Design and Evaluation of Two-part Reusable Below-knee Prosthetic Socket.
We are recruiting new Doctoral Researchers to our EPSRC funded Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) PhD studentships starting 1 October 2024. Applications are invited for the project: Design and Evaluation of Two-part Reusable Below-knee Prosthetic Socket.
Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) of £21,237, including inner London weighting, plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of 42 months (3.5 years).
You should be eligible for home (UK) tuition fees there are a very limited number (no more than three) of studentships available to overseas applicants, including EU nationals, who meet the academic entry criteria including English Language proficiency.
You will join the internationally recognised researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering research and PhD programmes | Brunel University London
The Project
Lower-limb amputees frequently require replacement of their prosthetic legs because their remaining limb shrinks and changes over time; this causes pain and discomfort and, in many cases, prevents walking. The replacement process is labour-intensive relying on hand techniques and iterative physical testing, producing bespoke single-piece sockets, creating long lead times (2-6 months) (Figure 1). The aim of this project is to design and test a two-part reusable prosthetic socket with significantly reduced lead times (1 week). This project will include elements of design synthesis and computational simulation, advancing current knowledge and industry practice.
Please contact Dr Sean Cullen at sean.cullen3@brunel.ac.uk for an informal discussion about the studentships.
Eligibility
Applicants will have or be expected to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in an Engineering, Computer Science, Design, Mathematics, Physics or a similar discipline. A Postgraduate Masters degree is not required but may be an advantage.
Skills and Experience
Applicants will be required to demonstrate the following skills;
- CAD
- Finite Element Analysis
- 3D Printing
You should be highly motivated, able to work independently as well as in a team, collaborate with others and have good communication skills.
How to apply
There are two stages of the application:
1.Applicants must submit the pre-application form via the following link
https://brunel.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/epsrc-dtp-24-25-pre-application-form-brunel-university-lon
by 16.00 on Friday 5th April 2024.
2.If you are shortlisted for the interview, you will be asked to email the following documentation in a single PDF file to cedps-studentships@brunel.ac.uk within 72hrs.
- Your up-to-date CV;
- Your Undergraduate degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) essential;
- Your Postgraduate Masters degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) if applicable;
- Your valid English Language qualification of IELTS 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in each section) or equivalent, if applicable;
- Contact details for TWO referees, one of which can be an academic member of staff in the College.