Doctoral Student Positions

STORM-BOTS is a new european training network (ITN) dedicated to liquid crystalline elastomers and soft robotics.

We are seeking to fill 13 early stage researcher (ESR) positions across Europe, including openings for chemists, fabricators, roboticists and theorists. The ESRs will collaborate on the design and creation of liquid crystal elastomers devices, and will benefit from training and secondment opportunities coordinated by the network.  Twelve of the positions include enrolment in a PhD program, while one is primarily based in a company.

Dr John Biggins (supervisor) and Prof Mark Warner FRS (co-supervisor) are searching for a talented theorist with interests in mechanics and geometry to work on the design of soft liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) machines. The studentship is part of a new Marie Sklodowska-Curie training network called storm-bots, which will encompass 13 students across Europe working on the design and creation soft LCE machines. The soft, anisotropic materials of the project, liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) and glasses, contract along their director on heating/illumination.