Imperial College London PhD Studentship in Strategic Power System Planning 2026

Power systems are central to the transition towards net-zero energy systems, and they are transforming in two ways. First, their generation mix is changing, with a growing share of clean energy sources, mostly variable renewable energy sources and nuclear. Second, electricity demand is rising due to the expansion of data centers, electric vehicles, and electric heating technologies such as heat pumps. Delivering this transition requires substantial investments in power sector infrastructure. Yet, deployment is challenged by supply chain bottlenecks and challenges around stakeholder acceptance.

The successful applicant will develop novel power system planning models that explicitly incorporate supply chain constraints and stakeholder preferences, enabling proactive and realistic infrastructure planning.

The successful applicant will join Dr Elina Spyrou's research group, which currently includes three PhD students and a postdoctoral researcher. The group contributes to the Electric Power Innovation for a Carbon-free Society Center (EPICS-UK) and collaborates with academic and industry partners in the UK, USA, and Australia.

• Table of Content
• About Imperial College London
• Imperial College London PhD Scholarship
• Aim and Benefits of Imperial College London PhD Scholarship
• Requirements for Imperial College London PhD Scholarship Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

Imperial College London PhD Scholarship

Aim and Benefits of Imperial College London PhD Scholarship

• Tuition fees at Home rate and UKRI London rate stipend, plus research training support grant.

Requirements for Imperial College London PhD Scholarship Qualification

• Applicants should have a first-class Master's degree (or equivalent good first degree or a Master’s degree (or other equivalent experience) in engineering, physics, or mathematics.
• Suitable backgrounds for these PhD positions include, but are not limited to, power engineering, industrial engineering and operations research, mathematics, computing, and energy economics.
• The successful candidate will have an excellent understanding in one of the following fields: power system operations, power system economics, linear programming, micro-economics.
• Experience in working with datasets and prior coursework in probability theory and statistics will be helpful, but not necessary to apply for the position.

Please note: This studentship is not available to continuing students.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

• Please choose the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Research Program and the Control and Power Group, then indicate Dr Elina Spyrou as a potential supervisor when making the application. The application should include a personal statement (maximum 2 pages) and your CV (maximum 2 pages). There is no need to include a research statement at the application stage. Please make sure to discuss in your personal statement your academic ability, research capability, communication skills, your interest in the research topic, and future career plans.

For further details of the post, please contact Dr. Elina Spyrou ([email protected]). For queries regarding the application process, please contact [email protected].

For more information, kindly visit Imperial college London scholarship webpage.