PhD Studentship: Improving the hydrodynamic performance of swimmers during starts and turns

The sport of swimming presents the engineer with a complex multi-physics challenge where marginal performance gains can make the difference between success and failure.  The Performance Sports Engineering laboratory has worked closely with the English Institute of Sport (Research & Innovation) and British Swimming for almost a decade and has contributed to the Olympic successes in London and Rio. The majority of this work has been through focussed PhD programmes examining in detail the flow physics and the resistance and propulsion of a swimmer.

One aspect of competitive swimming that is little understood is the underwater undulating swimming style used after a start or turn. The complex flow field that develops around the body is very challenging to assess and therefore swimmers efficiency and performance is typically only assessed based on maximum swimming speed. This project aims to work with British Swimming and the English Institute of Sport to understand the physical mechanisms affecting the resistive and propulsive forces acting on swimmers. This will involve working closely with coaches and athletes to develop experimental methods and numerical analysis techniques to help improve athlete performance. 

We are looking for a highly motivated individual, who is prepared to work across disciplines and grow their skills. You should have an active interest in sport, be able to work well within a team environment, be excited about answering fundamental research questions alongside delivering research that has a real impact.  We are looking for first class candidates with a background in mechanical engineering, ship science, aerospace, physics or mathematics. You should be confident with fluid dynamics and comfortable with coding and experimentation whilst being happy to spend extended periods of time embedded within the sport conducting your research

This studentship is fully funded for UK or EU nationals currently residing in the UK (see http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/skills/students/help/Pages/eligibility.aspx for more details). We can also offer an enhanced tax free stipend for excellent applicants. Provisional interview dates for this position will be 16-18^th July.

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Joseph Banks, Fluids Structure Interactionsresearch group, Email: J.Banks@soton.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 2380 59 6625.