Fully Funded MS/PhD Position in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, VTOL Flight Dynamics and Control Oklahoma State University in United States

Oklahoma State University is advertising a fully funded MS/PhD position in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering for Fall 2026 (anticipated start in August 2026, with interim summer opportunities possible).

The position is in the Simulation to Flight Applied Research (S2FAR) Laboratory under Dr. Anthony Comer, Assistant Professor and Director of the lab. Research interests include VTOL flight dynamics and control, aircraft modeling and simulation, aircraft/rotorcraft handling qualities, piloted studies, and subscale flight testing for scalable full-scale applications.

Funding is described as fully funded through GRA/GTA support, with a minimum stipend of $2300/month, tuition waiver, and student insurance.

Eligibility highlights: applicants must have a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering; an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering is desirable for PhD applicants. Because of the funding source, only U.S. citizens will be considered. Experience with hardware and flight testing is preferred, especially Pixhawk flight controllers. Experience with UAS design/build/fly competitions (AIAA DBF, Vertical Flight Society DBVF, SAE) is especially encouraged. Helpful tools and skills include OpenVSP, FlightStream, MATLAB/Simulink, PX4, SolidWorks, 3D printing, CFD, thrust testing, AI/ML, and QGroundControl.

Application process: email your materials directly to [email protected] with the subject line “OSU Graduate Application - [Your Name]”. Submit a CV, a research interests statement (max 1 page), and academic transcripts. A formal graduate application must also be submitted through Oklahoma State University by the stated deadline.

Deadlines listed in the flyer: May 1, 2026 for rolling interviews to begin, May 10, 2026 for the domestic informal application deadline, and May 15, 2026 for the formal OSU graduate school application deadline.