PhD Studentship in Aeronautics: Parallel adaptive multi-physics simulations (AE0097)

Start Date:

Between 1 August 2027 and 1 July 2028

Application Deadline:

23.59 on 4 January 2027 (UK time)

Introduction: 

This research will be carried out within the framework of the REMODEL project that addresses the difficulty of generating and adapting high-quality meshes for complex engineering simulations on exascale and heterogeneous high-performance computing systems. 

The PhD research will contribute to the development of:

•  Automatic adaptive mesh generation methods for multi-physics and time-dependent simulations.
• Strategies for coupling multi-physics solvers with mesh adaptation in a parallel HPC environment.
• Efficient algorithms in heterogeneous CPU–GPU and exascale computing architectures.
• Integrated, high-fidelity simulation workflows for industrial applications.
• Methods for sensitivity assessment of multi-physics simulations to geometric features and mesh resolution.

You will work with open-source and research tools developed within the Nektar++ research group. You will also gain experience applying your methods to realistic industrial demonstrators, and develop expertise in computational geometry, mesh generation, adaptive meshing, parallel algorithms, high-performance and exascale computing, and multi-physics simulations.

Professional development opportunities include: 

• Cross-institutional mentoring and collaboration with leading academic researchers and industrial partners.
• Opportunities to present findings at conferences, workshops and seminars, and to publish in high-quality journals.
• Experience in open-source software development, technical documentation, webinars, industrial demonstrations and public engagement.
• Engagement in interdisciplinary collaboration and the translation of research into industrial applications.

Supervisors: 

Prof. Spencer Sherwin; Prof. Joaquim Peiro; Dr Chris Cantwell

Duration:

3.5 years

Funding:

Full coverage of tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of £23,805 for Home, EU and International students. Find out more about fee status on our Fees and Funding webpages.

Eligibility: 

Due to the competitive nature of our studentships, candidates will be expected to achieve/have achieved a First class honours MEng/MSci or higher degree (or international equivalent) in: Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.

We are looking for a student with: good background knowledge on CFD/Meshing techniques; Proficiency in software development using high-level programming languages, ideally in a HPC environment; Creative approach to problem-solving, Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

How to apply

Submit your application via our Apply webpages - you will need to upload the following:

• CV
• personal statement
• transcripts
• contact details for two references

When applying, you will need to complete the following fields:

• Search course/Programme: Aeronautics Research (PhD)
• Research Group: Aero
• Research Topic: Please use reference number AE0097
• Research Supervisor:  Prof. Spencer Sherwin; Prof. Joaquim Peiro; Dr Chris Cantwell
• Entry term: Autumn 2027/8 or Spring 2027/8 

You can find out more general guidance on how to apply on our Admissions webpages.

Applying to two projects

You can apply for a maximum of two PhD projects in any academic year – this includes PhD projects in other departments at Imperial and the Doctoral Programme in Sustainable Aviation (DPSA) within our Brahmal Vasudevan Institute for Sustainable Aviation.

If you are submitting two applications for different PhD Studentships in the same academic year, you will need to select different entry terms – one application must be for the entry term Autumn 2027/8 and one application must be for the entry term Spring 2027/8. If you are successful in receiving an offer, we can amend the entry term of the relevant PhD Studentship.

References

You will need to provide the contact details of two referees – we will then contact them directly to request the references after you have submitted your application. Find out more about the importance of references and how to check the status of your references on our application references webpage.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your referees respond to any reference requests. To ensure we do not delay the admissions process for our applicants, any incomplete applications without references by 23.59 on 5 February 2027 (UK time) will be rejected. 

Contact

For more information about this specific PhD project, please contact: Prof. Spencer Sherwin, Prof. Joaquim Peiro or Dr Chris Cantwell

For questions about the application process, please first read our Frequently Asked Questions. If your question has not been answered, please email the PhD Administrator (Admissions)

Frequently Asked Questions

 You can find answers to common application questions on our Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

Imperial is committed to equality and valuing diversity. We are an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Disability Confident Employer and are working in partnership with GIRES to promote respect for trans people.