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PhD opportunities: Aerospace Engineering

Compare 60 doctoral research opportunities connected with Aerospace Engineering, including project summaries, funding and application deadlines.

Aerospace Engineering

Advanced Reliability, Availability and Maintainability (RAM) Modelling for Critical Energy and Transport Systems (Ref: AAE-LJ-2520)

Loughborough University

About the Project Ensuring the reliability and availability of modern engineering systems is fundamental to the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of future energy and transport infrastructures. This PhD project aims to develop new modelling, analysis, and decision-support methods for reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) within complex, data-rich engineering environments such as renewable powertrains and energy-supply systems.

Location
Loughborough, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
30 September 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Hidden Electronic Device Detection for Enhanced Digital Forensic Capability (Ref: AAE-LJ-2519)

Loughborough University

About the Project The rise in digital crime means that almost every modern investigation now involves the recovery of electronic evidence. From hidden mobile phones to concealed storage devices, locating and retrieving these items can be critical to criminal investigations, yet current methods rely heavily on time-consuming manual searches. This PhD project will explore innovative approaches for detecting hidden electronic devices using robotic and autonomous ground vehicles.

Location
Loughborough, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
30 September 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

PhD Studentship: From Nanointerfaces to Dynamic Performance: Next Generation Elastomer Technologies

University of Warwick

We welcome a highly motivated PhD researcher with a background in chemistry, polymer science, materials science, chemical engineering, or a related discipline to join the Advanced Elastomer Research Group at the International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing (IINM), WMG, University of Warwick.

Location
Coventry, University of Warwick, United Kingdom
Deadline
30 September 2026
Funding
UK Students, EU Students, International Students, Self-funded Students; Industry funding

Aerospace Engineering

Ubiquitous Cognitive Navigation with AI Based Systems PhD

Cranfield University

About the Project This fully-funded PhD studentship, sponsored by the EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Awards (DLA), Cranfield University and Spirent Communications, offers a bursary of £24,000 per annum, covering full tuition fees. This PhD project in the area of autonomy, navigation and artificial intelligence, aims to advance the development of intelligent and resilient navigation systems for autonomous transport.

Location
Bedford, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
30 September 2026
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

High-fidelity simulations of wind and dispersion over a city-scale urban area

University of Southampton

About the Project Supervisory Team: Zheng-Tong Xie We live in a rapidly changing world. It is crucial that we understand such a complex system and build reliable predictive tools in time. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model includes buildings and abrupt terrains in a city-scale environment. It aims to understand across-scale physical processes with a focus on metre to kilometre scales and develop a fast CFD tool.

Location
Southampton, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Tyre Particulate Emissions Measurement and Prediction (Ref: AAE-JK-2513)

Loughborough University

About the Project Tyres are a leading source of microplastics globally, as well as a primary contributor to cars' particulate matter emissions. Minimising the impacts of future tyre emissions requires new knowledge about factors that influence tyre emissions, and how these can be balanced with safety factors such as tyre grip.

Location
Loughborough, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 October 2026
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Multiphysics modeling of degradation in next-generation thermal barrier coatings

University of Southampton

About the Project Supervisory Team: Dr. Isha Gupta This project investigates the failure mechanics of next-generation thermal barrier coatings produced by suspension plasma spray and solution precursor plasma spray, an area where computational modelling remains largely unexplored. It will develop multiphysics models of degradation under extreme thermal and chemical conditions to guide high-performance coating design for aerospace and energy.

Location
Southampton, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
31 October 2026
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Autonomous Close-Proximity Spacecraft Operations: Hardware-in-the-Loop Validation of Neuromorphic Event Cameras

University of Southampton

About the Project Supervisory Team: Dr Alexander Wittig, Dr Sergio Araujo-Estrada and Dr Jorn Cheney This project aims to overcome the challenges of testing spacecraft control algorithms on real hardware in Earth-based environments.

Location
Southampton, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
1 November 2026
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

Full PhD scholarship in tip vortex and turbine wakes control funded by ERC

King’s College London

About the Project This fully funded PhD studentship is supported by the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project MISSMAPS – MIcroScale Solutions for MAcroscale problems: flow control through Permeable Structures , led by Dr Yabin Liu at King’s College London.

