If you would like more information or have any questions about this scholarship, please contact the project supervisors.
Deakin-Bayreuth Cotutelle – Product design engineering for sports
Applications will remain open until a candidate has been appointed
Supporting a PhD candidate to advance research in personalised product design and engineering for sports in Australia (Deakin University) and Germany (University of Bayreuth).
Key details
Project supervisor
Additional supervisors
Prof. Dr. Franz Konstantin Fuss, University of Bayreuth (Germany)
Deakin faculty and school
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment
School of Engineering
Location
Deakin Burwood Campus (Australia) and University of Bayreuth (Germany)
Value and duration
This scholarship is available over three years and offers:
- a stipend of $37,450 per annum tax exempt (2026 rate)
- at least 12 months of the total period of the program at University of Bayreuth.
For international students, the awardee will also receive:
- single Overseas Student Health Cover policy for the duration of the student visa
- full tuition fee waiver for up to four years
- travel allowance (approximately $3,000) to support travel between universities.
Research aim
Are you ready to push the boundaries of design, technology, and human performance?
Join a cutting-edge PhD research project at the forefront of innovation; where sports science, assistive technology, and advanced manufacturing collide!
This PhD project explores the design of personalised, lightweight, and multi-functional structures for the sports and assistive technology sectors. It integrates computational design, advanced additive manufacturing, and intelligent systems to develop user-specific solutions that enhance performance, comfort, and accessibility.
The research will focus on polymeric lattice structures with tunable mechanical properties - such as flexibility, energy absorption, and directional stiffness - fabricated using cutting-edge 3D printing and sensing technologies. Experimental and simulative methods will be used to analyse material behaviour across scales, supported by nonlinear computational modelling and AI-driven optimisation.
Guided by systems thinking, the project will develop adaptive, sustainable, and user-centred design workflows. Outcomes will contribute to the fields of structural modelling, smart materials, and inclusive design, with applications in rehabilitation, elite sport, and mobility.
Candidate profile
We seek a candidate with strong expertise in computational design, additive manufacturing, and nonlinear structural modelling. A background in mechanical, biomedical, or materials engineering is essential, along with experience in experimental methods, finite element analysis, and AI-assisted design.
You will be awarded with a doctoral degree from each university. The program runs for three years, and you will spend at least 12 months at the University of Bayreuth and the remainder at Deakin University.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible you must:
- be either a domestic or international candidate. Domestic includes candidates with Australian Citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency or New Zealand Citizenship
- meet the PhD entry requirements of both Deakin University and University of Bayreuth, including H1 or H1 equivalence and English language proficiency criteria
- enrol full time
- be able to physically locate to both University of Bayreuth (Germany) and Deakin University (Australia).
Please refer to the research degree entry requirements page and University of Bayreuth's research entry criteria page for further information.
Ready to apply?
Applicants should contact Dr. Clara Usma-Mansfield to discuss the project before being invited by Deakin University to lodge a formal application.
If successful you will then lodge a separate PhD application to University of Bayreuth via the University of Bayreuth application page.
Research degree entry requirements
Set yourself up for success. Each type of Deakin research degree has specific entry requirements designed to ensure that graduate researchers are well prepared for the challenges of advanced study.
