Measuring and optimising airflow around a drone for the benefit of atmospheric aerosol and cloud sampling

The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Fluid Dynamics is now recruiting to this fantastic PhD opportunity in partnership with Menapia (UK).<br /> <br /> As a student on the CDT, you will participate in a four year programme that combines an integrated MSc (completed over the first two years) paired with a three year PhD-level research programme. This gives you a combination of bespoke taught modules and inter-disciplinary research training.<br /> <br /> You will be part of a supportive cohort of research students with different academic backgrounds, all focusing on different aspects of Fluid Dynamics. During the taught aspects of your course you will receive a range of tailored seminars, lectures and practical laboratories to cover the computational, experimental and analytical aspects of Fluid Dynamics. This provides you with a strong background to the fundamentals of Fluid Dynamics. In addition, you will have access to a wide range of personal development activities.

<div>Please visit the <strong><a href="https://fluid-dynamics.leeds.ac.uk/">EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Fluid Dynamics</a></strong> website to find out more about the programme.</div> <div> </div> <div><strong>The PhD Project: Measuring and optimising airflow around a drone for the benefit of atmospheric aerosol and cloud sampling</strong></div> <div> </div> <div>Menapia UK are pioneers in the use of advanced drones for atmospheric measurements. The aim of this project, which is sponsored by Menapia UK, is to measure and optimise the airflow around multirotor aerial vehicles to assess and reduce bias in atmospheric and cloud sampling. We aim to turn multirotor aerial vehicles capable of centimetre accurate positioning, dock and swarm operations into precision platforms while accounting for complex rotor flows to include jets, toroidal recirculation, wind dependence. Using an optical particle counter as an exemplar payload, with methods transferable to holographic aerosol imagers, charge sensors and gas inlets, the student will characterise the instrument platform system, inlet, body, outlet, mount, in hover and climb.</div> <div> </div> <div>The research programme couples high fidelity CFD of the rotorcraft, actuator disk or blade resolved, with reduced order models to map structures and predict aspiration trajectory biases across airspeeds.</div> <div> </div> <div>Inflight validation will combine targeted particle measurements with an inertia based wind estimator. With the flow field known in flight, the multirotor aerial vehicles can adapt its motion to minimise bias.</div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Outcomes:</strong></div> <ol> <li> <div>quantification of biases by flight regime</div> </li> <li> <div>an optimised above or forward mounted OPC and inlet geometry</div> </li> <li> <div>generalisable siting operating guidelines for UAS sampling</div> </li> <li> <div>a computationally efficient live flow field estimator</div> </li> <li> <div>open flow field data product.</div> </li> </ol> <div>This project aligns with Leeds CFD expertise including the optimisation of instruments for aircraft based atmospheric measurements.</div> <div> <p> </p> <p><strong>Leeds Institute for Fluid Dynamics (LIFD)</strong></p> <p>CDT students will also benefit from membership of the Leeds Institute for Fluid Dynamics (LIFD), a cross-disciplinary research institute bringing together the expertise of over 200 researchers from 12 Schools in 4 Faculties at the University of Leeds. The institute provides a hub to facilitate world-leading research and education in fluid dynamics and to bring interdisciplinary perspectives to complex flow challenges. Please visit our <a href="https://fluids.leeds.ac.uk/">Leeds Institute for Fluid Dynamics</a> website for further information.</p> <p><strong>ABOUT THE PROGRAMME</strong></p> <p>The <a href="https://fluid-dynamics.leeds.ac.uk/">EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Fluid Dynamics</a> offers a four-year programme that combines an integrated MSc (completed over the first two years) paired with a three-year PhD-level research programme.</p> <p>A key feature of this EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) is that your supervisory team come from a range of disciplines from across the University. You will therefore be expected to have broad interests and be willing to learn beyond your core expertise. There will also be the expectation that you will spend an extended period working with either an industrial, environmental or external academic partner as part of your project.</p> <p>You will be part of a cohort of research students with different academic backgrounds, all focusing on different aspects of fluid dynamics. During the selection process we will be looking for students who will be enthusiastic about learning with and from their peers, as well as the ability to undertake their own in-depth research.</p> <p>In the CDT, you will gain key technical and transferable skills for a successful career in industry or academia. Alongside computational, modelling, and experimental methods, you will also develop teamwork, communication, and problem-solving abilities.</p> <p>The major research areas are encompassed in eight cross-disciplinary themes:</p> <ul> <li>Advanced Manufacturing</li> <li>Astrophysics and Geophysics</li> <li>Buildings & Cities</li> <li>Clean Energy</li> <li>Climate & Weather</li> <li>Environmental Flows</li> <li>Health</li> <li>Transport</li> </ul> <p>Future Fluid Dynamics is a crucial discipline for the UK and globally, with significant applications across diverse industries and research domains. It plays a vital role in addressing contemporary societal challenges. It is essential to delivering the clean energy transition, whether through wind, wave or tidal generation, obtaining energy from fusion, or the transport and combustion of greener fuels and carbon capture and storage. In healthcare, fluid dynamics controls oxygen and nutrient transport in the cardiovascular system, the airborne transmission of pathogens and pollutants, and is integral to microfluidics devices for point-of-care diagnostic testing and personalised care. Fluid dynamics is vital to our understanding and mitigation of climate change, capturing the intricacy of extreme earth and space weather events and quantifying uncertainty in environmental flows.</p> <p>Watch our <a href="https://mymedia.leeds.ac.uk/Mediasite/Play/29394cbd82da4021927e59987f2bd2f61d">recorded webinar</a> - meet the Programme Director and learn more about the programme.</p> <p>The programme is available to study part-time or full-time. Please get in touch with us if you would like to discuss this.</p> <p><strong>Alumni Testimonials</strong></p> <p><em>Hannah Kreczak, student alumni </em><em>“I feel that the programme offers excellent experience in applications of academic research in both academia and industry.”</em></p> <p><em>Rob Kelly, student alumni “Being part of a cohort has been great, especially working alongside people from different academic backgrounds.”</em></p> <p><strong>Athena SWAN Silver Award</strong></p> <p>The Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award in recognition of our success in recruiting, retaining and developing/promoting women in Science, Engineering and Technology. </p> </div>

