Develop your own self-funded PhD proposal
If you have your own research idea, we can help you to develop it. To begin this process you will need to find a PhD Supervisor from one of our research groups, whose research interests align with your own.
We offer a range of PhDs funded by different sources, such as research councils, industries or charities. Here you will work with internationally respected academics, post-doctoral research associates and technicians.
To apply for a funded PhD, please read the advertised project information carefully as requirements will vary between funders. The project information will include information such as funding eligibility, application deadline dates and links to application forms. We will only consider applicants who have a relevant background and meet the funding criteria.
The School of Engineering at Lancaster University is inviting applications from engineering graduates for a PhD scholarship in the field of high-reliability sensing. The research will explore methods of integrating fault tolerance, prognostics and self-healing technology into smart sensors using both hardware and low-power artificial intelligence algorithms. The research will run alongside an active project in collaboration with ULTRA-PCS Ltd that studies in-vivo measurement of stress factors in critical environments. There will be an opportunity with Ultra-PCS for an industrial placement. Applications of self-monitoring sensing technology includes the detection of biomarkers for debilitating disease, personal health monitoring where false positives and negatives can have a serious impact, aerospace applications, transport, environmental monitoring, energy, nuclear and defence. The work will build on published research that has developed solutions for physical sensors including humidity, pressure, and corrosion. The work will be supervised by Professor Andrew Richardson and Dr David Cheneler who have recently been recognised for impact of their research through a 4* evaluation of a related case study through the 2021 research evaluation framework.
This project is funded by Lancaster University. The funding covers UK fees plus the standard maintenance stipend at UKRI rates (the stipend rate for 23/24 is £18,622 per year tax-free). The successful candidate, who will start no later than October 2023, will have the opportunity to join an exciting project of one of the UK's most research-intensive universities.
Potential applicants should email Professor Richardson (A.Richardson@Lancaster.ac.uk) in the first instance with an expression of interest. Applications from industrial engineers wishing to study on a part time basis are also encouraged.
Supervisors: Dr Yanping Du, Professor Jianqiao Ye, School of Engineering, Professor Crispin Halsall, Lancaster Environment Centre
A fully funded PhD studentship is available for a motivated candidate to undertake advanced applied research in the field of Clean Energy and Decarbonization.
Coal burning is one of the main energy supply methods in the world. The excessive consumption of fossil fuels represented by coal burning produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions that have an adverse and irreversible impact on the global climate. This project aims to simultaneously convert CO2 and SO2 to secure a more sustainable energy and environment. Applicants for this studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second-Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in appropriate areas of Energy Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering. If English is not your first language you will need to meet the required level (Profile A) as per our guidance for English language requirements for overseas students. The research project has a broad range of opportunities and will be tailored on the background and interest of the successful candidate. The PhD studentship is based at Lancaster University.
This project is funded by Lancaster University. The funding covers the tuition fee and a standard tax-free RCUK stipend (£18,622 per annum for 23/24 academic year) for 3.5 years for UK applicants. Non-UK candidates are welcome to apply but the funding will only cover the overseas tuition fee for three years and the applicant would need to self-fund their living cost. The living costs can be financially supported by government-funding (i.e. CSC scholarship for Chinese) or others.
In the application process you will be asked to upload several documents:
The successful candidate can start as soon as possible on one of the typical cohort dates which are April 2024, October 2024 and January 2025.
If you have any general enquiries about the application process please email engr-pgr@lancaster.ac.uk. For more information about this position please contact the main supervisor Dr Yanping Du at: y.du17@Lancaster.ac.uk. Candidates interested in applying should forward a copy of their CV to Dr Du.
Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a promising manufacturing technique that serves as the physical realm in the era of Industry 4.0. This opportunity is centred around the metallic wire additive manufacturing process. In this exciting realm, through novel ultrasonic stimulation methodologies, we aim to realise metal additive manufacturing of multi-material structures, made possible by novel metal-cored wire feedstocks. Our objectives also encompass advancing our comprehension of the mechanisms that lead to defect formation and improving process control measures to either prevent or mitigate these defects.
Wire Laser Additive Manufacturing (WLAM) or Wire Direct Energy Deposition (W-DED) has generated substantial interest in fields like nuclear, energy storage, defence and aerospace, due to its potential for fabricating, complex structures. The additionality of introducing metal cored wire feedstock to increase the diversity of materials and performance is highly significant and could increase applications and uptake for this process across a wide range of sectors, offering solutions not possible by conventional materials and manufacturing methods. However, there are significant challenges to a broad proof of concept that would be addressed in this PhD project. Materials (wire design and component formulations), process development and control (wire feeding and melt pool characteristics) are urgently needed to eradicate non-consistent wire mass transfer and non-uniform mixing of the multi-material additives, which arise from the different densities of the power and wire feed materials. Without this process optimisation and control, defects arise that will compromise performance and quality.