Location
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
15 November 2026
Funding
Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Development of Digital Failure Investigation Tools for Titanium Alloys

The University of Manchester

About the Project This project is part of cohort 4 of the EPSRC CDT in Developing National Capability for Materials 4.0, with the Henry Royce Institute. This PhD project offers a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of aerospace materials research while gaining extensive industrial experience. Titanium alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V are critical for jet-engine components, yet their failure mechanisms under long-term and cyclic loading are complex and not fully understood.

Location
Manchester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
8 January 2027
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

Atmospheric Dynamics for High-Altitude Autonomous Platforms

University of Bath

About the Project The Centre for Climate Adaptation & Environment Research (CAER) at the University of Bath is inviting applications for the following fully funded project. Project Description: Applications are invited for an exciting and dynamic PhD studentship in Atmospheric Dynamics for High-Altitude Autonomous Platforms , working with Dr Neil Hindley at the University of Bath’s Centre for Climate, Adaptation and Environment Research (CAER) .

Location
Bath, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
No more applications being accepted
Funding
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

AI-supported early stage design of certifiable systems for safety critical, disruptive technologies

University of Strathclyde

About the Project Sustainability for future aviation is exceptionally challenging requiring development of disruptive technologies for a highly safety critical application. This 3-year PhD project will develop a validated methodology for accelerating early stage design of integrated electrical propulsion systems for future aircraft which meet performance, functionality and regulatory safety requirements.

Location
Glasgow, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

Adaptive Learning in Brain-Robot Interactions

University of Sheffield

About the Project This project aims to develop a non-invasive brain-machine interface (BMI) that allows a user to direct a semi-autonomous robot to perform different tasks through brain signals. For this purpose, we aim to employ a two-way co-adaptation paradigm where both the user and robot adapt to each other such that the likelihood of committing the same error in future is reduced.

Location
Sheffield, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Advanced Propulsion Systems and Ignition Technologies for Next-Generation Aerospace Applications

Kingston University

About the Project The project focuses on the development and investigation of advanced propulsion systems and ignition technologies aimed at improving the efficiency, reliability, safety, and environmental performance of next-generation aerospace and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms.

Location
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Advanced radar models, systems and processing

University of Strathclyde

About the Project In the last years we have seen how the paradigm of armed conflict has dramatically shifted towards the development of offensive strategies with advanced capabilities and significantly reduced costs. Such threats, deployed effectively in recent conflicts such as those in Ukraine and Middle-East, have demonstrated the vulnerability of existing defence systems, throughout the entire sense, decide and effect pipeline.

Location
Glasgow, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

Aerodynamic and Aeroelastic Analysis of Bio-Inspired Flexible Wings

Kingston University

About the Project Bio-inspired flight has attracted increasing attention in recent years, particularly through the study of bat wings, which demonstrate remarkable aerodynamic performance, agility, and efficiency at low flight speeds. Unlike conventional rigid wings, bat wings feature flexible structures and dynamic shape-changing capabilities, allowing them to adapt continuously to changing flight conditions.

Location
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Aeroelasticity and Aerodynamics of Badminton Shuttle

The University of Manchester

About the Project The flight of a badminton shuttle is governed by a complex interaction between aerodynamic forces and the structural flexibility of the badminton shuttle. In professional badminton matches, the shuttles can reach speeds of 400 – 430 km/h. The fastest badminton smash record is 565 km/h, set by Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (India) on April 14, 2023. The previous record of 493 km/h was held by Malaysian player Tan Boon Heong.

Location
Manchester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Aeroelasticity and Dynamics of Deployable Space Structures

The University of Manchester

About the Project The deployment and operation of space structures, such as solar arrays, antennas, habitats, and scientific instruments, are governed by a complex interplay between structural flexibility, inertial forces, and aerodynamic or environmental interactions.