<p>All student are recruited to the CDT via two options:</p> <p>1) Recruitment to industry specific research areas <strong>(closing date: Wednesday 8 April 2026 at 23:59)</strong>, (UK and International) or</p> <p>2) Research project chosen in semester 2 rather than at recruitment stage<strong> (closing date: Friday 10 April 2026 at 23:59), </strong>(UK Only).</p> <p>To apply online, please complete a <a href="https://studentservices.leeds.ac.uk/pls/banprod/bwskalog_uol.P_DispLoginNon" title="External link to www.leeds.ac.uk. Opens in a new browser window">formal application for Integrated PhD study</a></p> <ul> <li>Select <strong>‘Research Postgraduate’</strong> for type of form.</li> <li>Please select <strong>‘EPSRC CDT Fluid Dynamics’</strong> as the course.</li> <li><strong>Start date: 1 October 2026 (Please note: induction activities will take place towards the end of September).</strong></li> <li>If you are applying for a specific project, please add the title of CDT Fluid Dynamics in the Finance Section and the name of the project in the Research Area section of your application form. If you are applying for the programme, please add the title of CDT Fluid Dynamics in both the Finance section and Research Area section of the application form. </li> <li>Please include a completed <strong><a href="https://fluid-dynamics.leeds.ac.uk/programme/">Future Fluid Dynamics CDT Personal Statement Proforma</a></strong> (found in the ‘how to apply’ section) – A Research Proposal is not required. </li> <li>Please include a CV</li> <li>Please include all transcripts and certificates for your degree(s) including the grading scheme.</li> <li>After you submit your PhD application on-line you may get a message requesting you to send hard copies of your degree transcripts and references in sealed envelopes. Please ignore this. We do not require hard copies of your degree documents at the application stage, we only require these when you arrive in Leeds to register for your programme.</li> <li>References are requested by the Admissions team on your behalf if you are shortlisted for interview. Your referees are emailed a Faculty Reference Form to complete and return by email. If your referees want to provide their reference on headed paper an emailed scan is sufficient for our purpose.</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 prosper, and we are proud of our strong commitment to student education. Across all Faculties 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, 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>

Applicants to research degree programmes should normally have at least a first class or an upper second class British Bachelors Honours degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate discipline. The criteria for entry for some research degrees may be higher, for example, several faculties, also require a Masters degree. Applicants are advised to check with the relevant School prior to making an application. Applicants who are uncertain about the requirements for a particular research degree are advised to contact the School or Graduate School prior to making an application.

The minimum English language entry requirement for research postgraduate research study is an IELTS of 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 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. Some schools and faculties have a higher requirement.

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:start; margin-bottom:24px">A highly competitive EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Fluid Dynamics studentship in collaboration with Menapia UK, providing full academic fees, together with a tax-free maintenance grant at the standard UKRI rate of £21,805 per year for 4 years.  Training and support will also be provided.</p> <p>You will be responsible for paying the overtime fee in full in your writing up/overtime year (£340 in Session 2025/26).<br /> <br /> This opportunity is open to all applicants, with a very small number of awards for Non-UK nationals. All candidates will be placed into the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Fluid Dynamics Studentship Competition and selection is based on academic merit.</p> <p><strong>Important:</strong> Please note that that the award does <em><strong>not</strong></em> cover the costs associated with moving to the UK.  All such costs (<a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/international-visas-immigration/doc/applying-student-visa">visa, Immigration Health Surcharge</a>, flights etc) would have to be met by yourself, or you will need to find an alternative funding source. <br /> <br /> Please refer to the <a href="https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/">UKCISA</a> website for information regarding Fee Status for Non-UK Nationals.</p>

<p>If you have any questions directly relating to the project, please contact <a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/institute-climate-atmospheric-science/staff/1261/dr-declan-finney">Dr Declan Finney</a> by email to <a href="mailto:d.l.finney@leeds.ac.uk">d.l.finney@leeds.ac.uk</a></p> <p>If you require any further information on the research area, please contact the CDT Programme Support Team by email to <a href="mailto:fluid-dynamics@leeds.ac.uk">fluid-dynamics@leeds.ac.uk</a> or call us on +44 (0)113 343 5449</p> <p>For further information on how to apply, please contact PGR Admissions by email to <a href="mailto:phd@engineering.leeds.ac.uk">phd@engineering.leeds.ac.uk</a></p>