Dear Prospective Applicant and Collegues, I am pleased to share a fully funded PhD opportunity for Chinese nationals through the Cardiff University–China Scholarship Council (CSC) scheme for 2027 entry. Colleagues, please feel free to share with your students, lab or group members. At Cardiff University School of Engineering’s Geometric Mechanics and Mechatronics in Robotics (gm²R) Lab, we develop unconventional robotic systems that roll, reshape, reconfigure and adapt to environments where conventional robots struggle. A central theme of our research is embodied intelligence — designing the robot’s morphology, mechanics and control together, so that the physical body itself contributes to locomotion, manipulation and adaptation. Potential PhD topics include:
* Embodied intelligence & morphological computation * Mechanism–control co-design * Underactuated & rolling robotics * Reconfigurable and shape-transforming robots * Soft, compliant & adaptive robotics * Origami and deployable robotic mechanisms * Motion planning & nonlinear control * Nonprehensile/contact-rich manipulation * Robotics for space, fusion and other challenging environments
We are particularly interested in creative projects connecting robot morphology + mechanics + control + intelligence. Candidates with backgrounds in robotics, mechatronics, mechanical engineering, control engineering or related areas are encouraged to apply. Experience in robot dynamics/control, mechanism design, MATLAB/Python/ROS, CAD, or soft/origami robotics would be particularly relevant. A completed or expected MSc is preferred. Funding: Cardiff provides the tuition-fee scholarship, while CSC provides stipend/living support, subject to successful Cardiff nomination and CSC selection. Cardiff application deadline: 3 November 2026. If interested, please contact me well before the deadline so that we have sufficient time to discuss research fit and develop a strong proposal. Please send:
* Academic CV * 1–2 page research proposal or research idea * Academic transcripts * Relevant publications or other supporting material
to T********A@Cardiff.ac.ukmailto:T********A@Cardiff.ac.uk. For full details of the Cardiff University–CSC scholarship scheme, eligibility and application process, please see: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/international/funding-and-fees/international... Members of the gm²R Lab will also be attending TAROS 2026 in the UK and IROS 2026 in the USA. If you are attending either conference and are interested in joining us, please feel free to get in touch to arrange a short informal research conversation. Please also feel free to share this opportunity with strong potential candidates. See more on lab and prospective students at amirtafrishi.com https://www.amirtafrishi.com/ Regards
Amir
Dr Seyed Amir (Pf. Amir) Tafrishi, PhD, MSc, FHEA
Lecturer (Asst. Prof.) in Robotics and Autonomous Systems Head of Geometric Mechanics and Mechatronics in Robotics (gm²R) Lab Robotics and Autonomous Intelligent Machines (RAIM) group School of Engineering Cardiff University, UK
[cid:2b7e70a9-5718-4d86-94b2-4be9d0f69adf] Website: amirtafrishi.comhttp://amirtafrishi.com Email: T********A@Cardiff.ac.uk
