phd aerospace uk

Website navigation

In this section

Imperial Home
Faculty of Engineering
Departments, institutes and centres
Department of Aeronautics

PhD Opportunities and Funding

PhD opportunities

‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌Graduates of our PhD programmes are active with industrial firms, universities and research establishments, not only within the aerospace sector, but in fields as diverse as deep-sea oil rigs, atomic reactors, submarine and ship design, bridge research, racing car and engine research, atmospheric pollution, and in many other aspects of industrial aerodynamics, structural analysis and materials.

Find out how to apply for a research programme.

Highly qualified prospective PhD students are also encouraged to obtain their own PhD scholarship. Opportunities for this can be found on the postgraduate scholarship webpage (note that most of these are highly competitive).

Prospective students should contact relevant academic staff to agree on a suitable project if interested in this option.

Funded PhD opportunities

Title: Design, manufacturing and characterisation of functional and green end-of-life cellulose-based materials Supervisor: Dr Koon-yang Lee
Ref: AE0052v2
Deadline: 9th January 2025
Title: Turbulence under strain Supervisor: Dr Kostas Steiros Ref: AE0068 Deadline: Until filled
Title: Machine Learning for alternative power generation systems in aerospace applications Supervisor: Dr Urban Fasel Ref: AE0067 Deadline: 3 December 2024
Title: Turbulence – droplet interactions for cloud microphysics Supervisor: Prof Oliver Buxton and Prof Sylvain Laizet Ref: AE0066 Deadline: 23 January 2025
Title: Advanced Numerical Methods for Structural Aircraft Simulation Supervisor: Prof Silvestre Pinho Ref: AE0065 Deadline: 17 December 2024
Title: Doctoral Programme in Sustainable Aviation Research Institute: Brahmal Vasudevan Institute for Sustainable Aviation Ref: AE0064 Deadline: 6 January 2025
Title: Aerodynamic theory of ultra-efficient aircraft rotors Supervisors: Dr Kostas Steiros Ref: AE0063 Deadline: 9 January 2025
Title: Scientific machine learning to support aviation sustainability Supervisor: Dr Sebastian Eastham and Dr Urban Fasel Ref: AE0062 Deadline: 9 January 2025
Title: High-Fidelity Simulation of Titan/Mars Entry Vehicles with PyFR Supervisor: Professor Peter Vincent, Professor Oliver Buxton, Dr. Paul Bruce and Professor Matthew Santer Ref: AE0061 Deadline: 9 January 2025
Title: High-fidelity simulations of turbulence flows on heterogeneous computer systems Supervisor: Professor Sylvain Laizet Ref: AE0060 Deadline: 9 January 2025
Title: Magnetic Suspension Balances (MSBS) for Drag Reduction Supervisor: Professor Jonathan Morrison Ref: AE0059 Deadline: 9 January 2025
Title: Theoretical/Computational Fluid dynamics Supervisor: Professor Yongyun Hwang Ref: AE0058 Deadline: 1 March 2025
Title: Reinforcement Learning for controlling nonlinear physical systems: application to wind farm optimization Supervisor: Professor Sylvain Laizet and Dr Georgios Rigas Ref: AE0057 Deadline: 9 January 2025
Title: Safe Data-Driven Control - Bridging the Gap Between Nonlinear Control and Machine Learning Supervisor: Dr Thulasi Mylvaganam Ref: AE0056 Deadline: 9 January 2025
Title: Advanced representations of orbital uncertainty in astrodynamics Supervisor: Dr Davide Amato AE0055 Deadline: 3rd December 2024 Ref: AE0055
Title: Beyond Self-similarity in Turbulence Supervisor: Dr Kostas Steiros AE0054 Deadline: 23rd October 2024 Ref: AE0054
Title: Amelia and John Kentfield PhD Scholarships Supervisor: Various AE0053 Deadline: 9th January 2025 Ref: AE0053
Title: PhD Studentship in Modelling and Observation of Aircraft Condensation Trails Supervisor: Dr Sebastian Eastham AE0051-V2 Deadline: until filled Ref: AE0051_v2
Title: Understanding and modelling accidental hydrogen explosions (AE0048_v2) Supervisor: Dr Vito Tagarielli AE0048_v2 Deadline: Until filled Ref: AE0048_v2
Title: Predictive Performance Dispersion Model of Satellite Thrusters Supervisor: Dr Aaron Knoll AE0046 Deadline: 21 May 2024 Ref: AE0046

Advanced lightweight metal

Fees, Funding and Scholarships

The amount of funding you will need to fund a PhD will vary according to your fee status (UK, EU or overseas). Please see Imperial College's student fees and funding pages for information on fees, living costs and College-administered scholarships.

Students in the department are funded from a variety of sources, including UK Research Councils, industry, College scholarships and departmental funding.

