PhD Project. Wildfires and Climate Change: Physics-Based Modelling of Fire Spread in a Changing[...]

King's College London Department of Engineering; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research institution in the United Kingdom is seeking a PhD candidate for a project focused on wildfire risk prevention and prediction. The successful applicant will contribute to developing physical models of fire spread, spanning quantitative and qualitative methods. A strong engineering background is essential, along with skills in numerical modeling. Benefits include a tax-free stipend and research allowances.

Benefits

Tax-free stipend of approximately £22,780 p.a.

Research allowance for consumables, conferences, and travel

Qualifications

• Strong analytical skills for quantifying fire mechanics.
• Ability to undertake laboratory and field-scale research.
• Experience with simulation methods for physical phenomena.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on wildfire dynamics and fire spread mechanisms.
• Develop numerical models linked to lab and field fires.
• Collaborate with the Heat and Fire Lab team on multidisciplinary projects.

Skills

Quantitative research methods

Qualitative research methods

Numerical modeling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

Simulation software

Job description

King's College London Department of Engineering

Organisation/Company King's College London Department of Engineering Research Field Engineering » Mechanical engineering Engineering » Thermal engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 7 Dec 2025 - 17:00 (Europe/London) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - ERC Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

About the Project

This PhD project in fire science interlink prevention and prediction of wildfire risk, by contributing to the development of a fundamental physical model to understand the process of fire spread for wildfires, as part of a European Research Council grant (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101161183 ).

Uncontrolled wildfires are a global phenomenon that are becoming more commonplace as changes in moisture and local temperature driven by climate change affect local fuel properties and ecosystems. Different vegetation distributions can lead to very different fire spread mechanisms, as well as different effects on structures. In these PhD projects the research will aim at quantifying some of these mechanisms for different wildfire scenarios.The project will likely require a combination of qualitative, quantitative and simulation methods.

Depending on the strengths and interests of the PhD candidates, the PhD project will focus on some of the following aspects:

• The quantification of the fundamental physical and kinetic differences arising from different vegetation fire types such as crown fires, shrub fires, and smouldering fires.
• A methodology to link lab-scale and field-scale fires.
• Numerical model of ignition with a database of fuel properties for various geographical regions.
• A multi-physics model of the fluid dynamic and combustion interaction of fuels based on the effect of moisture, fuel distribution and fuel obstructions.

You will be part of an active research programme in the Heat and Fire Lab (https://heatandfire.github.io/ ) in the Department of Engineering under the supervision of Dr Francesco Restuccia . Our group is focused on carrying out experimental and computational multidisciplinary research in the thermal sciences covering heat transfer, combustion, fire science, and bioenergy. Our interests range from helping develop more efficient and durable energy storage to understanding the fundamentals of ignition and fire spread for prevention of damage to people, property, and the environment from unwanted fires in areas such as wildfire and electrification. Our current projects focus on wildfire dynamics, battery fires, thermal management of Lithium-Ion batteries, and ignition research.

Please apply for Engineering Research (MPhil/PhD) and indicate Dr Francesco Restuccia as the supervisor and quote the project title in your application and all correspondence.

Please ensure to add thecode [FIREMOD] in the Funding section of the application form.

Please select option 5 ‘I am applying for a funding award or scholarship administered by King’s College London’ and type the code into the ‘Award Scheme Code or Name’ box.Please copy and paste the code exactly.

The selection process will involve a pre-selection on documents and, if selected, will be followed by an invitation to an interview. Interviews will take place on a rolling basis with an expected start date of June 2026.

Stipend: Tax-free stipend of approximately £22,780 p.a. with possible inflationary increases after the first year.

Bench Fees: Research allowance for consumables, conferences and travel.

Tuition fees: UK tuition fees 25/26 £7,500 per year or international tuition fees 25/26 £32,400 per year.

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King's terms and conditions.