Join us

Requirements

• An excellent academic trajectory, e.g., first-class degree in engineering, the physical sciences, mathematics, or a related discipline. Candidates for scholarships need a first-class degree or a distinction at master's level.
• Prior research experience or publications are an advantage but not required.

How to apply

Email Dr. Chen first with a CV and a short statement of your research interests and how they relate to the group's work. Then apply through Imperial's online application system, naming Dr. Chen as proposed supervisor, with:

• a CV of at most two pages covering qualifications, awards, research experience, internships, and publications;
• a research proposal and personal statement of at most two pages - motivation, proposed project, and methods;
• contact details for two academic referees at institutional email addresses; and
• the funding you are seeking.

Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by at least two academic staff for 30 to 40 minutes, in person or online, and decisions follow within 8 to 10 weeks of applying.

Advertised, funded projects in the group are listed under Current vacancies.

Funding

Applicants are considered automatically for the scholarships they are eligible. The department's funding rounds close in early November and in January. The notes below summarise the current rules.

• President's PhD Scholarships - 50 awards a year, each covering full tuition fees, a stipend of £26,500, and £2,000 a year of consumables for the first three years, for 3.5 years. For new PhD students of any nationality with a first-class degree or a master's distinction and a supervisor's agreement.
• Departmental studentships - the Department of Aeronautics funds a number of PhD places each year, including research council (UKRI/EPSRC) studentships and project-specific studentships from research grants and industry partners. Allocation weighs academic record, motivation, research experience and output, and awards; apply by the January deadline to be considered.
• Imperial's scholarships search - all College and departmental scholarships, filterable by level, department, and fee status; the College also indexes funded PhD vacancies by faculty.
• CSC-Imperial Scholarship - for Chinese nationals: 15 awards a year covering international tuition fees, a maintenance allowance at Imperial's minimum stipend, and one return flight, for three years. Imperial's application deadline falls in mid-January, with CSC's own application in March-April.
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships - for citizens of eligible Commonwealth countries who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK: airfares, tuition fees, a living stipend, and study travel. Requires at least a 2:1, or a 2:2 with a master's degree.
• Imperial Marshall Scholarships - for US citizens with a first degree from a US institution and a GPA of at least 3.7 who have not studied at a UK university before: fees, living expenses, and research and travel allowances for postgraduate study.
• Postgraduate Doctoral Loan - for UK students: up to £31,122, paid directly to the student in equal yearly instalments. Not available alongside research council funding.
• Other sources - the College's pages on external scholarships and charitable grants and trusts, and the department's page on fees and fee status. For current doctoral students, the department also points to the Amelia Earhart Fellowship for women pursuing doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences.

Requirements

• PhD in Aerospace, Mechanical or Civil Engineering, Applied Physics or Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Expertise in some of the following: experimental mechanics, architected materials, origami and kirigami, computational optimization, additive manufacturing.
• Excellent academic track record including publications and conference presentations.
• Ability to lead projects and mentor students.

Fellowship opportunities

We host fellowship applications and co-write proposals with candidates; contact us several months before a deadline. Eligibility requirements differ between schemes. The notes below summarise the current rules; confirm the details with the funder before applying.

• Imperial Research Fellowships - Imperial's own four-year fellowship: salary, up to £45,000 in research and travel support, no obligatory teaching. For researchers whose PhD was awarded within five years of the fellowship start date and who do not hold a lectureship or an intermediate fellowship; open to UK and international applicants. One round a year, closing in late July.
• Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowships - five years and up to £800,000, held at a UK university. For engineers no more than four years and six months past their PhD award date at the expression-of-interest deadline, which falls in late June each year.
• Royal Society early-career fellowships - three schemes are relevant. The University Research Fellowship runs eight years and asks for between three and eight years of post-PhD research experience. The Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship is the same length, for researchers with up to six years of post-PhD experience who need flexible working because of caring or health circumstances. The Newton International Fellowship is two years, for non-UK researchers based outside the UK with up to five years of postdoctoral experience; applications run from January to March.
• Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships - three years, with the Trust paying the full salary in year one and half of it in years two and three. For researchers who submitted their thesis no more than four years before the deadline, hold a UK degree or a UK academic post, and have held fewer than three years of independent postdoctoral positions in total. Applications open in January and close in mid-February.
• UKRI and EPSRC fellowships - UKRI's current fellowship opportunities are listed on its fellowship page: the EPSRC Early Independence Fellowships (a PhD plus postdoctoral experience; two rounds a year, but only in specific research areas within EPSRC's remit, which change from round to round) and the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships (early-career researchers with a PhD or equivalent experience; one round a year). We can advise on which scheme fits a given candidate.
• EPSRC Mathematical sciences postdoctoral fellowship - a personal, career development award of up to three years for early career researchers leading their own programme of work within mathematical sciences at an eligible UK host organisation. You need a PhD, or at least four years of relevant experience by the start date. You must identify your own training and development needs for the next stage of your career.
• Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellowships - typically three years from 1 October, with full salary and £10,000 a year in research expenses. For researchers with a recent PhD. Applications open in October. The Commission's Brunel Fellowship is a parallel single award for civil, mechanical, electrical, and aeronautical engineering, for up to three years of postdoctoral experience.
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships - for researchers holding a PhD by the deadline with at most eight years of full-time research experience since, who have not lived or worked in the UK for more than twelve months in the three years before the deadline. One call a year, closing in September.

How to apply

Email Dr. Chen with: (1) a cover letter describing your research fit and goals, (2) a CV with publications and contact information for two to three references, and (3) a critical review of one of our group's publications.

Requirements

• Helpful skills: Python coding, CAD (Rhino3D), 3D printing, basic electronics and instrumentation, data analysis, or finite element tools.
• Coursework in mechanics or materials is beneficial.
• A time commitment of roughly 8 to 16 hours per week during term, or full-time in the summer.

What you will do

• Contribute to projects in architected materials, origami, or 3D printing and mechanical testing.
• Build reproducible tools (scripts, datasets, small libraries) and co-author posters or papers when appropriate.
• Take part through UROP, a final-year project, a master's project, or summer research, with hourly compensation as funding allows.
• Current final-year and master's project topics are listed under Available projects.

UROP placements

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme is open to current Imperial undergraduates; students from other universities can also be registered, subject to eligibility. Central bursary applications open in early January and close in mid-February, and the supervisor's supporting statement is due in late February, for placements over the following summer. Students who want to work with us should contact us by December.

How to apply

Email Dr. Chen with: (1) a short paragraph on your interests and availability, (2) a CV or resume, and (3) an unofficial transcript. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis as projects open.

Who visits

We host visiting PhD students, postdocs, and academics who hold their own funding, for periods from a few weeks to a year. Visitors work with the group on a problem agreed in advance and have access to the group's fabrication and testing equipment.

How to arrange a visit

Email Dr. Chen at least three months ahead of your intended dates with: (1) the intended dates, (2) the source of funding, (3) a short description of the proposed work and its relation to our research, and (4) a CV. Visa and registration procedures at Imperial require this lead time.