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​Digital Twin-Driven Intelligent and Cyber-Resilient 6G Networks for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles​

Doctoral Training Grant Funding Information 

This funding model includes a 36 month fully funded PhD Studentship, set in-line with UK Research & Innovation values. For 2025/6, this will be £20,780 per year. The tax-free stipend will be paid monthly. This PhD Studentship also includes a Full-Time Fee Scholarship for up to 3 years. The funding is subject to your continued registration on the research degree, making satisfactory progression within your PhD, as well as attendance on and successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Practice.    

All applicants will receive the same stipend irrespective of fee status. 

Application Closing Date: 


Midday (UK Time) on Wednesday 17th September 2025 for a start date of 2nd February 2026.  

How to Apply 

To apply, please follow the below steps:  

  1. Complete the BCU Online Application Form. 
  2. Complete the Doctoral Studentship Proposal Form in full, ensuring that you quote the project ID. You will be required to upload your proposal in place of a personal statement on the BCU online application form.  
  3. Upload two references to your online application form (at least one of which must be an academic reference). 
  4. Upload your qualification(s) for entry onto the research degree programme. This will be Bachelor/Master’s certificate(s) and transcript(s). 
  5. International applicants must also provide a valid English language qualification. Please see the list of English language qualifications accepted here. Please check the individual research degree course page for the required scores. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

To help support you to complete your application, please consult the frequently asked questions below: 

Project title: ​​Digital Twin-Driven Intelligent and Cyber-Resilient 6G Networks for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles​ 

Project Lead: ​​Dr Berna Bulut Cebecioglu​ 

Project ID: ​​​25 - 46458591​​ 

Project description:

​​6G mobile communication will play a critical role in shaping the future of transport and mobility. Among its most transformative applications is the support of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs), which require fast, reliable, and intelligent communication with their surroundings. 6G will offer the speed, responsiveness, and intelligent coordination needed for these vehicles to operate safely and efficiently in real-world environments. 

​This PhD project will investigate how Digital Twin technology enhances the intelligence, performance, and cyber resilience of 6G-enabled CAV networks. The research will focus on combining Digital Twin technology with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced cybersecurity methods to improve the way network resources are managed, and to protect against emerging cyber threats. 

​The project will involve identifying key technical challenges, designing innovative solutions, and building a prototype system that demonstrates the use of Digital Twins for intelligent network optimisation and cyber threat mitigation. This will include the integration of AI-driven decision-making, dynamic resource allocation, and secure communication protocols into a flexible network architecture based on Open and Programmable Radio Access Network principles. The project will also explore real-world use cases, simulate various threat and traffic scenarios, and validate system performance using laboratory or testbed environments. The outcome will support the development of safer, smarter, and more secure communication systems for future autonomous vehicles. 

Anticipated findings and contributions to knowledge:

​​PhD student will gain considerable knowledge on emerging technologies such as DT, 6G and AI/ML. The anticipated research findings will include a novel DT-driven framework that integrates AI-based intelligent optimisation and cyber-resilience strategies tailored for 6G networks in CAVs. Specifically, the findings will demonstrate how the DT can dynamically optimise 6G network parameters (e.g., latency, throughput, energy efficiency) in real time while simultaneously detecting and mitigating 6G-specific cyber threats (e.g., spoofing, jamming, AI model poisoning). The research will also quantify trade-offs between optimisation, cybersecurity, and scalability, providing a comprehensive understanding of their interplay in next-generation mobility systems. 

​The contribution to new knowledge will lie in: 

  1. ​A pioneering theoretical framework that bridges intelligent network management and cybersecurity within a DT context for 6G CAV ecosystems. 

  1. ​An open-source DT platform that combines AI-driven decision-making and resilience mechanisms, offering a replicable tool for 6G network design. 

  2. ​The PhD project proposal is well-positioned to generate several high-impact publications and potential patents. These include the development of a DT model for 6G V2X networks and novel AI/ML based xApps/rApps for network optimisation and security, suitable for publication in top-tier journals or patent applications. Furthermore, the development of novel PoC testbeds and real world measurements will generate valuable datasets for training and testing DT and AI/ML models, addressing the current lack of available datasets in the literature for network intelligence applications. 

​The proposed solutions have the potential to influence international standards, such as 3GPP V2X and O-RAN.​ 

Person Specification:

​Entry Requirements: 

  • ​To apply for our Computing PhD Research Degree you should have, or expect to be awarded, a Master’s degree in a relevant subject area from a British or overseas university.  
  • ​Exceptional candidates without a Master’s degree, but holding a first class or upper second class Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject area, may be considered. 
  • ​We also welcome enquiries from potential PhD researchers with appropriate levels of professional experience. 

​Essential Criteria: 

  • ​Candidates must be confident in design and development of communication systems or communication networks. 

Overseas applicants:

International applicants must also provide a valid English language qualification, such as International English Language Test System (IELTS) or equivalent with an overall score of 6.5 with no band below 6.0.  

Additional Information:

The PhD project requires specific resources to ensure its successful completion. The project necessitates expert supervision from faculty with expertise in 6G networking, AI, cybersecurity, DT and CAV systems, alongside a dedicated workspace for the PhD candidate. Essential IT resources include access to BCU’s high-performance computing facilities (e.g., GPU-enabled servers or cloud computing credits) for AI model training and testing, 6G network simulators like MATLAB Toolbox, and secure data storage for synthetic and real-world datasets (e.g., onedrive), supported by software tools such as MATLAB, Python, TensorFlow, and PyTorch. For testbed development, the project will leverage BCU’s state-of-the-art 5G/6G O-RAN network, USRP hardware, and open-source software including srsRAN and Open5Gs to validate the Digital Twin framework. The successful candidate will be expected to work in close collaboration with research teams of the Universities of Surrey, Leeds, York and industry partners (Samsung Cambridge and Radisys). 

Contact:

If you have any questions or need further information, please use the contact details below: 

- For enquiries about the funding or project proposal, please contact: Berna.bulut@bcu.ac.uk

- For enquiries about the application process, please contact: research.admissions@bcu.ac.uk