Research Fellow (111359-0226)

University of Warwick - Department of Mathematics

About the Role
Applications are invited for a Research Fellow to work with Prof. James Sprittles and collaborators on the EPSRC Open Fellowship entitled “From Nanofilms to Clouds: A Modelling Approach to Drop Collisions and their Collective Behaviour” at the University of Warwick.

The Project
When two tiny drops approach each other, a nanometre-thin layer of gas or vapour is trapped between them. This project focuses on the stability of that film which dictates the outcome of the collision.

Despite decades of study, predicting the stability of the film remains a formidable challenge, because conventional simulation tools (CFD) fail at the nanoscale where these gas and vapour films dictate the physics.

This project will:

• Develop new models for the nanoscale behaviour of thin films affected by intermolecular forces and fluctuating dynamics.
• Create open-source simulation frameworks capable of predicting informing collision outcomes.
• Cascade this understanding into droplet collision codes.

Informal Queries

• For informal queries, please contact Professor James Sprittles at J.E.Sprittles@warwick.ac.uk.

About You
You should have (or be due to submit soon) a PhD, or have equivalent experience, and have expertise in mathematical and computational modelling of fluid dynamic phenomena. Ideally, you will have experience of modelling the stability of thin films and the effect of fluctuations on this behaviour.

You can work effectively in a larger research group and have the ability to communicate its results to our partners and the wider research community.

You will have excellent communication and presentation skills, and be comfortable talking about your work with academics from other disciplines and non-specialists. You will have a record of research papers published in journals (or accepted to be published). You will have a high capacity for original research and creative thought, as well as the ability to manage your time effectively across multiple strands of research.

You will be working as part of an inclusive and flexible team, based in the Warwick Maths Institute, a world-leading mathematics department with a strong group working in applied and computational areas. You will have opportunities to travel in the UK and abroad, on research visits to collaborating groups/partners and to international conferences. You will be given both time and mentoring support to develop your own research profile and broader skills.

PhD Status
If you are near submission of your PhD, or have not yet had it conferred, any offers of employment will be made at Research Assistant level, at the highest spinal point of pay grade 5 (£34,610 per annum).

Upon receipt of evidence confirming the successful award of your PhD, you will be promoted to Research Fellow, at the lowest spinal point of grade 6 (£35,608 per annum).

Full details of the duties and selection criteria for this role can be found in the vacancy advert on the University of Warwick's jobs pages. You will be routed to this when you click on the 'Apply' button.

Closing Deadline: Thursday, 5th March 2026 at 11:55pm (UK Time).