For scholarships administered from either the College or our Department, any applicant is automatically considered for any scholarships they are eligible for, unless stated otherwise by the applicant and unless it is the President’s PhD Scholarship. Special procedures apply when applying for the President’s PhD Scholarship.

There are many funding options available for students, including, but not limited to the below:

President’s PhD Scholarship
Project-specific studentships
Centres for Doctoral Training
Imperial College Scholarships (search tool)
External funding
International scholarship collaborations

PhD Contacts

PhD Administrator (Admissions) Ms Lisa Kelly [email protected]

PhD Administrator (On-course) Ms Clodagh Li [email protected]

Director of Postgraduate Studies (PhD) Dr Chris Cantwell [email protected]

Senior Tutor for Postgraduate Research Prof Joaquim Peiro [email protected]

PhD Reps Charlie Aveline ( [email protected] ) Toby Bryce-Smith ( [email protected] ) Katya Goodwin ( [email protected] ) Paulina Gordina ( [email protected] )

Useful links

Opportunities for current phd students.

Amelia Earhart fellowships
EIT Climate-KIC
NVIDIA internship

Our cookies

We use cookies for three reasons: to give you the best experience on PGS, to make sure the PGS ads you see on other sites are relevant , and to measure website usage. Some of these cookies are necessary to help the site work properly and can’t be switched off. Cookies also support us to provide our services for free, and by click on “Accept” below, you are agreeing to our use of cookies .You can manage your preferences now or at any time.

Privacy overview

We use cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to allow the site to work for you, improve your user experience, to provide us with information about how our site is used, and to deliver personalised ads which help fund our work and deliver our service to you for free.

The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.

You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

You can change your cookies preference at any time by visiting our Cookies Notice page. Please remember to clear your browsing data and cookies when you change your cookies preferences. This will remove all cookies previously placed on your browser.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice

Manage consent preferences

Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features.

You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can’t identify you from these cookies.

Functional cookies

These help us personalise our sites for you by remembering your preferences and settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers, whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then these services may not function properly.

Performance cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and see where our traffic comes from, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are popular and see how visitors move around the site. The cookies cannot directly identify any individual users.

If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.

Marketing cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by social media services or our advertising partners. Social media cookies enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They can track your browser across other sites and build up a profile of your interests. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to see or use the content sharing tools.

Advertising cookies may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but work by uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see ads, but they won’t be tailored to your interests.

Course type

Qualification, university name, phd degrees in aerospace engineering.

13 degrees at 12 universities in the UK.

Customise your search

Select the start date, qualification, and how you want to study

Related subjects:

PhD Aerospace Engineering
PhD Aerospace and Defence Engineering
PhD Chemical Engineering
PhD Chemical Process Engineering
PhD Chemicals and Materials Engineering
PhD Composite Materials
PhD Data Communications Systems
PhD Electric Power Engineering
PhD Energy Engineering
PhD Engineering
PhD Engineering Management
PhD Engineering Materials
PhD Engineering Studies
PhD Engineering and Technology
PhD Fluid Engineering
PhD Marine Engineering
PhD Materials Engineering
PhD Materials Technology
PhD Mechanical Engineering
PhD Mining Engineering
PhD Mining, Quarrying and Extraction
PhD Mobile Communications Systems
PhD Nanotechnology
PhD Naval Architecture
PhD Polymer Technology
PhD Power and Energy Engineering
PhD Road Vehicle Engineering
PhD Ship and Boat Building, Marine and Offshore Engineering and Maintenance
PhD Technology
PhD Telecommunications
PhD Vehicle Design and Production

Course title (A-Z)
Course title (Z-A)
Price: high - low
Price: low - high

University of Hertfordshire

Our research expertise in Aerospace Engineering specialises in areas including aeroelasticity, steady and unsteady aerodynamics, Read more...

6 years Part time degree: £2,960 per year (UK)

MPhil/PhD (Civil / Mechanical / Aeronautical Engineering)

University of south wales.

A PhD is a doctoral degree based on a significant and original individual research project which culminates in an in-depth thesis (or Read more...

5 years Part time degree: £2,358 per year (UK)
3 years Full time degree: £4,716 per year (UK)
3 years Full time degree

MPhil/ PhD Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

University of strathclyde.

We're home to award-winning and internationally recognised research centres spanning energy, aerospace, fluids, structures and materials. Read more...

3 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)

Space Engineering PhD

University of surrey.

Why choose this programme TheSurrey Space Centre is the largest UK academic centre for space engineering research. With a host of expert Read more...

8 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)
4 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Integrated PhD

Brunel university london.

Research profile The aim of mechanical, automotive and aerospace engineering at Brunel is to develop novel theories, methods and procedures Read more...

