Mark Battley

Two funded PhD opportunities are being shared in the Faculty of Engineering and Design at the University of Auckland , supported by the Applied Doctorates Scheme . The scheme brings together a cohort of 22 PhD students across New Zealand with a focus on Aerospace, Defence & Security . Project 1: Enhancing Open Hole Compression Strength for Lighter, Stronger Aerospace Composites (ID: 2.10). This project is supervised academically by Mark Battley and Tom Allen at the University of Auckland, with industry supervision from Pierre-Yves Mechin at Southern Spars . The research is centered on aerospace composites , structural performance, and materials/engineering design. Project 2: MANTA - in-situ detection of small debris, micrometeorite and cosmic dust for Earth orbit monitoring and cislunar and solar system science (ID: 2.11). This project is supervised academically by Mark Battley at the University of Auckland, with industry supervision from Benjamin Taylor at Frond Space Systems Limited . The topic combines space debris monitoring , micrometeorite detection , cosmic dust , and Earth orbit / cislunar science . In addition to technical research, applicants will learn advanced business and entrepreneurial skills and connect with industry leaders. The post encourages interested candidates to act quickly, as applications close on 10 September , with enrolment by March 2027 . If you are interested in a PhD in aerospace engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, physics, or astronomy-related research, this is a strong industry-linked doctoral opportunity in New Zealand.