Engineering and the Built Environment

As one of the largest engineering universities in the UK, Loughborough is a leader in technological research and innovation with an excellent reputation within industry and academia.

Research is one of the founding blocks of our mission to advance knowledge and transform lives. Committed to excellence and impact, we provide a supportive and stimulating environment where our postgraduate researchers can make a substantive contribution to academia, society, and the economy. Our research activity encompasses a broad range of disciplines in engineering and the built environment across our three Schools and we welcome applications in the following areas:

Communications, Control and Automation, Dynamics and Thermofluids, Energy, Power and Renewables, High-value Manufacturing, Materials and Measurements, Systems and Sports Technology.

Architecture, Building Energy, Construction Management, Geotechnics and Geomatics, Structures and Materials, Transport and Urban Planning, and Water Engineering.

Connected and Autonomous Transport, Data-Driven Engineering, Alternative Powertrains, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Bioengineering and Healthcare, Net-Zero Combustion, Advanced Manufacturing, Processing, Advanced Materials, and Soft Matter.

Our current PhD opportunities are listed below. Most of these projects already have a specified topic and allocated supervisor, but we also encourage you to submit your own proposals. Discover more about the projects, funding and how to apply by clicking on the opportunity that sparks your interest.

Can't find what you're looking for? Register for email alerts and we'll notify you when opportunities become available in your chosen research area.

Meet our staff, researchers and graduates

Explore the stories of our supervisors, support staff, current Doctoral Researchers and graduates to find out what it is really like to be part of our Loughborough research family.

Meet Dr Ksenia Chmutina

Dr Ksenia Chmutina, Reader in Sustainable and Resilient Urbanism, talks about her research interests in the processes of urban disaster risk creation and the systemic implications of sustainability and resilience in the context of neoliberalism. She discusses her role as a supervisor and gives advice to new Doctoral Researchers.

Meet Professor Will Whittow

Professor Will Whittow, Professor in Radiofrequency Materials from the Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering talks about his research interests which includes antennas, satellite communications, metamaterials, 3D-printed materials, RF ceramics, 5G and RFID.

Zhi (Eric) Hu

Doctoral Researcher

Three students sat looking at laptop screens.

Chinwe Njoku

Postgraduate researcher

Guests talking at the Enterprise Network event.

Max Varney

Alumnus, Mercedes F1 Petronas

Further information

For further information about funding and writing your research proposal, please see our dedicated webpages below.

Engineering and the Built Environment

PhD Advanced optical diagnostics for temperature measurement in gas turbine flames

PhD Breast support during the menstrual cycle and exercise: a measurement systems approach

PhD Development of high efficiency, second generation solar cells

PhD Investigating biomechanical factors linked with fear of movement in pregnant women during physical activity and the supportive role of sportswear

PhD Power and data dual modulation for improved DC microgrid control

PhD Re-imagining Engineering Design (RIED)