Project Title: Enabling People to Identify Deepfakes
PhD Studentship: Funded by the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR) and Abertay University. The Studentship is available for an October 2025 start.
This PhD studentship comprises a tax-free stipend of £20,780 (increasing in line with UKRI per annum) per year over 3 years, tuition fees paid, and a generous study package (e.g., limited research consumables, travel budget, and relevant training).
The studentship is supported by both SIPR and the Abertay cyberQuarter within the Faculty of Design, Informatics and Business. In addition, the pan-University Graduate School offers an integrated training programme to the postgraduate community within a single centre, serving to promote interdisciplinary work in our next generation of researchers. Training sessions include research design, data analysis, academic paper and grant writing, and thesis and viva preparation.
Interviews are likely to be online in mid-late August 2025.
Project Description: Deepfakes, i.e., realistic AI-generated images, videos or audio of people doing and/or saying fictional things, may be used to present misinformation, to manipulate or harass, or to persuade people to act, benefitting a bad actor at the significant detriment to individuals, communities and organisations.
The overarching aim of this work is to improve and investigate how people identify deepfakes from genuine online media with the intent to create training material to support identification of such deepfakes. Using a mixed-method methodology and eye-tracking technology, we will investigate whether people can reliably identify deepfakes (face images and video clips), what information they attend to when making decisions regarding the veracity of online material, the effect of user characteristics and context of deepfake identification, and whether training can improve the reliability of the identification process.
Key Deliverables:
- Designing empirical eye tracking studies to explore user characteristics, such as deepfake classification expertise and cognitive approach.
- Developing a training programme to facilitate the detection of deepfakes.
- Production of written and verbal reports and presentations for cross-discipline academic and non-academic audiences.
It is anticipated that the output of this research will be of widespread and significant benefit to individuals, society and government bodies, leading to improved cybersecurity and preventing fraud. The theoretical underpinning and novelty of the research will contribute to the academic fields of data science, computing, psychology and cybersecurity. Research findings will be disseminated to both academic and public audiences, building both theoretical advances and real-world impact.
Supervisory Team: The candidate will be supervised within the Department of Cybersecurity and Computing by an inter-disciplinary team led by Dr Andrea Szymkowiak. Queries on this project should be directed to Dr Szymkowiak at a.szymkowiak@abertay.ac.uk.
Entry Requirements: Candidates must have, or are expected to obtain, a first class or upper second-class Honors degree in Psychology, Computing or other related subject area. We are looking for an independent, enthusiastic, and driven candidate with an excellent understanding of research methods and statistics. Applicants should have experience in scripting or setting up empirical (psychological) studies (e.g., designing and running experiments) and an interest or experience using eye tracking technology.
Candidates must work well with others and represent the university when working with key stakeholders (e.g., Academia, Police, cyberQuarter, SIPR).
For applicants who are non-native speakers of English, the University requires IELTS of 7.0 (with no band less than 6.5) or an equivalent qualification accepted by the Home Office.
Applications and closing date: 30.06.2025
Applicants should submit through the Abertay University jobs page https://www.abertay.ac.uk/about/working-at-abertay/jobs/ , submitting a personal statement detailing why they are interested in undertaking this project, and a CV.
If candidates are selected for interview, they will be required to complete an online Research Student Application Form which includes the submission of a research proposal to be further explored in the interview.
Guidance on how to write the proposal can be found here: https://www.abertay.ac.uk/study-apply/how-to-apply/how-to-apply/, Applicants are encouraged to contact Dr Andrea Szymkowiak (a.szymkowiak@abertay.ac.uk) for advice on developing a proposal prior to submitting it.
Abertay is a small, modern University renowned for working across traditional research boundaries, pioneering in new and emerging disciplines and sectors. It was named one of the top 3 Modern Universities in the UK for Research Intensity by the Complete University Guide 2024.
According to the results of the Research Excellence Framework 2021, Abertay recorded 60% of its research judged as ‘internationally excellent’ or ‘world-leading’, a 23% increase since the last REF2014 – the biggest climb of any Scottish university. The University is committed to the principles outlined in the Vitae Researcher Development Framework and the Concordat to support the Career Development of Researchers. Abertay postgraduate students are hosted in our vibrant, multidisciplinary https://www.abertay.ac.uk/schools/graduate-school/ Graduate School, designed to promote integration and collaborative working.
Abertay University has a particular focus on industry-facing cybersecurity research that addresses critical challenges in securing digital systems and safeguarding data in an increasingly interconnected world. The Abertay CyberQuarter is a £18M R&D Centre fostering collaboration between academia and industry to solve global cybersecurity challenges, advance innovation, and expand career opportunities. Through the cyberQuarter, the candidate will have the opportunity to regularly liaise with police, industry and academia partners to formulate research and curriculum relevant to security topics.
Abertay University won the UK Cyber University of the Year at the National Cyber Awards 2024 and is recognised by the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education, with a gold award. Abertay holds an Athena SWAN Institutional Bronze award and was the first Scottish university to achieve the Race Equality Charter Mark.
Entry requirements
| Essential requirements: | Desirable requirements (but not essential) |
| First class or upper second-class honours degree (or its equivalent) in psychology, computing, or a closely aligned discipline. | Master of Science level qualification in a relevant discipline. |
| Very good/excellent knowledge of research methods and statistics. Strong grasp of designing ethically sound studies and data processing/management. | Knowledge about Artificial Intelligence models. |
| Strong interest in eye tracking and psychology in general, including cognitive/thinking styles. | |
| Willingness/experience to set up experiments using eye tracking and experimental psychological software. | |
| Effective scientific and academic writing. | |
| Ability to engage with numerical, statistical, and mathematical procedures (e.g., Signal Detection measures). | |
| Effective interpersonal and communication skills. | Involvement in outreach activities. |
| For applicants who are non-native speakers of English, the University requires IELTS of 7.0 (with no band less than 6.5) or an equivalent qualification accepted by the Home Office |
