Web Sampling Methodology PhD call 2014
Statistical Sampling of the Web
To date, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has funded many PhDs across a number of themes.
The focus of the current call for PhD level research, commencing in March 2015, is
Statistical Sampling of the Web. Our intention is to fund 1 PhD studentship. We encourage
applications from UK institutions with leading academics, research groups or research
centres in this subject area. The programme seeks to fully fund the PhD studentship where
applicants can demonstrate how they are leading the thinking in the area of interest.
Evidence of the international standing of the research of the academic groups identified in
the proposal should be provided which includes evidence of significant research income and
their contribution to the UK and the international research landscape. The benefit that MOD
would obtain through funding research at their particular institution should also be described.
We intend to build upon the investment in world class expertise by the research councils
within the specified areas; significant alignment with, or contribution from, other sources of
studentship support from the host university (e.g. from the Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), institutional funds, other funding sources) is highly
desirable. Applicants need to refer to the assessment criteria (defined later in this
document) so that they fully understand how a proposal’s quality, relevance and value to
MOD will be judged.
Key dates:



Closing date for applications 19 December 2014
Funding decision by 9 January 2015
The projects will need to commence by the end of March 2015.
Statistical sampling of the Web
The Web has become a pervasive utility in modern life in which emergent technology and
social interactions have shaped its use and value. The Web is an area in which new
technology has led scientific models of understanding and appropriate principles of
measurement. There is a need to strengthen our mathematical and statistical understanding
of the Web to ensure our derived estimates seek precision and reduced bias. Dstl proposes
to fund a PhD in Web sampling methodology to help build the necessary skills and
knowledge bases to realise this vision.
We are, therefore, requesting proposals for a doctoral level research programme focusing on
the following area:
A sampling theory for the Web
Statistical sampling methodology has developed to allow the properties of large populations
to be estimated (with minimised error and bias) using a smaller, representative sample
drawn from that population. The motivational reasons for using a small subset may include
collection time, costs or processing constraints and is particularly useful where the
population is known to be dynamic, heterogeneous and incompletely known. Sampling
methodology has been advanced particularly in government statistics related to the
estimation of economic or social activity to inform the shaping of policy in these areas. The
aim of this research activity is to innovate an evidenced sampling methodology for the
detection, estimation, modelling and prediction of world events drawn from Web content.
This work will yield statistical theory to support the collection and automatic processing of
diverse Web information to answer posed questions (such as the opinion of a nation’s
population).
The continued rise and centrality of the Web offers many opportunities to measure the status
and dynamics of societies and events across the world. We may consider the information
pages on the Web to be a very large population (comprising of many, dynamic and
incompletely mapped sub-populations) from which estimates may be made. However, the
volume, diversity and contradictory nature of information offers new theoretical challenges.
Novel statistical methodology is required to intelligently sample the Web for information, to
ensure that measurements and derived statistics are founded on science rather than
selection bias and intuition.
This research activity is potentially disruptive in seeking to design new statistical
methodology that scientifically handles the multimedia sampling of information of the Web,
through understanding the propensity for the information sub-populations on the Web to
yield relevant information to the questions posed.
Subjects of interest include:



Novel, statistical sampling theory based on evidence of Web content understanding;
Methods of sampling that handle numerical and categorical information;
Efficient and appropriate sampling of very large and dynamic graphs.
Assessment criteria
PhD proposals will be reviewed under the following assessment criteria and all applications
must provide the necessary information requested in the application form.
Assessment criteria used to judge the proposal
All applications will be judged for technical relevance and quality, prior to being considered
further according to the academic/research groups or research centre and linkages criteria.
Assessment Area
Assessment criteria used to judge the proposal
The proposal will be judged on the following:
Scientific quality and innovation

The novelty of the proposed work in relation to the
context, and the timeliness.

Whether the proposed work is ambitious,
adventurous, and transformative.

The pathway to impact for the proposed research.

How complete and realistic the proposed approach
is.
The proposal will be judged on the following:
Academic staff, resources and
management

The CV(s).

Whether the team’s expertise aligns with the topic
of the call.

The balance of skills of the team.

The time and commitment proposed.

If requirements for government furnished
equipment or information (GFE, GFI) is realistic
and whether any work involving human
participation is being reasonably proposed.
Assessment criteria used to judge the academic/research groups or research centre and the
value to Dstl.
Only technically strong proposals will be considered for funding. The academic/research
groups or research centre and linkages criteria will be used to further assess the quality of
the application(s).
Assessment Area
Assessment criteria used to judge the proposal
The proposal will be judged on the following:
Academic/Research Groups or
Research Centre

The evidence provided of the international standing
of the research of the group or centre, including
evidence of significant research income and their
contribution to the UK and international research
landscape.

The benefit MOD would obtain through funding
research at the particular institution.

The relevance of the broader research in the centre
to MOD.
The proposal will be judged on the following:
Linkages

The benefits associated with any wider linkages.

The value of linkages to Dstl. Applicants are
encouraged to provide options that include
significant alignment/contribution of other
studentship support from the host university (e.g.
from EPSRC, institutional funds, other funding
sources).
Further Information and the process
In addition to the PhD proposal(s) submitted by the research group/centre, the applicant
must provide details of how the group/centre can contribute to leading the thinking on the
specific theme proposed and how further engagement can be fostered between the research
group/centre and the MOD.
The intention is to fully fund 1 PhD in 2015. The deadline for applications is the 19
December 2014. Successful applicants will be informed by the 9 January 2015. The
projects will need to commence by the end of March 2015. Further terms and conditions will
be made available, on request.