Location
Manchester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Aerothermal investigation on the effect of in-service burnout on the leakage flows over high-pressure turbine blade tip

Kingston University

About the Project The aero-industry is required to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Therefore, it is important to continuously advance its propulsion technology to reduce its fuel burn and achieve this target by 2050. One approach to fulfil this target includes advancing the current engines for the conventional aircrafts. This project seeks to study the tip leakage flows over the unshrouded blades of high-pressure turbines in gas turbine engines.

Location
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Autonomous Reconfiguration, Deployment, and Management of Self-Aware Modular Space Robots

University of York

About the Project Modular and dynamically reconfigurable space hardware systems are a high priority for research and development as they can significantly decrease development costs, facilitate multiple payloads, and enable indefinite lifetime extension for space missions. Dr.

Location
York, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Autonomous Scalable Knowledge Extraction and Decision Making for Complex Systems and Dynamic Environments

University of Sheffield

About the Project This PhD research is focused on multi-sensor data fusion for decision making. The project aims at dealing with large volumes of data and high dimensional systems. We have two case studies in particular: intelligent transportation systems and search and rescue.

Location
Sheffield, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Computational techniques for damage and fracture under multiphysics loads

Edinburgh Napier University

About the Project Estimating the structural integrity of components under multiphysical loading conditions is becoming increasingly important for applications in energy and transportation.

Location
Edinburgh, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Data-Driven Approaches to Understanding and Predicting Aircraft Icing Effects

Kingston University

About the Project Aircraft icing is a well-recognised hazard that occurs when supercooled water droplets in the atmosphere freeze upon contact with aircraft surfaces. The accumulation of ice on wings and control surfaces can significantly alter aerodynamic characteristics, leading to increased drag, reduced lift, and potential loss of control.

Location
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Data-Physics Dual-Driven (Hybrid PINN) Modelling for Next-Generation Aerospace Structural Dynamics

University of Birmingham

About the Project About the Project Are you passionate about the fusion of Artificial Intelligence and structural dynamics? Do you want to contribute to cutting-edge research that will transform aircraft structural health monitoring and real-time digital twins?

Location
Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Design of lightweight composite stiffened shell structures using topology optimisation

University of Aberdeen

About the Project These projects are open to students worldwide, but have no funding attached. Therefore, the successful applicant will be expected to fund tuition fees at the relevant level (home or international) and any applicable additional research costs. Please consider this before applying. The aim of this project is to create new optimisation methods for the design of composite lightweight stiffened shell structures.

Location
Aberdeen, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Design, Experimental Investigation, Aeroelasticity Modelling and Control of an Aircraft Wing with Bio-inspired Active Morphing Wingtip

University of Birmingham

About the Project Are you passionate about developing next-generation adaptive aircraft that mimic nature? Do you want to contribute to cutting-edge research that will transform aircraft wings from static compromises into actively morphing and efficient structures?

Location
Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Designing the Resilient Lunar Power Grid

Edinburgh Napier University

About the Project As humanity prepares for a sustained presence on the Moon, the single most critical challenge is establishing a reliable, resilient, and truly sustainable power grid. Designing this life-support system is a profound engineering challenge. Do you place solar farms at the poles for near-constant light, or in the mid-latitudes for different operational advantages? How large must the battery farms be to survive the deep cold of the 14-day lunar night?

Location
Edinburgh, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Development of advanced techniques for the improvement of the fracture toughness of sustainable hybrid composites under extreme weathering conditions

University of Portsmouth

About the Project Applications are invited for a self-funded, 3 year full-time or 6 year part-time PhD project. The PhD will be based in the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (SEME) and will be supervised by Dr Antigoni Barouni and Prof. Hom Dhakal .

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Droplet Impacts with Functional Surfaces

University of Aberdeen

About the Project These projects are open to students worldwide, but have no funding attached. Therefore, the successful applicant will be expected to fund tuition fees at the relevant level (home or international) and any applicable additional research costs. Please consider this before applying.

Location
Aberdeen, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Dynamic modelling and control of a novel bio-inspired UAV for infrastructure monitoring

University of Salford

About the Project Inspection and maintenance of energy infrastructure such as oil pipelines, wind energy turbines or oil rigs carry a vital role in the future of the energy industry. Depending on the location of the infrastructure and the maintenance required, this could be a dangerous, tedious, and costly affair for human operators. Besides, extended downtimes pose a significant financial challenge.

