5G for SCADA Based Control Systems

*This is a KESS 2 East scholarship opportunity.*

Here is an exciting opportunity to study a system and its associated technology which could lead to entirely new approaches in Command and Control Systems. The selected candidate will apply their skills and ambition to construction of an advanced prototype system that can perform command and control over a SCADA system via a 5G network. This project will allow the student to develop transferable knowledge and skills in this most exciting and active field of networking and command and control research.
This Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS) project will be held in the Faculty Life Sciences and Education/ Computing, Engineering and Science/ Business and Society at the University of South Wales. KESS is a programme funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) awarded by the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) in the Welsh Government. The project will focus on validating the feasibility of conducting command and control over a SCADA system via a 5G network. This will be achieved via the construction of an advanced prototype system.

This project is backed by ITSUS. ITSUS was created in 2008 by communications engineers with a powerful pedigree in the defence industry, where they spent many years designing, testing and implementing secure systems for the most challenging environments. ITSUS is a specialist network consultancy which delivers that crucial combination of security and efficiency, both expertly and cost-effectively, to clients in the most demanding environments. Its highly-experienced and agile team designs, integrates, tests and implements innovative and tailored network solutions for government, the military and defence industry, financial services, the health service, energy firms and utilities.

Programme of Research:

This project seeks to develop novel state of the art capability in the application of 5G COTS to SCADA based control systems. The growth in SCADA has fuelled the volume of devices being connected to a TCP/IP network for control purposes. The concept of utilising 5G COTS as a network bearer for transport control is unproven and untested. This project seeks to examine the provability of such an approach via the creation and analysis of a technology demonstrator in east wales.

The project seeks to validate the hypothesis that it is possible to utilise 5G COTS to implement a safe/secure SCADA based transport command and control system. In particular the aims of this project are as follows:
1. To demonstrate that a 5G networks can be utilised in a SCADA based command and control system for a rail transport infrastructure;
2. To validate the utility of the 5G command control system through a Technology Demonstrator.

Studentship:
The studentship will cover the fees for a full-time PhD programme and pay a stipend of circa £14k p.a. There is also around £9k project support costs available for consumables, travel, minor equipment, training (including the KESS Grad School) and conference attendance.

The position is available from 1st January 2019.

Eligibility of Student:
To be eligible to hold a KESS studentship, you must:
• have a home address in East Wales area (details below)* at the time of registration.
• have the right to take up paid work in the East Wales area* on completion of the scholarship.
• be classified by the University as ‘home’ or ‘EU’ for tuition fees purposes according to the University’s guidelines.
• satisfy University of South Wales’s admissions criteria: see below, qualifications and experience and application process

* East Wales area covers: Vale of Glamorgan / Cardiff / Newport / Monmouthshire / Powys / Wrexham / Flintshire

Qualifications and experience:
Eligible applicants will:

• Have a degree (2i or higher) in an appropriate computer science discipline
• Possess a reasonable understanding of:
o Networks and networking and in particular mobile networks;
o Programming in languages such as JAVA, C++, C and Python;
o SCADA based industrial process control systems and Industrial IOT.
• Be highly self-motivated, with capacity to learn and develop new techniques in the areas of 5G networking and SCADA.
• Have well-developed and positively collaborative interpersonal skills
• Have an ability to deliver technical reports and communicate findings
• Be willing to travel and work in industrial settings

Application Process:

To download an application package, please visit: http://gro.southwales.ac.uk/studentships/KESSII/participant/

For any queries on eligibility, please contact: KESS Team at Research and Innovation Services, University of South Wales: [Email Address Removed] Tel: 01443 482578

For informal enquiries or further programme information, please contact: Professor Andrew Blyth [Email Address Removed]

Closing date for applications: midnight 25 November 2018
Interviews will be held w/c (TBC)