Mechanical & Civil Engineering: Fully Funded PhD Studentship in Electro-active and magneto-active elastomers for smart vehicle applications (RS876)

The funding providers: Industry Partner 

The subject areas: Materials Science/Engineering, Polymer Science/Chemistry, Computational Mechanics/Engineering, Mechanical/Civil Engineering

The Project start dates: 

• 1 October 2025 (home fee eligible applicants only)
• 1 January 2026 (home and international fee-eligible applicants)
• ** (Please see the note below regarding potential later start dates.)

Supervisors: Dr Mokarram Hossain and Professor Eduardo de Souza Neto

Aligned programme of study: PhD in Mechanical Engineering 

Mode of study: Full Time 

Place of Study: Faculty of Science and Engineering, Bay Campus, Swansea University

Project Description:

Motivation: Soft and flexible materials (e.g. polymers, hydrogels) have revolutionised many areas of science and technology ranging from flexible electronics to soft robotics. Scientists now predict that forty years of conventional hard robot technology and shape-flexible systems will imminently be superseded by a new soft robotics era with soft multifunctional materials in which Electro Active Polymers (EAPs) and Magneto-active Polymers (MAPs) have been identified as materials of natural choice. On the one hand, EAPs & MAPs can create large actuation (stretching, bending and twisting) under the action of electric and magnetic fields, on the other hand, they can create extremely shape-shifting structures 

Project aims: The main challenge of this project is to synthesise suitable polymeric composites that can have highest actuations under both electric and magnetic fields. In this case, after synthesising polymer composites (e.g., natural rubbers filled with various conductive particles), different sets of samples will be prepared to conduct microscopic and rheological characterisations. Afterwards, further samples will be prepared that will undergo various mechanical tests (e.g., viscoelastic under different strain rates, fatigue-fracture tests etc). Once rheological, microscopic, and mechanical characterisations are done, prepared polymeric composites will be tests for both electric and magnetic actuations under various magnitudes of field activations. These actuation ranges will be planned targeting potential applications in smart vehicles where following targets will be explored, i) change tread pattern (or tread groove depth), ii) aerodynamics by changing the surface texture of sidewall, iii) noise cancelling (vibration), iv) mechanical properties (hardness). 

Resources: The PhD student will take advantage of state-of-the-art soft polymer fabrication (3D/4D printing) and characterisation (i.e. electro-mechanical multi-axial testing rigs) equipment and the latest computational simulation software tools developed by the group. 

Funding Duration - 3.5 years

Open to UK and International fee-eligible applicants 

PhD: Applicants for PhD must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) in Engineering or a similar relevant science discipline. Note for international and European applicants: details of how your qualification compares to the published academic entry requirements can be found on our Country Specific Entry Requirements page. 

English Language 
IELTS 6.5 Overall (5.5+ each comp.) or Swansea University recognised equivalent. Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here. 

Please note that the programme requires some applicants to hold ATAS clearance, further details on ATAS scheme eligibility are available on the UK Government website.  

ATAS clearance IS NOT required to be held as part of the scholarship application process. Successful award winners (as appropriate) are provided with details as to how to apply for ATAS clearance in tandem with a scholarship course offer. 

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £20,780 for 2025/26). 

Additional research expenses will also be available. 

To apply, please complete the entire application form:

In order to be considered for this scholarship award the following steps are also required. 

1) In section ‘Programme Related Information’ please input the relevant RS Code for the scholarship award i.e. RS876 

2) In section ‘Research’ you will see ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’* (Mandatory) 

• In ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’ please input:  

• the RS Code, RS876
• the scholarship title

• Please leave Proposed Supervisor field blank 
• Please leave Research Project (if applicable) blank 
• In ‘Do you have a proposal to upload?*’(Mandatory) Please select Yes 
• Then upload copy of advert (you can save the advert by clicking print, and then print to pdf) 

3) In section ‘Funding information’ please choose the option ‘Scholarship Funding’ only. Please ensure no other options are selected. 

*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award. 

One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards. 

If you’ve previously applied for this programme, the system will display an “Application Submitted” warning and block a new submission. In this case: 

1. Apply for the same course with the next available start date (e.g., select January if October is unavailable). 
2. Email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with your student number and the relevant scholarship RS code, requesting the start date be amended to match the advert. 
3. Admissions staff will then update your application accordingly. 

NOTE: Applicants for PhD/EngD/ProfD/EdD - to support our commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and celebrating diversity at Swansea University you are required to complete an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form in addition to your programme application form.    

Please note that completion of the EDI Monitoring Form is mandatory; your application may not progress if this information is not submitted. 

As part of your online application, you MUST upload the following documents (please do not send these via email): 

• CV 

• Degree certificates and transcripts (if you are currently studying for a degree, screenshots of your grades to date are sufficient) 

• A cover letter including a ‘Supplementary Personal Statement’ to explain why the position particularly matches your skills and experience and how you choose to develop the project. 

• One reference (academic or previous employer) on headed paper or using the Swansea University reference form. Please note that we are not able to accept references received citing private email accounts, e.g. Hotmail. Referees should cite their employment email address for verification of reference. 

• Evidence of meeting English Language requirement (if applicable). 

• Copy of UK resident visa (if applicable) 

• Confirmation of EDI form submission 

Informal enquiries are welcome; please contact Dr Mokarram Hossain

*External Partner Application Data Sharing – Please note that as part of the scholarship application selection process, application data sharing may occur with external partners outside of the University, when joint/co- funding of a scholarship project is applicable. 

** In exceptional circumstances, and subject to the discretion of the University and/or the relevant funding body, a deferral of offer may be granted to the next available enrolment period. Such deferral will typically not exceed a duration of three calendar months from the originally stipulated commencement date. Please note that only one deferral may be considered, and any such deferral is not guaranteed.