Doctoral student in multiscale modelling of effects of defects in composites

Do you want to join an international team of experts to develop efficient multiscale modelling tools for fibre-reinforced composites? Then consider this doctoral candidate position within LEGEND – a European doctoral network developing increased understanding of, and computational tools for studying the effects of defects in composite structures.

About us 

The Doctoral student position is placed at the Division of Computational Mechanics and Materials Engineering, which belongs to the Department of Mechanical Engineering. We foster an inclusive, friendly, and helpful work environment to which we welcome you to contribute. Our activities integrate computational mechanics and advanced materials technology, combining multidisciplinary expertise to predict, understand, and elevate the performance of engineering materials and structures.  

Within the project, you will also be connected to an international team of experts in the area of mechanics of composites through LEGEND – a Marie Sklodowska Curie Action doctoral network project. LEGEND, encompassing a collection of European research organisations and industries, will recruit 14 doctoral candidates, offering a lot of cross-over collaboration. For more information, please visit the LEGEND website.

About the research project  

This project aims to make the design of damage-tolerant composite structures faster, smarter, and more reliable. As a team, we will develop a computational framework that links small-scale material defects to large-scale structural performance, enabling accurate prediction of how defects affect strength, stiffness, and fracture behaviour.

By combining detailed meso-scale models including defects with an adaptive shell-based macro model, the research will deliver an efficient two-scale simulation tool suitable for real industrial applications. The project outcome will include practical design guidelines and a robust analysis framework that helps engineers assess damage tolerance quickly—supporting safer, more cost-effective composite design in industry.

The project will involve collaborations and secondments (in total 6 months during the first three years) at Airbus (Portugal), University of Kore (Italy) and Leonardo S.p.A. (Italy).

Who we are looking for

The following requirements are mandatory:

• Documented experience (education/courses or thesis project with high grades) in continuum mechanics, the finite element method and the mechanics of fibre-reinforced polymers.

*for students with an education earned outside of Sweden, a 4-year Bachelor’s degree is accepted.