Postdoctoral Students in Mechanical Engineering

Royal Institute of Technology

Project Description

Third-cycle subject: Engineering Mechanics

The Department of Engineering Mechanics pursues basic and applied research in biomechanics, composite mechanics, fluid mechanics, contact mechanics, fracture mechanics and fatigue, material mechanics, and paper mechanics. FLOW is a strong community of researchers engaged in fundamental and applied research in fluid mechanics within the department.

We are currently seeking a PhD student in fluid mechanics to join the Fluid and Surface Group within FLOW. This position offers an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated candidate to contribute to a cutting-edge research program. The project, funded by the Swedish Research Council (VR), aims to uncover the fundamental mechanisms that govern biofilm morphology and growth under flow conditions. At present, the lack of such understanding limits our ability to predict how rapidly biofilms develop in dynamic environments, which poses major challenges across industry, where timely biofilm removal is critical.

In this project, the PhD student will work with a unique experimental platform and combine it with continuum modeling of complex materials and machine-learning-based analysis methods to understand and predict biofilm structure and growth.

Supervision: Shervin Bagheri is proposed to supervise the doctoral student. Decisions are made on admission.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master's degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6.

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others
• have a professional approach
• analyze and work with complex issues

Experience computational fluid mechanics is a considerable merit.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal skills.

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information Regarding Admission and Employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration.

A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. In the case of studies that are to be completed with a licentiate degree, the total period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for two years.

As a doctoral student, you receive part of a workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement. Read more about Doctoral studies (PhD) | KTH | Sweden.

To Apply for the Position

Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Applications Must Include the Following Elements:

• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge
• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals (maximum 2 pages long)
• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages. Copies of originals must be certified
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text

Employment Details

• Type of employment: Temporary position
• Contract type: Full time
• Full-time equivalent: 100%
• First day of employment: According to agreement
• Salary: Monthly salary according to KTH's doctoral student salary agreement
• Number of positions: 1
• Location: Stockholm
• County: Stockholms län
• Country: Sweden
• Reference number: PA-2025-3825