Location
Manchester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

EPSRC - Cryogenic Fuel Pump Motors for Aerospace

The University of Manchester

About the Project The project is an exciting opportunity to undertake industrially linked research in partnership with Rolls-Royce (RR) at the RR University Technology Centre (UTC) in Electrical Systems at the University of Manchester. The UTC researches a wide range of underpinning electrical technologies for applications in future gas-turbine engines, and on-board power systems for aircraft and ships.

Location
Manchester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

Efficient and Reliable Numerical Solution of Dynamic Optimization

University of Sheffield

About the Project Dynamic optimization is integral to many aspects of science and engineering, commonly found in trajectory optimization, optimal control (e.g. model predictive control, MPC), state estimation, system identification and design synthesis problems.

Location
Sheffield, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Engineering Additive Manufacturing Processes for the Design and Fabrication of Resilient Fusion Reactor Components

University of Bristol

About the Project Delivering reliable and economically viable fusion power depends on the ability to design and build reactor systems that operate safely under extreme thermal and mechanical conditions. As part of the design and build phases of fusion reactors such as the STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) programme, one of the major challenges is to develop manufacturing techniques that can deliver complex, high-integrity and scalable reactor components.

Location
Bristol, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Enhanced economics of gigawatt scale offshore wind farms through high-fidelity wake modelling

The University of Manchester

About the Project Optimising wind turbine layout and foundation design is critical to enhancing the economics of large-scale offshore wind energy projects. Prediction of the localised turbulent wind conditions onset to each turbine location is a key input to determine turbine energy yield, operation point and foundation costs. However, such predictions are complicated by disturbances to the mean- and unsteady-flow introduced by the presence of other turbines.

Location
Manchester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

Enhancing the Resilience of Offshore Wind Electrical Systems through Digital Twin Tools

University of Sheffield

About the Project The UK’s expansion of offshore wind is changing the dynamics of the electricity grid, particularly due to the lack of generation inertia worsening power system stability. Control of such a complex system relies on detailed understanding and real-time modelling of the nonlinear dynamics resulting from the interactions between the drivetrain, the electrical generator, and multiple power electronics converters and their control systems.

Location
Sheffield, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

Fibre-Polymer Composites for Structural Applications

University of Birmingham

About the Project Fiber-polymer composites are an innovative and sustainable alternative in construction due to their light weight, excellent fatigue resistance and durability. Dr. Lulu Liu’s research group invites applications for a funded PhD position focusing on advancing these materials for structural applications, such as wind turbine blades and bridge decks.

Location
Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Fully Funded PhD Positions in Control and Robotics

San Diego State University

About the Project Dynamic Systems and Intelligent Machines (DSIM) Lab at the San Diego State University has PhD positions in the area of control of robotic systems. The project aims to develop control-theoretical approaches and implement them on real robotic systems in complex environments. Highly motivated applicants with experience in control and robotics and strong background in mathematics are encouraged to apply. Applicants should have B.Sc. or M.Sc.

Location
San Diego, USA, USA
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Generative Design and Additive Manufacturing of Bio-Inspired Cellular Structures for Aerospace Lightweighting

Kingston University

About the Project The aerospace industry faces a persistent and critical need for lighter, more efficient structures to reduce operational fuel consumption and increase payload capacity. This research project directly addresses this challenge by proposing a novel methodology for the design and fabrication of ultra-lightweight aerospace components.

Location
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Identification and classification of coherent flow structures in the plasma of the Sun’s photosphere

University of Sheffield

About the Project The Sun is a star with a cyclic magnetic activity that can impact all the solar system. Thus, the solar magnetic field can interact with the Earth's magnetic field, permitting the entrance of energetic particles in the upper atmosphere, affecting technological devices, telecommunications and human health.

Location
Sheffield, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Investigating the Impact of Hydrogen Flame Impingement on Jet Engine Combustor Materials

University College London

About the Project Aviation is one of the most carbon-intensive forms of transport and realising hydrogen-powered jet engines is seen as the most viable solution to completely decarbonise long-haul aircraft. Using hydrogen as aviation fuel does not produce CO2 from combustion, with water vapour and small (controlled) NOx traces being the main by-products.

