composite PhD Projects, Programs & Scholarships

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Interested in high performance, lightweight composite materials? Take advantage of the fact that companies in the aerospace and automotive sectors are currently looking for good materials scientists and engineers with a composites PhD!.

Investigating Long-term Effects of Seawater on Subsea Composite Properties

Aberdeen University
School of Engineering

Prof M Kashtalyan, Prof I Guz

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Over the past 20 years, the use of composite materials in the oil and gas industry has seen a slower uptake subsea than in topside applications.

PhD Studentship in modelling compressive failure of composite pipes

Imperial College London
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Prof D Dini

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of computational modelling in composite failure, leading to the award of a PhD degree.

Four-year EngD scholarship with Airbus: Development of forming simulation capabilities for use in large-scale next-generation composite aerospace structures

University of Bristol
Faculty of Engineering

Prof IK Partridge

Application Deadline: 31 December 2019

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This research project has funding attached. It is only available to UK citizens or those who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years or more. Some projects, which are funded by charities or by the universities themselves may have more stringent restrictions.

Faculty/School/Department. Faculty of Engineering (University of Bristol). Location. Airbus Filton and National Composites Centre, Bristol.

Doctor of Engineering (EngD) Short pulse lasers for machining composite materials (Luxinar)

Heriot-Watt University
School of Engineering & Physical Sciences

Prof D Reid, Prof D Esser

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Project not available to non UK/EU applicants. The EngD is an alternative to a traditional PhD aimed at students wanting a career in industry.

Enhancement of electrical conductivity of carbon fibre composite for resisting lightening strike on aircrafts

Kingston University
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing

Dr H Hadavinia, Prof T Zhang, Prof D Wertheim, Dr A Curley

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

In the structure of new advanced civil aircrafts the main fuselage structures are being redesigned to use carbon fibre-reinforced composites (CFRP) mainly due to their lightweight, high specific stiffness and strength.

Development of highly stable porous composite membranes for separation of greenhouse gases

University of Bradford
Faculty of Life Sciences

Research Group: Chemistry and Biosciences

Dr S Nayak, Prof S Rimmer

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Metal-organic frameworks or MOFs are a class of porous materials made of metal ions and rigid organic linkers, which are known as secondary building units or SBUs.

PhD vacancy (4 years) on nondestructive testing (NDT) of composites using Guided Waves

University of Ghent
Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering

Prof W VAN PAEPEGEM

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

The aim of this project is to develop robust guided waves NDT methods that can detect defects in Fiber reinforced plastic parts (focus on aerospace and automotive industry).

Mechanical and thermal characterisation of composite matrix materials for enhanced simulation, design and manufacture

University of Bath
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Prof R Butler, Prof C R Bowen, Dr A J G Lunt

Application Deadline: 31 October 2019

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Composite materials now make up over 50% of the structural components used in civil aerospace structures. Certification of these components is based on a complex and costly testing routine, which can result in over conservative design and manufacturing requirements.

Advanced composite structures and metamaterials design (in collaboration with a major aerospace industry)

University of Nottingham
Faculty of Engineering

Dr D Chronopoulos

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

The University of Nottingham is a world leader in aerospace R&D. With a research income which exceeds £120M per Year, the Engineering Research Power of the University currently ranks 4th in the UK.