PhD fellowship/scholarship

PhD opportunity at Aarhus University in bio-inspired i-skin, artificial mechanoreceptors, ionic haptic sensors, soft sensing, and microfabrication.

The BECHATRON Research Group at the Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Aarhus University, is recruiting a PhD candidate for a project on the design and fabrication of biomimetic artificial skin and ionic microchannel-based mechanoreceptors. The research sits at the intersection of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, materials science, robotics, and physics, with applications in smart prosthetic limbs, soft robotics, and biomedical devices.

The project includes COMSOL Multiphysics simulation, fabrication of ionic microchannels and flexible circuits using microfabrication and soft lithography, development of an automated mechanical stimulation and data acquisition setup using LabVIEW, experimental characterization, and publication of scientific manuscripts. The group emphasizes bioinspired mechatronic systems and next-generation touch sensing for robotic and biomedical applications.

Eligibility highlights: a relevant master’s degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, or a related field; experience in cleanroom microfabrication, micro/nanofabrication, microfluidics, MEMS, solid-fluid interaction simulation, or measurement systems is strongly encouraged; excellent academic English is required. The selected candidate will also contribute to teaching and departmental duties.

Funding: this is a paid PhD fellowship/scholarship with salary according to the collective agreement; the post mentions a salary of more than €5,000 per month.

Deadline: 21 June 2026 at 23:59 CEST. Start date: 01 September 2026 or later.

Applicants should submit the application via the Aarhus University portal and upload the required project description PDF, CV, diploma, transcript, and reference letters before the deadline.