DSTO

ADVANCED AEROSTRUCTURES RESEARCH GROUP


PhD scholarships in carbon-fibre composite research

A number of top-up scholarships are being offered by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) to holders of Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) Scholarships to pursue research in the area of advanced composite aerostructures. The value of an APA is AUD22,860 per annum (2011) and the top-up scholarship is AUD7,000. These stipends are tax exempt. 

About some of the projects

(1) Structural repair optimisation.

With the increased utilisation of carbon-fibre material in the primary structure of military and civilian aircraft, there is a need for the development of techniques for optimising composite structural repairs. This project will be primarily computational with some experimental work for validation.

(2) Simplified design approach for scarf repairs

This project will focus on the development of simplified design tools for scarf repairs on composite aircraft. These tools will be based on relatively simple formulas which will be extensively verified and validated through detailed finite element modelling and experimental testing.

(3) Durability of helicopter composite structures

Military flying platforms, especially helicopters, are often deployed in  harsh environments and this research will look at the long-term structural integrity of composite structures subjected to hot and humid and/or corrosive environments. 

Eligibility criteria

A four year Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Aerospace or Bachelor of Science (Honours) from a recognised tertiary institution with H1 or high H2A and have a particular interest in computational modelling, advanced composite materials and structures and experimental testing.

 Applications

If interested, please contact Professor Brian Falzon at brian.falzon@monash.edu.