Sweden Opens Fluid Mechanics Researchers Scholarships 2027 at Luleå University of Technology
If your PhD is in Fluid Mechanics and you want to work on a practical energy-engineering problem with direct industrial relevance, this postdoctoral scholarship at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden is worth considering.
The project focuses on how surface roughness inside hydraulic turbines changes over time because of erosion, corrosion, deposition and cavitation—and how those changes affect turbine efficiency, safety and long-term operation.
The scholarship is full-time for 9 months, based in Luleå, and financed by the Kempe Foundation. Applications close on 15 September 2026.
Before You Apply: Does Your Background Fit the Project?
| What you should check | What it means for your application |
|---|---|
| Required degree | You need a PhD in Fluid Mechanics, or you should be defending your PhD during 2026 |
| Career stage | A doctorate awarded within the last five years is particularly suitable |
| Research fit | Fluid mechanics, hydraulic machinery, turbulence, vortex flows or related experimental research |
| Experimental profile | Experience with turbine testing, prototype testing or hydraulic systems can strengthen the application |
| Numerical skills | Computational or numerical fluid-flow modelling may also be relevant |
| Language | Good English is mandatory |
| Location | Luleå, Sweden |
| Duration | 9 months, full-time |
| Deadline | 15 September 2026 |
What Will You Actually Research?
The problem is more practical than it first sounds.
Hydraulic turbines do not remain perfectly smooth throughout their operating lives. Their internal surfaces gradually change through erosion, corrosion, deposits and cavitation.
Those changes can alter the way water moves through the turbine, reducing efficiency and potentially affecting operational safety.
The project therefore asks a useful engineering question:
How much surface deterioration can a hydraulic turbine tolerate before renovation becomes technically or economically necessary?
The selected researcher will help develop a test rig capable of reproducing and quantifying realistic turbine-surface roughness.
Depending on the development of the work, numerical simulations may also be performed, and experimental measurements could take place at different facilities across Sweden.
This makes the position especially interesting for researchers who prefer work combining experimental fluid mechanics with real energy-system applications.
Which Experience Could Give You an Advantage?
The formal requirement is a PhD in Fluid Mechanics, but several additional areas could make your application more competitive.
Knowledge of hydraulic turbines, turbine model testing, prototype testing and vortex flows is specifically considered advantageous.
I would also make any experience with experimental rigs, flow measurement, CFD, turbulence analysis, rough-wall flows or hydropower systems very easy to identify in the CV.
Luleå University’s Fluid and Experimental Mechanics division has access to the John Field Laboratory, together with advanced measurement methods and substantial computational resources.
So your application should show that you can actually make use of that environment.
Who Is This Scholarship Best Suited To?
I would not see this as the ideal position for someone trying to change research fields completely after their PhD.
The nine-month duration makes it better suited to a researcher who already understands fluid mechanics and can begin contributing relatively quickly.
It may be particularly useful if you want to:
strengthen your experimental research record, move toward hydropower or energy technology, build Scandinavian research connections, or generate publications that support a future academic or industrial position.
The university also explicitly encourages female applicants, as the current research group is predominantly male. Where qualifications are otherwise equal, the underrepresented gender may be given precedence.
Is the Scholarship Salary Published?
The supplied vacancy does not state the exact monthly scholarship amount.
That is an important distinction. Applicants should therefore not assume a Swedish postdoctoral salary or use funding figures from unrelated LTU positions.
I would verify the scholarship amount and any associated insurance or practical conditions directly through the official application information before making relocation decisions.
What Documents Do You Need?
The application should include:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Personal letter
- Verified copies of university diplomas
Documents must be written in English or Swedish. The application should also be marked with reference number: 4326-2026
For project-specific questions, applicants may contact Professor Michel Cervantes at the Fluid and Experimental Mechanics division.
How Should You Position Your Application?
Your personal letter should not spend half its length explaining why renewable energy is important.
The research team already knows that.
I would instead explain:
what fluid-mechanics problem you have previously solved, which experimental or numerical methods you used, what experience you have with complex internal flows, and how that background prepares you to investigate roughness effects in hydraulic turbines.
If you have worked with pumps, turbines, rotating machinery, vortex flows or high-Reynolds-number experiments, connect those experiences directly to the project.
Application Deadline
The last date to apply for the Luleå University of Technology Postdoctoral Scholarship in Fluid Mechanics is 15 September 2026.
For the right candidate, the real value here is not simply spending nine months in Sweden. It is the opportunity to work on a very specific engineering problem where fundamental fluid mechanics can directly influence how hydropower infrastructure is maintained and operated.