4 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)
4 years Full time degree

Queen Mary University of London

Engineering at Queen Mary has a distinguished tradition in both teaching and research, dating back to the beginning of the 1900s while Read more...

6 years Part time degree: £2,393 per year (UK)

Aerospace Engineering, PhD

Swansea university.

Our world-leading technology has contributed to many exciting projects, including aerodynamics for the current world land-speed record Read more...

6 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)
3 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)

PhD Direct (Civil / Mechanical / Aeronautical Engineering)

Aeronautical and automotive engineering phd, loughborough university.

Our reputation for pioneering and topical research is built on a long and successful history with aeronautical and automotive engineering. Read more...

University of Manchester

Programme description Our postgraduate research programmes in Aerospace Engineering offer the opportunity to study in a multi-disciplinary Read more...

72 months Part time degree: £2,393 per year (UK)
36 months Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)

Aeronautics PhD

Imperial college london.

Our international reputation for research makes this an ideal place to pursue a research degree, whether as preparation for a research Read more...

3 years Full time degree: £7,340 per year (UK)

Aerospace Engineering PhD

University of bristol.

Aerospace engineering research at Bristol is organised via cross-faculty research groups with interests spanning four key Read more...

8 years Part time degree: £2,425 per year (UK)
4 years Full time degree: £4,850 per year (UK)

Queen's University Belfast

Our society needs exceptional engineers who can understand, create and harness technology to address our shared global challenges. Read more...

Course type:

Full time PhD
Part time PhD

Qualification:

Related subjects:.

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

Attend an open day

Discover more about postgraduate research

PhD Aerospace Engineering / Programme details

Year of entry: 2025

View full page

Programme description

Research in mechanical, aerospace and civil engineering covers six broad research themes ; aerospace engineering, innovative manufacturing, modelling and simulation, nuclear engineering, resilient systems, and structures in extreme environments.

Our postgraduate research programmes in Aerospace Engineering offer the opportunity to study in a multi-disciplinary team alongside leading academics in the field.

Drawing on our expertise in aerodynamics, automotive aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics, turbulence modelling and other areas we are facilitating the development of tomorrow's aerospace technologies.

Your research will be supported by state-of-the-art computational and experimental facilities. We have strong links with industry and excellent employability in a diverse sector of aerospace engineering.

Visit our research projects page to browse our range of currently available projects.

The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is awarded by the University in recognition of the successful completion of a course of supervised research, the results of which show evidence of originality and independent critical judgement and constitute an addition to knowledge.

A PhD is the target of most postgraduate students who relish the opportunity to undertake a research project with intellectual, scientific, industrial or commercial challenges. Individuals with relevant industrial experience are also encouraged to apply for this level of graduate work, which is of particular value for personal and professional development.

Our research students have the opportunity to develop their skills through robust and flexible training that is designed to:

Develop the research skills needed to plan and conduct research, write a thesis and disseminate research findings to stakeholders and the international research community;
Gain understanding of the wide variety of research undertaken within the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering and in relevant disciplines across the University;
Equip each student with the broader skills to become world leading industry professionals and researchers in the next generation.

All of our research degree programmes are based on supportive supervision in our outstanding research environment. You will carry out a programme of research in a particular area under the supervision of a primary supervisor and one or more co-supervisors. Your primary supervisor would be a research active member of academic staff in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering. Co-supervisors may be from another discipline, another institution or even an external organisation, such as an industrial partner, selected to suit the project scope and specific skills required.

Additional programme information

Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities.

We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.

We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status.

We also support applications from those returning from a career break or other roles.

We consider offering flexible study arrangements (including part-time: 50%, 60% or 80%, depending on the project/funder), carer support funds for conferences, and peer support networks for parents and carers.

All appointments are made on merit. The University of Manchester and our external partners are fully committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Teaching and learning

All candidates for the degree of PhD must undertake a skills review at the beginning of their degree to determine their research, transferable and generic skills requirements. The review will provide the basis for a planned programme of skills training and development. The outcomes of the review and programme of skills development must be discussed and agreed by the student and the supervisory team. The supervisory team will be responsible for ensuring that the student has access to the required skills training and development opportunities.

Students admitted to the degree of PhD must demonstrate satisfactory progress before the end of the first year by submission of a progress report which will be discussed at a formal progress meeting with the supervisory team and an independent assessor. Successful completion enables progression into the next year.

During your studies you will be encouraged to give seminars and write papers for scientific journals and conferences. You will also have access to a broad programme of skills training and professional development. This will help you to complete your research effectively and to keep you at the leading edge of developments in learning and teaching, innovation, enterprise and knowledge transfer to help you succeed in future employment.

The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is awarded by the University in recognition of the successful completion of a period of supervised research and training, the results of which show convincing evidence of the capacity of the candidate to pursue research and make an original contribution to knowledge. The thesis is assessed by oral examination (viva voce).