PhD Studentship: Wind-Assisted Ship Performance Prediction for Regulatory Greenhouse Gas Reduction Assessment

Birmingham City University

Doctoral Training Grant Funding Information

This funding model includes a 36-month funded PhD Studentship, set in-line with UK Research & Innovation values. For 2026/7, this will be £21,805 per year. The tax-free stipend will be paid monthly. This PhD Studentship also includes a Full-Time Home Tuition Fee Scholarship for up to 3 years. The funding is subject to your continued registration on the research degree, making satisfactory progression within your PhD, as well as attendance on and successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Practice. 

International applicants are reminded, that it if they are successful following interview, they are liable to pay the fee difference between the Home and International Tuition Fee Rate. The tuition fees for new doctoral researchers are listed here.

All applicants will receive the same stipend irrespective of fee status.

Application Closing Date: Midday (UK Time) on 25^th November 2026 for a start date of 3^rd May 2027. 

How to Apply

To apply, please follow the below steps:

1. Complete the BCU Online Application Form.
2. Complete the Doctoral Studentship Proposal Form in full, ensuring that you quote the project ID. You will be required to upload your proposal in place of a personal statement on the BCU online application form.
3. Upload two references to your online application form (at least one of which must be an academic reference).
4. Upload your qualification(s) for entry onto the research degree programme. This will be Bachelor/Master’s certificate(s) and transcript(s).
5. International applicants must also provide a valid English language qualification. Please see the list of English language qualifications accepted here. Please check the individual research degree course page for the required scores.

Project Title:  Wind-Assisted Ship Performance Prediction for Regulatory Greenhouse Gas Reduction Assessment

Project Lead: Professor Jean-Baptiste R. G. Souppez

Project ID: ENG-54930005

Project Description:

Shipping is responsible for around ~90% of global trade, and ~3% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Stringent measures have been implemented by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), to reduce emissions, and reach net 0 by 2050. Therefore, shipping needs practical ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without relying entirely on new fuels. Wind propulsion can make an immediate contribution by supplying part of a ship's propulsive power directly from the wind through sails, rotors or kites. The difficulty is that the predicted benefit changes with the ship, the wind propulsion system, the route, the weather, the vessel speed and the way the calculation is made. Different methods can therefore give different savings for the same case. This becomes a regulatory problem when those predictions affect emissions credit, compliance or investment.

This project will establish how wind assisted ship performance should be predicted when the result is used to assess greenhouse gas reductions for regulation, building on existing regulatory framework to ascertain which methods are suitable for different decisions, which assumptions need to be consistent, and how uncertainty should be reported to regulators. This project will focus on sensitivity and uncertainty analysis to show which inputs have the greatest effect and how much confidence can be placed in predicted fuel and greenhouse gas savings. The study will examine consistency, double counting, verification effort and the risk that favourable assumptions could distort the result. The results will be considered in relation to current environmental assessments for ships (EEDI/EEXI, CII/SEEMP, life cycle greenhouse gas assessment, fuel intensity measures and relevant UK monitoring and policy needs), and support ongoing regulatory developments at national and internation level, providing clear evidence and recommendations that may inform the UK Department for Transport and IMO discussions and policy.

The PhD studentship is a unique opportunity to integrate, and contribute to, BCU’s involvement in the UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub, with ongoing research (e.g. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adapen.2025.100255, https://doi.org/10.5957/jst/2025.10.1.258, https://doi.org/10.5750/ijme.v167iA1.1317) already leading to great impact, from significant media exposure (1.2m views) to international research awards (2026 Medal of Distinction from the Royal Institution of Naval Architects), while working under the supervision of the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sailing Technology.

Anticipated Findings and Contribution to Knowledge:

The project is expected to show how choices about wind conditions, aerodynamic forces, ship resistance, propulsive efficiency, operating strategy and the comparison case affect predicted fuel and greenhouse gas savings. It should identify which uncertainties matter most for different ships, wind technologies and routes, and where a simplified regulatory calculation gives a dependable result or becomes misleading.

The main contribution to knowledge will be a reproducible set of wind assisted ship performance prediction methods linked to regulatory purpose and stated uncertainty. This is intended to support current regulatory development to maximise the policy impact of the work.

The project will also provide evidence on how modelling assumptions influence EEDI/EEXI, CII, life cycle greenhouse gas and fuel intensity results. This should reveal possible inconsistencies, double counting and unintended incentives across different measures. The calculation tool and policy recommendations will connect naval architecture with the practical needs of regulation. The intended findings will give stakeholders a clearer basis for recognising the contribution of wind propulsion to maritime decarbonisation.

The successful PhD Candidate will, therefore, become part of the next generation of world leading experts on maritime sustainability, and are expected to drive international change through novel findings and regulatory translation through their career.

Person Specification:

To apply for our Engineering PhD Research Degree you should have, or expect to be awarded, a Master's degree in a relevant subject area from a British or overseas university. Exceptional candidates without a Master's degree, but holding a first class or upper second class Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject area, may be considered

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with a strong interest in wind propulsion, sustainable shipping, engineering modelling, and the application of technical evidence to real-world environmental policy.

Essential Criteria:

• A good undergraduate degree, normally equivalent to a UK first or upper second-class degree, in naval architecture, marine engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, maritime studies, or another closely related quantitative discipline.
• A strong grounding in engineering mathematics and the ability to interpret and critically evaluate quantitative results.
• An interest in ship performance, fluid mechanics, renewable energy, sustainable transport, or maritime decarbonisation.
• The ability to critically review academic literature, technical standards, regulatory documents, and different modelling approaches.
• The ability to undertake computational or numerical analysis, or demonstrable ability and willingness to develop these skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical results clearly to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• The ability to work independently, manage a long-term research project, and document methods and assumptions rigorously.
• A commitment to research integrity, reproducibility, transparent reporting, and appropriate management of research data. 

Desirable Criteria:

• A Master's degree or equivalent postgraduate experience in a relevant engineering or maritime discipline.
• Previous study or professional experience in naval architecture, ship hydrodynamics, ship performance prediction, wind-assisted propulsion, or marine renewable energy.
• Experience of numerical modelling, optimisation, statistical analysis, sensitivity analysis, uncertainty quantification, or voyage simulation.
• Familiarity with maritime environmental regulation, including IMO greenhouse gas measures such as EEDI, EEXI, CII, or life cycle greenhouse gas assessment.
• Experience using Python or MATLAB for engineering analysis and visualisation.
• Experience, or a strong interest in the interface between engineering research, regulation, industry, and public policy

Overseas Applicants:

International applicants must also provide a valid English language qualification, such as International English Language Test System (IELTS) or equivalent with an overall score of 6.5 with no band below 6.0.  

Contact:

If you have any questions or need further information, please use the contact details below:

• For enquiries about the project content, please contact: JB Souppez - jb.souppez@bcu.ac.uk
• For enquiries about the application process, please contact: admissions@bcu.ac.uk