Location
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Ionospheric Modelling for GNSS, Precise Point Positioning, PNT and Space Weather Resilience

University of Birmingham

About the Project Modern society depends on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as GPS and Galileo. These systems support navigation, timing, telecommunications, transport, surveying, finance, energy networks, emergency response, agriculture and autonomous systems. Many of these applications rely on Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services being accurate, available and trustworthy.

Location
Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

Ionospheric, Auroral and Ocean Clutter Models for Monostatic and Bistatic HF Sensing Systems

University of Birmingham

About the Project High-frequency (HF) sensing is one of the few technologies able to detect objects and characterise environments far beyond the horizon. By using the ionosphere as a natural reflector, HF over-the-horizon sensing systems can observe regions that are inaccessible to conventional line-of-sight sensing technologies.

Location
Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

Long-term durability of polymeric composites in offshore wind energy applications: An integrated experimental and numerical study

Durham University

About the Project This PhD scholarship is offered by the EPSRC CDT in Offshore Wind Energy Sustainability and Resilience; a partnership between the Universities of Durham, Hull, Loughborough and Sheffield. The successful applicant will undertake six-month of training with the rest of the CDT cohort at the University of Hull before continuing their PhD research at Durham University.

Location
Durham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Mechanism-Guided Design of High-Entropy Ceramic Architectures for Hydrogen and Fusion Energy Systems

Kingston University

About the Project The transition toward net-zero energy technologies requires materials capable of operating under increasingly aggressive environments. Hydrogen-fuelled gas turbines demand advanced Environmental Barrier Coatings (EBCs) for SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites, where resistance to steam corrosion, calcium–magnesium–aluminosilicate (CMAS) attack and thermal cycling is essential.

Location
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Model Order Reduction techniques for nonlinear elasticity and thermofluids

Edinburgh Napier University

About the Project High-fidelity computer simulations for complex engineering systems are computationally demanding. The challenges compound for problems in nonlinear regime and multiphysics loading conditions. To tackle large-scale complex systems in an efficient manner, model reduction techniques are usually pursued.

Location
Edinburgh, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Modelling gust-wing interactions in curvilinear flows

University of Southampton

About the Project Supervisory Team: Dr. Swathi Krishna and Prof. David Toal This PhD project will explore gust–wing interactions in vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs). Integrating computational fluid dynamics, data-driven modelling, and experiments on a custom-built VAWT rig, you will examine how gusts influence blade aerodynamics in curvilinear flows and develop predictive tools to mitigate their adverse effects.

Location
Southampton, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Multi-level topology optimization of architected metamaterial structures

University of Southampton

About the Project Supervisory Team: Dr Haris Moazam Sheikh About the project Mechanical metamaterials are engineered structures with extraordinary properties driven by geometry, not composition. This PhD project will pioneer a multi-scale framework combining topology morphing and surrogate modeling to streamline design and enable defect engineering, unlocking real-world metamaterial applications in ultralight, reconfigurable, and high-performance materials.

Location
Southampton, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Numerical simulation of Deflagration, Detonation and DDT in large scale inhomogeneous reactive mixtures

Kingston University

About the Project Demand for energy and petrochemical products has been on the raise in recent decades leading to huge production, transportation and storage infrastructures all around the world. The industry needs to store and transport large volumes of fuels and petrochemicals which are highly reactive and normally in liquefied form, such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

Location
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Optimal ultrasonic imaging for structural integrity prediction

University of Bristol

About the Project Non-destructive testing (NDT) is vital to ensure structures are safe and to reduce operating costs by facilitating predictive maintenance. The focus of this project is on improving ultrasonic array inspection, a widely used form of NDT, and so the results can be applied across a wide range of industrial applications. Current approaches are based on the detection of a critical defect with a set confidence level, typically 90% probability of detection.

