Research Assistant (539465)

Salary: £31,396 - £34,980 per annum
FTE: 1.0
 Term: Fixed to 31/01/2026
 Closing Date: 31 October 2024

The Aerospace Centre of Excellence, part of the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, seeks to appoint a Research Assistant to work on the Horizon Europe project INDIGO: Integration and Digital Demonstration of Low-Emission Aircraft Technologies and Airport Operations (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101096055).

INDIGO is a three-year project that aims at identifying the margins of improvement in airport local air quality and noise resulting from the introduction of a new non-conventional mid-range aircraft featuring distributed propulsion based on hybrid electric/sustainable and conventional fuel powertrain and large aspect-ratio wings capable to fly quietly and in zero-to-low-emission mode (i.e. electric and SAF) at low altitudes near airports and resort to conventional aviation fuel only when required, e.g. at higher altitudes or to recharge batteries during cruise. INDIGO will explore a new paradigm for the next-generation of silent and clean mid-range aircraft and for the way such a new aircraft will allow transforming the operations at and near airports.

The main objectives of INDIGO are to (i) to use multi-fidelity experimental and numerical tools to develop and assess technologies targeted for low-emission (noise and exhaust) aircraft; (ii) to establish a framework for evaluating the technologies with robust uncertainty quantification process. The project will specifically address read-world applications of technologies which can be readily assimilated by the aircraft and airport operations. The researcher will have the opportunity to work closely with the other European and UK research and industrial partners, attend workshops, consortium meetings, and present the results at relevant international conferences and publish in international journals.

The post is tailored for candidates who are looking to enter into the field of doctorate-level research in aerospace engineering at Strathclyde with a specialisation in flight dynamics and optimisation on the basis of the research work associated to this post. The researcher will join a team of junior and senior researchers at Strathclyde working on the project.

As a Research Assistant, you will conduct research activities as part of a team, working under the general supervision of senior colleagues. You will manage and prioritise your own workload and ensure that all activities are completed to deadlines and you will write up the results of your own research and contribute to the production of research reports and publications. You will assist, where required, with relevant teaching and knowledge exchange activities.

To be considered for the role, you must hold a Good Honours in engineering, applied mathematics, applied physics or similar, and you will have sufficient breadth or depth of knowledge in flight dynamics and control, computational science and numerical mathematics. You will have knowledge of appropriate research methods, have an ability to plan and prioritise your own workload, with general supervision, and you will have an ability to work within a team environment. You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to listen, engage and persuade, and to present complex information in an accessible way to a range of audiences.

Whilst not essential for the role, applications are welcomed from candidates with: a higher degree in a relevant discipline, some relevant work experience, membership/working towards membership of a relevant Chartered/professional body (including the Higher Education Academy), experience of relevant student supervision and teaching activities and experience of knowledge exchange related activities.

Informal enquiries about the post can be directed to Dr Christie Maddock, Senior Lecturer in the Aerospace Centre of Excellence (christie.maddock@strath.ac.uk).