Smart textile composite for spacecraft structure

This fully funded PhD position will reward the successful candidate with an award covering full fees, a maintenance stipend in line with UKRI rates, and a Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) grant worth 10,000 GBP for personal development and consumables. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to join the PGR community in the School of Design and access training and support for their specialism.<br /> <br /> Modern spacecraft must perform increasingly complex missions, often for extended periods and without the possibility of repair or component replacement. To meet these demands, future spacecraft require lightweight, multifunctional materials that combine mechanical strength, sensing, communication, and thermal resilience within streamlined and reliable designs.

<p>The project will address three key challenges facing the design of future spacecraft:</p> <ol> <li>Lightweight, multifunctional materials: Developing strong, durable, and low-mass fibres and composites that can also host electronic and sensing capabilities, reducing dependency on separate subsystems.</li> <li>Reliable sensing and communication: Embedding distributed sensors and antennas for continuous structural health monitoring and environmental sensing (e.g. temperature, radiation, magnetic fields), minimising risks associated with material degradation or debris generation.</li> <li>Integrated, solder-free electronic assembly: Avoiding traditional soldering and PCB-based assembly.</li> </ol> <p>Through this integrated approach, the project will lay the groundwork for multifunctional space materials capable of real-time monitoring, communication, and self-diagnosis, vital for long-duration missions and sustainable spacecraft design.</p> <p>The research question  being addressed is how best to optimise design for novel, multi-functional materials for space (and other related) applications. Through the smart textile composite for spacecraft structure project, the successful candidate will investigate:</p> <ul> <li>The design and fabrication of functional fibre and filament systems capable of performing as electronic components.</li> <li>The co-manufacturing of these functional fibres into smart textile composites using advanced nonwoven and composite processing methods.</li> <li>The integration of antenna and sensing capabilities for in-situ environmental and structural monitoring.</li> <li>Modelling and testing of the resulting composite structures under simulated space conditions.</li> </ul> <p>This work represents a radically new route to designing and manufacturing electronics-integrated structural materials for aerospace applications, with potential impact on future satellite, probe, and planetary exploration missions.</p> <p>This interdisciplinary project will be co-supervised by Prof. Yu Shi, who brings extensive expertise in smart composite materials, structural health monitoring, and fibre-based electronics, Prof. Stephen Russell, whose expertise in fibre and filament manufacturing and textile composite engineering will underpin the development of the functional materials, and Dr. Nutapong Somjit, whose background in smart communication systems, antennas, and low-cost micro/nano-system design will guide the integration of advanced electronic functionalities. The supervisory team has already started proof-of-concept through a UK Space Agency-funded feasibility study, providing a strong foundation for this PhD project.</p> <p>The smart composite research for Space application has been internationally collaborated with the academic team from University of New South Wales (UNSW), whose expertise in network protocol design and spacecraft communication modelling complements the UK team’s materials and manufacturing strengths. Partnerships with the NSW Space Research Network and the Space Yorkshire Hub will further enhance industrial engagement and knowledge exchange with space sector organisations and government stakeholders, maximising opportunities for translation and impact.</p> <p>The project will advance the fundamental understanding and applied development of smart composite materials for space applications. It will demonstrate how multifunctional fibre-based systems can deliver:</p> <ul> <li>Significant reductions in weight and volume.</li> <li>Enhanced electronic integration and reliability.</li> <li>Improved real-time monitoring and communication capabilities.</li> </ul> <p>Beyond its scientific contributions, this work will support future commercialisation efforts with potential partners in the UK and Australia, helping to position the University as a global leader in smart composite technologies for space applications.</p> <p>The successful applicant will join the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) a collaborative international research Institute that applies academic expertise, working together with a range of external partners, to address global challenges and sustainable development in textile and colour industries. We are focused on the development of innovative science and technology, materials, methods and processes. </p> <p>The School of Design is a world leading research centre with a focus in creativity and developing innovative materials and manufacturing solutions with interdisciplinary researchers and industrial partners. We have a strong industrial collaboration with UK and international fashion and textiles enterprises. These industrial collaborators will work closely with the PhD student. </p>

