooperating State (i.e. Latvia, Slovenia Estonia and
Hungary) to be eligible for both fees and maintenance. All applicants should hold an MSc
degree, or first/upper second class honours degree in Computing Science, Geophysics,
Electronic Engineering, Earth Observation, Geographic Information System or a cognate
area. Applications will be considered on a competitive basis with regard to the candidates
qualifications, skills experience and interests. Successful candidates will enrol as soon as
possible on a full-time programme of research studies leading to the award of the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy.
The studentship will comprise fees together with an annual stipend of 13,726 and will be
awarded for a period of up to three years subject to satisfactory progress.
For further information on the application process please visit our website:
http://research.ulster.ac.uk/info/prospective/apply.html
Apply online via the 'Apply' button below, and all supplementary documents uploaded onto
the System.
The closing date for applications is 7
th
March 2014.
Interviews will form part of the selection process and are likely to be held before March
2014.
For further information on the project please contact Dr Yaxin Bi (y.bi@ulster.ac.uk)
http://research.ulster.ac.uk/info/researchopp/ESA.html