Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence for Paediatric Healthcare: Fully Funded PhD Studentsh[...]

This PhD project aims to transform paediatric healthcare by addressing critical data and research gaps through advanced artificial intelligence (AI). Despite its importance, paediatric healthcare remains under-researched, particularly in areas like rare diseases, neonatal care, and chronic conditions.

A major barrier is the lack of AI-ready data due to a lack of electronic health records (EHR) in Wales, meaning most paediatric records are handwritten and unstructured. The project will prioritise digitising these records using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to create structured datasets. These will support AI applications in paediatric care, enabling early detection of conditions and personalised treatment planning.

A human-in-the-loop (HITL) approach will ensure clinical expertise guides model development, improving accuracy and trust. Ethical considerations, including data privacy and collaboration with hospital ethics boards, are central to the project. Ultimately, this research seeks to produce AI-ready data creation techniques that will help establish scalable, globally relevant AI solutions and elevate paediatric healthcare to the standards seen in adult medicine.

The ideal candidate should have a background in one of the Machine Learning or Data Science domains with high motivation for upskilling and filling any gaps in their knowledge based on the requirements of the project at the early stages of the study.

Note for international and European applicants: details of how your qualification compares to the published academic entry requirements can be found on our Country Specific Entry Requirements page. Please note that the programme requires some applicants to hold ATAS clearance; further details on ATAS scheme eligibility are available on the UK Government website. ATAS clearance is NOT required to be held as part of the scholarship application process. Successful award winners (as appropriate) are provided with details as to how to apply for ATAS clearance in tandem with a scholarship course offer.

Specific Requirements: International Students – Fully funded if the applicant is successful in being offered a SUIPRES Scholarship as outlined below. Swansea University is pleased to offer the Swansea University International Postgraduate Research Excellence Scholarship (SUIPRES). This is a competitively awarded Scholarship open to overseas PhD and Professional Doctorate applicants eligible for the international rate of tuition fees who can demonstrate excellence in academic achievement. The SUIPRES Scholarship covers the difference between the International and the Home tuition fee for the duration of the PhD/Professional Doctorate programme. Successful candidates will be charged fees aligned to the UK rate per year. The scholarship will be offset against your tuition fee liability. All International applications will be considered for a SUIPRES Scholarship. You will be informed whether a SUIPRES Scholarship will be offered within your offer letter.

PhD: Applicants for PhD must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level in Computer Science, Mathematics or a closely related discipline, or an appropriate master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’ (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University).

Additional Information: This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £20,780 for 2025-26) for 4 years. Additional research expenses of up to £1,000 per annum will also be available.