<p paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{124}" paraid="1407304614"><strong>Duration and Value of the Award </strong></p> <ul> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{130}" paraid="1413475272">The award provides full academic fees and a maintenance grant (£20,780 in Session 2025/26) for full-time study, part-time will be pro-rata. This amount increases per annum in line with the UKRI rate.  Full-time awards provide full fees and maintenance for 3 years.</li> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{130}" paraid="1413475272">The award will be made for one year in the first instance and renewable for a further period of up to 2 years (pro-rata for part-time), subject to satisfactory academic progress.  </li> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{130}" paraid="1413475272">The LITAC Scholarship includes an additional £10K, spread over the period of study; to cover outcome dissemination, personal development aligned with the PhD research, and research consumables.</li> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{130}" paraid="1413475272">Please be aware that any expenses related to the relocation of international students to the UK (visa, insurance, NHS fees, flights, etc) would be their responsibility and is not covered by this award. </li> </ul> <p><strong>Eligibility Criteria</strong></p> <p>Applicants must be eligible to pay fees at the Home (UK) rate.</p> <p paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{182}" paraid="849605484"><strong>Other Conditions </strong></p> <ul role="list"> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{188}" paraid="1387149797">Awards must be taken up by 1 October 2026.</li> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{188}" paraid="1387149797">Candidates who have previously been awarded a PhD or are currently registered on a PhD are excluded from applying. Those who were previously studying for a PhD but did not complete may be considered.</li> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{188}" paraid="1387149797">The awards are available for new Postgraduate Researchers undertaking full-time or part-time research study leading to the degree of PhD. </li> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{188}" paraid="1387149797">Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of this scholarship, it is expected that researchers will be based on campus for a significant portion of each week. </li> </ul> <p><strong>Selection Process</strong></p> <ul> <li>The deadline to be considered for this LITAC scholarship is Friday 27th February. Before you can apply for this scholarship, you will need to apply for your study place and have your 9-digit student identification number. We strongly advise you to submit your study application at least 2 weeks before the scholarship deadline to allow the Admissions team time to process your application.</li> <li>All scholarship applications will be considered after the deadline. Only complete applications will be considered.</li> <li>The final list of awards are based on academic merit and no other factors such as financial hardship are taken into account.</li> <li>Please note that whilst you may be successful in securing an academic offer for any project specifically linked to this funding opportunity, this does not mean that you have been successful in securing an offer of funding. Funding is awarded on a competitive basis.</li> </ul>

<p><strong>Stage 1</strong></p> <p>First, apply for a research place of study through the<a href="https://prod.banner.leeds.ac.uk/ssb/bwskalog_uol.P_DispLoginNon"> online application form</a>. Please state clearly that the funding you wish to be considered for is the ‘Smart textile composite for spacecraft structure’ LITAC project. You will be expected to meet our <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/design-research-degrees/doc/apply-9">eligibility criteria</a> for PhD candidates. </p> <p>In order to be considered for this project, you must submit all the required <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/design-research-degrees/doc/apply-9">supporting documents</a> for your application for PhD study by the deadline. Any study applications that are not accompanied by the documents requested by the deadline will not be considered for the award. </p> <p>Once you have received your student ID number (a 9-digit number), move onto stage 2.</p> <p><strong>Stage 2</strong></p> <p>Apply for the ‘Smart textile composite for spacecraft structure’ LITAC project by completing the <a href="https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/leeds/litac-scholarship-smart-textile-composite-for-spacecraft-struct">online scholarship application form</a>. You must submit your scholarship application by <strong>5pm UK time on Friday 27th February 2026.</strong></p> <ul> <li>Please note that an unsuccessful application for this scholarship does not exclude you from applying for other research study opportunities or scholarships offered by the University of Leeds.</li> <li>Please note that, due to the large volume of applications, the University of Leeds will not enter into any correspondence regarding the progress of an application until after the outcome is known.</li> <li>If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence that you meet the minimum English language requirements (below).</li> </ul> <p><em>As an international research-intensive university, we welcome students from all walks of life and from across the world. We foster an inclusive environment where all can flourish and proposer, and we are proud of our strong commitment to student education. We are dedicated to diversifying our community and we welcome the unique contributions that individuals can bring, and particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to Black, Asian and other people who belong to a minority ethnic community, people who identify as LGBT+, and people with disabilities. Applicants will always be selected based on merit and ability.</em></p>

We invite applications from motivated candidates with backgrounds in: Materials science or mechanical engineering, aerospace or space systems engineering, electronics, mechatronics, or communication systems, or textile technology or advanced manufacturing.<br /> <br /> Applicants should hold (or expect to obtain) a first-class or upper second-class degree, ideally complemented by a relevant master’s qualification. Strong experimental, analytical, and interdisciplinary research skills are essential.

The minimum English language entry requirement for research postgraduate research study in the School of Design is an IELTS of 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid.

<p>For further information please contact the Admissions Office at ahcpgradmissions@leeds.ac.uk.</p>