Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network Researcher / Research Assistant in Cyber-Physical Secur[...] in London

Within the framework of the project “Grid-scale Energy Storage: Imperatives for Accelerating the Green Transition (RESTORATIVE)”, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe’s Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 101227219, at Imperial College London we are seeking a candidate for a research assistant position in Cyber-Physical Security of Energy Storage Systems.

The Researcher employed on this post will be expected to register as a PhD student and to submit their PhD thesis at the end of their research contract. The topic of the PhD thesis will be related and aligned with the research activities conducted in the project. Please note applicants must not already hold a PhD.

RESTORATIVE consists of 17 PhD students at 7 universities and 4 companies. The project has a total of 16 beneficiary and associated partners from 10 different European countries. All 17 PhD projects fall within the overall theme of grid-scale energy storage technologies, but investigate the topic from different perspectives, including technological development, reliability and security, integration and coupling, socioeconomic and environmental assessment, and policy and regulation.

The successful applicant will join the Resilient Information Systems Security group, led by Professor Emil Lupu. The activities within the project will benefit from synergies with other projects in the group as well as with other activities at the department. The main supervisor will be Professor Emil Lupu, and the co-supervisor will be Professor Chris Hankin.

Apart from the time at Imperial, two secondments are planned for the position, i.e. one academic secondment of approx. 6 months at DTU, Copenhagen, Denmark, and one for 3 months at an industry partner in Milan, Italy.

What you would be doing

The position offers an exciting opportunity to conduct internationally leading and impactful research in security and safety of Industrial Control Systems and Cyber-Physical Systems. The Research Assistant will be responsible for researching, implementing and delivering novel methodologies for risk and impact assessment for energy storage systems considering the cyber and physical elements of the systems as well as cyber, physical and blended (cyber-physical) attacks. Such methodologies will need to account for the attack pathways through the system, the qualitative and quantitative means for risk assessment and the intersection between security and safety present in all safety-critical systems. Energy being a critical resource, we also aim to investigate resilience aspects, including graceful degradation and recovery, and the application of the methodologies developed to use-cases and testbeds of energy storage systems. The postholder is expected to visit the network partners during secondments for a total duration of up to 9 months (6 months in Denmark + 3 months in Italy). Additionally, the post holder is expected to participate in project meetings, outreach activities including, but not limited to, participation in public events and campaigns, as well as dissemination to popular press.

What we are looking for

To apply for this position, you must have a First Class or Distinction Masters level degree, or equivalent, in a relevant scientific or technical discipline, such as computer science or mathematics awarded by a college recognized overseas universities/institutions. Knowledge and a keen interest in cyber security and systems engineering are essential for this post. Overseas applicants for whom English is not the first language must provide evidence of a satisfactory command of English before commencing the programme. Full details of our English language requirements can be found on the Imperial College website.

Due to the mobility rules of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie program, the applicant must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. As doctoral training networks aim at the recruitment and training of PhD students, the preferred candidates selected after the interviews will be required to apply and be accepted onto the PhD programme prior to receiving a contract of employment.

What we can offer you

The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity. The Researcher employed on this post will be expected to be registered as a PhD student and to submit their PhD thesis at the end of their research contract. The candidate must not already be in possession of a doctoral degree. Grow your career: gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression. Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days off a year and generous pension schemes). Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further information

Full-time, Fixed term contract to start 1st October 2026 until 30th September 2029. We work towards equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination, and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities.