Marc Stettler
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PhD Studentship: Reporting what pilots can see: a collaborative system for sharing contrail observations across airlines and air traffic management Imperial College London in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Environmental Science
Funding
Available
Deadline
Jan 4, 2027
Country
United Kingdom
University
Imperial College London
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About this position
This PhD studentship at Imperial College London is part of the Brahmal Institute’s October 2027 Doctoral Programme in Sustainable Aviation, themed around sustainability across stakeholders. The project focuses on contrail avoidance as a near-term climate intervention and asks how pilot observations can be turned into a more reliable, collaborative reporting system across airlines and air navigation service providers.
The successful student will work on designing and evaluating a system that combines pilot input with aircraft and camera data, alongside governance frameworks, to improve contrail forecasting, verification and operational decision-making. The project sits within an interdisciplinary doctoral cohort that is expected to address aviation sustainability from a systems perspective, connecting airports, airlines, air traffic management, aircraft and passengers.
The research is supervised by Professor Marc Stettler and Dr Sebastian Eastham, and is embedded in the Brahmal Institute’s research environment with shared learning, specialist training, networking and outreach as part of the programme. The topic is well suited to a student interested in aviation systems, sustainable aviation, and the interface between operational practice and climate impact reduction.
Funding details
Available
What's required
Applicants should have obtained or expect to obtain a 1st class honours Master’s degree (or higher) in Aerospace Engineering or an allied discipline such as Computational Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics. They should be able to develop and apply new concepts, prioritise work to deadlines, solve problems creatively, organise their own work with minimal supervision, and have an excellent background in numerical methods and scientific computing. Strong verbal and written technical communication skills and the ability to write clearly and succinctly for publication are required, along with a demonstrated understanding of and passion for sustainability. Applications are open to both Home and International students.
How to apply
Submit the application through Imperial College London’s postgraduate doctoral application process and include reference BI0004. Address the application to The Brahmal Vasudevan Institute, select ‘Aeronautics Research (PhD)’ in the programme search bar, and use ‘Brahmal Institute’ as the group. Attach a one-page letter of interest answering the two specified sustainability and fit questions.
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Professors
Professor at Imperial College London
United Kingdom
Research Interests
Aerospace Engineering
Environmental Science
Computational Science
Physics
Mechanical Engineering
Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.