Postdocs

What we look for

• Ph.D. in Aerospace, Mechanical or Civil Engineering, Applied Physics or Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Expertise in some of the following: computational design, experimental mechanics, architected materials, origami and kirigami, additive manufacturing.
• Strong publication record and excellent written and oral communication.
• Ability to work independently, lead projects, and mentor students.

What we offer

• A collaborative environment at the intersection of mechanics, materials, computation, and design.
• Access to state-of-the-art fabrication and testing (3D printing, imaging analysis, mechanical testing) and university HPC resources.
• Close collaboration across engineering, with opportunities to co-author high-impact publications and proposals.
• Salary and benefits according to College guidelines, with mentoring and career development.

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 (checked September 2026); 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 (the 2026 round closed on 23 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 (25 June in 2026).
• 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 current round closes on 9 September 2026. 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; it closes on 29 October 2026. 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. The next round opens on 1 January and closes on 18 February 2027.
• UKRI and EPSRC fellowships - EPSRC closed its Open and Open Plus Fellowships in December 2024 with no plans to reopen them. 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.
• 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; around nine are awarded each year. For researchers with a recent PhD (or completing one in the year of application) and no more than two and a half years of postdoctoral experience by 31 January of the application year. 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 - one to two years in Europe, or two to three for the Global variant. 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 (9 September in 2026).

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. Review is rolling until positions are filled.