Location
Bristol, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

Passive Load Alleviation in High-Aspect-Ratio Wings via Aeroelastic Tailoring of Thin-Ply Composite Laminates Using Multidisciplinary Design Optimization

Kingston University

About the Project Future aircraft must meet increasingly strict efficiency and sustainability targets, driving the development of ultra-lightweight, high-aspect-ratio wings. While these wings reduce induced drag and fuel consumption, their increased flexibility makes them more vulnerable to aeroelastic effects such as excessive deformation, reduced control effectiveness, and accelerated fatigue damage.

Location
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Ph.D. student in Energy Mechanics and Sustainability Program

University of Delaware

About the Project 1-2 Ph.D. students (Spring or Fall 2026 entry) • Research project: (1) Multiphysics modeling and characterization of next-gen batteries; (2) Machine-learning assisted battery manufacturing and prognostics • With a background in Mechanical Engineering, Solid/Engineering Mechanics, and Material Science and Engineering.

Location
Newark, USA, USA
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

PhD Studentship in Crystal Plasticity Finite Element and MATLAB/C++ Simulations of Thermal Fatigue in Aerospace/Nuclear materials

Imperial College London

About the Project We offer a fully funded studentship in Computational Solid Mechanics, leading to the PhD degree at Imperial College London. 3.5-year bursary and fees at the home student rate will be provided. The project has a flexible start date.

Location
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

PhD in Engineering Novel Through-Thickness Reinforced Composites for Net Zero

University of Leeds

About the Project This PhD research will develop the next generation of through-thickness reinforced composites, potentially involving materials manufacturing, experimental characterisation and AI-assisted numerical modelling. There is an unprecedented need for composites with a good balance between in-plane and out-of-plane properties to meet Net Zero.

Location
Leeds, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Porous superadsorbents for effective and selective adsorption of H2O from mixtures with inorganic gases

University of Strathclyde

About the Project Water is an essential element for life and industry and there are numerous applications were an effective and selective separation of water vapour from a gaseous mixture is required. This can be challenging in environments where water vapour is in small amounts (< 1% w/w).

Location
Glasgow, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Propeller-Wing Wake Interactions for Urban Air Mobility Systems

University of Birmingham

About the Project Would you like to continue your academic journey with a PhD in Aerospace Engineering? A 3.5-year fully funded PhD studentship (competition-funded) is available in the group of Dr Chandan Bose within the Aerospace Engineering division, School of Metallurgy and Materials, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Birmingham.

Location
Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Real-Time Urban Wind Simulation and Data Reduction for Environmental Hazard Assessment

University of Salford

About the Project This PhD project will investigate fast computational approaches for modelling urban airflow and environmental hazard assessment in complex city environments. The research is motivated by emerging challenges in Urban Air Mobility (UAM), UAV operations, emergency response planning, and sustainable urban infrastructure. Urban wind flow strongly influences pollutant dispersion, pedestrian safety, and UAV operation within cities.

Location
Manchester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Thermosphere Modelling for Satellite Drag, Collision Avoidance and Space Weather Resilience

University of Birmingham

About the Project Low Earth orbit is becoming increasingly crowded. Scientific spacecraft, Earth observation missions, communication satellites and large commercial constellations all depend on accurate knowledge of where satellites are now and where they will be in the future. One of the largest sources of uncertainty is the upper atmosphere. Even hundreds of kilometres above the surface of the Earth, satellites experience drag from the neutral thermosphere.

Location
Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Aerospace Engineering

Transporting microplastic-laden bubbles through vortices (TRAP)

University of Southampton

About the Project Supervisory Team: Dr. Swathi Krishna and Dr. Ivo Peters This PhD project might be for you if you are concerned about the growing microplastic contamination in our water bodies. This project involves the investigation of how bubbles and vortices can be harnessed to extract microplastics from water.

Location
Southampton, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aerospace Engineering

Unlocking the potential of optimized vertical-axis wind turbine arrays via surrogate-modelling and topology optimization

University of Southampton

About the Project Supervisory team: Dr. Haris Moazam Sheikh This project will develop a multi-scale optimization framework using surrogate modelling and topology morphing techniques to overcome the high cost of Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) design. It will create VAWTs optimized specifically for array performance, harnessing both lift and drag effects. This will significantly improve the viability of commercially viable urban wind farms.

Location
Southampton, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)