Civil Engineering: Fully Funded PhD studentship in High-Order Mesh Generation for Complex Indus[...]

Swansea University; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 21,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university is offering a PhD position focused on developing innovative methodologies for high-order meshing in complex industrial geometries. The role involves close collaboration with major industrial partners, providing exposure to real-world engineering challenges. Candidates should have a 2.1 undergraduate degree in Engineering or a related field. This opportunity promises a unique skill set in high-order methods and geometric modeling, crucial for careers in scientific computing and engineering simulation.

Benefits

Full tuition coverage

Annual stipend at UKRI rate

Qualifications

• Experience with high-order solvers and meshes for complex geometries.
• Strong mathematical background in numerical methods.
• Ability to work with industrial partners on real-world challenges.

Responsibilities

• Develop numerical, geometric, and algorithmic techniques for high-order meshes.
• Collaborate with industrial partners on CAD models for simulation.
• Engage in research focusing on complex geometries and mesh generation.

Skills

High-order meshing techniques

Geometric modelling

CAD to CAE integration

Numerical analysis

Education

Undergraduate degree at 2.1 level in Engineering or relevant science

Job description

Organisation/Company Swansea University Department Central Research Field Engineering » Civil engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 2 Feb 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/London) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

High-order solvers offer clear accuracy advantages, yet their effectiveness is fundamentally limited by the availability of suitable high-order meshes for complex industrial geometries. Current workflows rely heavily on geometric de-featuring, an expert-driven, manual, and time-consumingprocess used to simplify CAD models so that meshing tools can cope with small-scale features such as fillets and manufacturing details. This de-featuring is not only expensive but also problem-dependent, as the relevance of a geometric detail varies with the physics being simulated. Concepts such as virtual topology haveemergedto make meshing more flexible by allowing elements to span across multiple CAD faces without explicitlymodifyingthe geometry. However, these ideas have not yet been developed in high-order settings, where curved elements, geometric fidelity, and element quality requirements make the problemconsiderably harder.

The aim of this project is to develop new methodologies and software tools that enablehigh-ordermeshes to be generated automatically for large, intricate industrial geometries without requiring extensive de-featuring. The key idea is to allow high-order elements to traverse multiple CAD surfaces, extending the virtual topology concept to curved, high-order discretisation, while preserving accuracy, mesh validity, and robustness. This will involve advances in CAD–CAE interfacing, curved element optimisation, multiscale geometric feature detection, and error-controlled surface approximation. The resulting technology will be tested on real industrial geometries provided by partners in aerospace and energy such as Airbus and UKAES, where current workflows still depend onsubstantialmanual model clean-up. By removing the reliance on de-featuring and enabling reliable high-order meshing of complex shapes, the project willsubstantially shortenpreparation times and accelerate the adoption of high-order methods in industrial design and analysis.

As the PhD researcher on this project, you will develop the numerical,geometricand algorithmic techniques needed to generate reliable high order meshes for complex, multiscale industrial geometries. You will work within a technically focused research group thatmaintainsregular interaction with major industrial partners, giving you direct exposure to the challenges companies face when preparing large CAD models for high fidelity simulation. This project will allow you to work with demanding real-world geometries and to build specialistexpertisein high order mesh generation, geometricmodellingand CAD to CAE integration. These capabilities are of growing importance to industry yet remain available to only a small number of researchers, providing you with a rare and highly valued skill set that aligns strongly with careers in scientific computing and engineering simulation.

IELTS 6.5 Overall (5.5+ each comp.) or Swansea University recognised equivalent. Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here .

Note for international and European applicants:details of how your qualification compares to the published academic entry requirements can be found on our Country Specific Entry Requirements page.

Please note that the programme requires some applicants to hold ATAS clearance. Further details on ATAS scheme eligibility are available on the UK Government website .

ATAS clearanceIS NOT requiredtobe held as part of the scholarship application process. Successful award winners (asappropriate)are provided with details as to how to apply for ATAS clearance in tandem with ascholarship course offer.

Specific Requirements

UK & International students

EPSRC DLAstudentships are available to home and international students. Up to 30% of our cohort cancompriseinternational students. Once the limit has been reached, we are unable to make offers tointernational students.We are still accepting applications from international applicants.International students will not be charged the fee difference between the UK and international rates. Applicants should satisfy the UKRI eligibility requirements.

PhD:Applicants for PhD must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) in Engineering or similar relevant science discipline.

Additional Information

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £20,780for 2025/26).

Eligibility criteria

UK & International students

EPSRC DLAstudentships are available to home and international students. Up to 30% of our cohort cancompriseinternational students. Once the limit has been reached, we are unable to make offers tointernational students.We are still accepting applications from international applicants.International students will not be charged the fee difference between the UK and international rates. Applicants should satisfy the UKRI eligibility requirements.

PhD:Applicants for PhD must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) in Engineering or similar relevant science discipline.

Selection process

Please see our website for further information.