Swansea University Research Scholarship

Fully funded PhD opportunity at Swansea University in materials science, polymer science, mechanical engineering, and robotics, focused on electro-active and magneto-active elastomers for smart vehicle applications.

The project (RS970) is titled Mechanical/Materials Engineering Science: Electro-active and magneto-active elastomers for smart vehicle applications and is based in the School at Swansea University’s Bay Campus. The research is supervised by Professor Mokarram Hossain and Professor Eduardo de Souza Neto. The work will investigate soft and flexible polymeric composites, including natural rubbers filled with conductive particles, and will study their microscopic, rheological, and mechanical properties before testing electric and magnetic actuation performance.

Research interests include soft multifunctional materials, electro-active polymers (EAPs), magneto-active polymers (MAPs), elastomers, composite synthesis, viscoelasticity, fatigue-fracture testing, 3D/4D printing, and computational simulation. The smart vehicle applications mentioned include changing tread pattern or groove depth, modifying aerodynamics through surface texture, vibration/noise cancelling, and tuning hardness/mechanical properties.

Funding: full tuition fees plus an annual stipend at the UKRI rate (currently £21,805 for 2026/27), with additional research expenses of up to £1,000 per year. Funding duration is 3.5 years.

Eligibility: applicants should hold a 2.1 undergraduate degree or equivalent in Engineering or a closely related science discipline. IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component, or an accepted Swansea University equivalent, is required. Some applicants may need ATAS clearance later in the process.

Application window: closing date is 22 June 2026. Applicants must apply online, enter RS970 in the correct section, upload the advert PDF, choose Scholarship Funding only, and include the required documents and EDI form. Informal enquiries can be directed to Professor Mokarram Hossain at [email protected].