Supervisory Team: Dr Joseph Banks, Prof Dominic Hudson, Dr Dominic Taunton, Prof Stephen Turnock
Project description
The sports of Swimming and Rowing presents the engineer with a complex multi-physics challenge where marginal performance gains can make the difference between success and failure. The Performance Sports Engineering laboratory has worked closely with the English Institute of Sport (Research & Innovation) and various sports for over a decade, contributing to Olympic successes in London, Rio and Tokyo. The majority of this work has been through focussed PhD programmes examining in detail the physical mechanisms of resistance and propulsion, technique and athlete/equipment interactions.
The cyclic nature of rowing and swimming propulsion makes it very difficult to accurately determine how changes in technique and equipment selection affect the overall performance of an athlete. The Performance Sports Engineering Lab is looking for 1 or 2 PhD students to investigate the links between stroke kinematics and athlete performance. This could include the development of experimental methods for measuring kinematics and propulsive forces, the use of remote sensors for capturing data whilst training, the development of data analysis and machine learning algorithms to evaluate large data sets and mathematical modelling of stroke or race performance.
This project will be supported by the English Institute of Sport and British Swimming and/or British Rowing. There will be the opportunity to work closely with the sports coaches and athletes providing a unique opportunity to improve athletes performance and see the impact of your research. Controlled experiments will also be conducted in the University of Southampton’s new 138m towing tank to measure the individual components of efficiency and assess equipment performance. You will be joining a team of academics, researchers and PhD students working in the Performance Sport Engineering Lab providing excellent opportunities for training and support.
We are looking for a highly motivated individual, who is prepared to work across disciplines and grow their skills. You should have an active interest in sport, be able to work well within a team environment, be excited about answering fundamental research questions alongside delivering research that has a real impact. We are looking for first class candidates with a background in mechanical engineering, ship science, aerospace, physics, mathematics, sport science or biomechanics. You should be confident with coding and experimentation (and ideally have some experience of fluid dynamics) whilst being happy to spend extended periods of time embedded within the sport conducting your research.
Entry Requirements
A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent).
Closing date: applications should be received no later than 01 June 2023 for standard admissions, but later applications may be considered depending on the funds remaining in place.
Funding: For UK students, Tuition Fees and a stipend of £17,668 tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years.
How To Apply
Apply online: Search for a Postgraduate Programme of Study (soton.ac.uk). Select programme type (Research), 2023/24, Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, next page select “PhD Engineering & Environment (Full time)”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor Joseph Banks
Applications should include:
Research Proposal
Curriculum Vitae
Two reference letters
Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date
For further information please contact: [Email Address Removed]
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