Ride comfort in vehicles with ultra-lightweight transmission and driveline
Applications are invited for a PhD studentship studying the effects of lightweight vehicle structures on ride comfort.
This project will explore how weight reductions in vehicle transmission and driveline affect vibration transmitted to drivers and passengers, and influence ride comfort. You will conduct field measurements and laboratory simulations to study ride comfort using psychophysical techniques. The findings will provide information for the design and development of the next generation of light-weight vehicles. The outcomes of the research will be presented at national and international conferences and workshops and published in reputational scientific journals.
You will work within the Human Factors Research Unit (HFRU), which has highly motivated, first class researchers in the area of human responses to vibration and vehicle ride dynamics. See https://www.southampton.ac.uk/HFRU for further details of research activities within the HFRU.
The studentship covers University tuition fees (EU/UK level**) and provides a tax-free bursary of £13,900 per year, rising annually in line with the UK Government (EPSRC) recommended rates. ** Overseas applicants will be required to provide the fee difference from other sources.
Entry requirements: This multi-disciplinary studentship is available to candidates with the equivalent of a first class or upper-second class degree in a related discipline (e.g., engineering, physics, psychology, physiology), having an interest in psychophysical phenomena, statistics, and appropriate mathematical skills.
How to apply: Please send a full CV together with a personal statement (~300 words, stating why you particularly want to do a PhD, why you think you are suited to a research degree and what particularly attracts you to this project) to: Professor Michael Griffin, Email: M.J.Griffin@soton.ac.uk
Closing date: Friday 12th September 2014 (early application is encouraged)
If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr Henrietta Howarth at the Human Factors Research Unit, ISVR, Email: H.Howarth@soton.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 2380 594963.
This PhD studentship is advertised in FindAPhD website: http://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=55236