Scholarships for Higher Studies: Four PhD studentships in Mechatronics at KTH, Sweden

Deadline: November 30, 2009

Source: http://www.kth.se/aktuellt/2.1445/1.49251?l=en

The Department of Machine Design at the School of Industrial Engineering and Management seeks four talented PhD students.

KTH is the largest technical university in Sweden. Education and research cover a broad spectrum within natural sciences and engineering, as well as architecture, industrial engineering and management, urban planning, work science and environmental engineering. There are circa 12,000 full-year undergraduate students, 1,400 postgraduate students and 3,100 employees.

Activities at the School of Industrial Engineering and Management cover the engineering, technological and economic knowledge necessary to be able to develop new products, material and production processes in a sustainable fashion as concerns technical management, financial profitability and the environment. One precondition for innovation and enterprise is the study and application of basic physical and chemical phenomena as well as the integration of new, often multidisciplinary technologies, methods and tools. Core knowledge areas include industrial design and innovation, product and production development, materials development, micro and nano technology as well as industrial economics, organization and management.

About the positions

Mechatronics entails optimal integration of technologies – mechanics, electronics, software and control – in order to develop products with new functionality and improved performance. Road vehicles are maybe the most obvious example of applied mechatronics. A modern car has a large number of micro computer based subsystems which cooperate over different networks. Examples of new functionality include engine control, steering and braking systems and active safety systems.
Design of mechatronic systems puts new demands on methods and tools as a basis for true integration of subsystems, tools and competencies, and thereby facilitating efficient design, implementation and verification. This is a substantial industrial challenge which today hinders cost effective product development.

The four positions span three different research projects according to the following:

Architectures and methods for dependable and flexible vehicle embedded systems. The project is funded mainly by the VINNOVA FFI program.
Design and optimization of future mechatronic road vehicle subsystems, e.g. x-by-wire systems. The project is funded mainly by SSF via its ProViking program.
Technologies for mechatronic subsystems in heavy vehicles (brakes, steering). The project is funded mainly by the VINNOVA Gröna Bilen II program.

The Mechatronics Lab offers a stimulating and multidisciplinary research and teaching environment including around 20 researchers, teaching staff and technicians. Much of the activities involve quite substantial cooperation with industry and with international partners, especially in Europe. The work opportunities for people with a PhD degree in the field are remarkable.

Qualifications

A suitable background for this position is a Master of Science degree combined with strong interst and/or experience from one or more of the areas mechatronics, embedded systems, system design, modelling and simulation, automatic control and product development.

Applicants must be strongly motivated for doctoral studies and must possess the ability to work independently and perform critical analysis and hold good levels of cooperative and communicative abilities. Fluent English, spoken and written, is a requirement as PhD student. A corresponding capability in Swedish is a merit.

KTH has high ambition to employ a diversity of talent and thus welcomes applicants who will add to the variety of the environment, especially as concerns its gender structure.

Employment

Form of employment: Time-limited PhD student positions.
Up to 20% of the time may be allocated to department duties such as teaching.

Application

Latest date of application is November 30, 2009
Please indicate reference number M-2009-0355 in Your application which should include:

Full curriculum vitae
Transcripts from university /university college
A personal letter describing motivation, interest and any other personal characteristics of relevance
Letter of recommendation or list of contact persons

Applications to be sent to:
KTH Maskinkonstruktion
Brinellvägen 83
100 44 Stockholm
or to