PhD Studentship in Strategic Power System Planning

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department, Imperial College London

PhD Studentship in Strategic Power System Planning

Position Summary:

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship, to be undertaken at Imperial College London (Control and Power Research Group, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering) under the co-supervision of Professor Balarko Chaudhuri and Professor Tim Green.

Summary of Project:

Oscillations induced by inverter-based resources (IBRs) like wind, solar photovoltaic, grid-scale batteries are a major concern for electricity grid operators. This project will investigate how such oscillations can be mitigated using series connected flexible AC transmission (FACTS) devices. The project will be carried out in close collaboration with GE Vernova.

The successful applicant will work in the Control and Power Group at Imperial College London. They will join a team of around 12-15 researchers working in the area of stability and control of power grids with high shares IBRs.

Funding:

The PhD studentship is funded by the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) and includes a stipend of approximately £22,780 per year (tax-free) for four years and overseas tuition fees.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The responsibilities include defining, with support from the supervisor, the research questions, creating and managing a plan for the PhD, reviewing the relevant literature, conducting independent research, reporting progress, disseminating results in high-impact refereed journals and conferences. The successful candidate will be based at Imperial, but they will have to do a research secondment at GE Vernova.

Essential Requirements:

Applicants should have a first-class Master’s degree (or other equivalent experience). The successful candidate will have an excellent understanding in power system dynamics, power electronics and control. Experience in working with power systems dynamic simulation will be helpful, but not necessary to apply for the position.

How to apply:

Please choose Electrical and Electronic Engineering Research Program and Control and Power Group, then indicate Professor Balarko Chaudhuri as a potential supervisor when making the application. The application should include a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and your CV (maximum 2 pages). Please make sure that your cover letter and CV provide adequate information on your academic ability, research potential, communication and engagement skills and your interest in the research topic.

Full guidance on the application process is available here.

Early applications are encouraged. The post is preferred for candidates who can start at the beginning of Spring term (3^rd January 2026).

For further details of the post, please contact Professor Balarko Chaudhuri (b.chaudhuri@imperial.ac.uk). For queries regarding the application process, please contact eee.pgadmissions@imperial.ac.uk

Closing Date: 31 October 2025

Advert information