The “design-manufacture-inspect-model-test” approach of this project will equip the successful PhD candidate with a wide range of valuable and transferable skills. More specifically, the are to (1) identify the effect of ultrasound on material transfer by achieving an understanding of the underlying mechanisms, (2) optimise the process with online monitoring to ensure high consistency of quality, (3) use the knowledge gained to understand the opportunities and limitations of the process when extended to a wide range of wire and powder materials.
The PhD studentship is based at Lancaster University. The team in Engineering at Lancaster were the first UK adopters of the Meltio M450 WLAM system that will support this project. The lead supervisor, Dr Yuze Huang, specialises in laser-matter interactions of metal additive manufacturing, the co-supervisor Professor Andrew Kennedy (LU) has extensive expertise in metal composites and AM processes capable of delivering builds in cored wire. Dr Chu Lun Alex Leung (Mechanical Engineering at UCL) will also co-supervise, he specialises in imaging of additive manufacturing and will support the project by assisting with the in-process monitoring. We expect that the PhD candidate will also work closely with academic and industrial collaborators through our joint Additive Manufacturing (AMIC) and Joining 4.0 Innovation Centres partnered with TWI.
For international students, the English Language requirement set by Engineering Department (IELTS 6.5 or ToEFL IBT 87, Faculty of Science and Technology, Lancaster University) should also be satisfied.
This project is funded by Lancaster University. The funding covers the tuition fee and a standard tax-free RCUK stipend for 3.5 years. This applies to applicants who are eligible for UK Home tuition fees: candidates from the UK or from the EU with settled or pre-settled status in the UK. International students may be considered for partial funding covering three years of overseas tuition fee and they are encouraged to apply if they can finance their own maintenance for the period of their studies, especially if they have partial funding through other scholarships. The stipend rates, currently set by Research Council UK (RCUK) at £18,622 per annum tax-free, typically undergo a small annual increase. The successful candidate can start as soon as possible on one of the typical cohort dates which are April 2024, October 2024 and January 2025.
For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Yuze Huang (y.huang67@lancaster.ac.uk). Candidates interested in applying should enclose the following documents:
Electron beam powder bed additive manufacture is being explored widely for the production of aeroengine components. It offers great advantages in terms of being able to build components with complex internal structures in high temperature alloys. However, there are few ways of verifying that a machine is ready for manufacture other than attempting to build the part itself. Consequently, it is not the process that is being inspected, and there is a high reliance on non-destructive testing of parts to ensure they are fit for purpose.
Electron beam additive manufacturing (AM) is a growing technology and is favoured for titanium parts over the more mature laser based AM processes – for every new EB welding machine there are two or three EB AM machines sold. A lengthy/labour intensive calibration procedure must be followed prior to each build to negate build-to-build geometry variations; this is arduous and avoided by users, resulting in undue costs. It should be noted that an EB AM build once started can last ~120 hours and if interrupted or incorrect generates only scrap. The intent is that in-process inspection technology could replace/automate this time consuming/labour intensive calibration, assuring consistent beam quality across the build area, taking only a few minutes to automatically assure build quality. This PhD will focus on the correlation between beam measurements, sensors and build performance, requiring many practical experiments and much data assessment. The first year will also include elements of prototype equipment refinement.
One of the problems for manufacturers seeking to deploy electron beam powder bed additive manufacturing (AM) has been that the machine readiness for manufacture can only be assessed by trying to build the product; this is wasteful, time consuming and costly. It requires close inspection of parts and an inspection procedure that can fully verify that the component is fit for purpose. Previous work within NSIRC and TWI has led to the development of a tool for electron beam welders (the BeamAssure family) and further work is being carried out on the development of predictive data analytics for quality assurance. Correlating information collected during processing to produce an assessment of the production readiness of the piece of equipment will require data processing tools and analysis to determine tolerance to variation in measured characteristics. It is expected that this research will be carried out in close collaboration with EBAM machine producers (such as Freemelt AB and/or Arcam AB) and with their clients in or near production (such as Airbus, GKN, Rolls-Royce, etc).
• In line quality assurance will become a feature of EB additive machines
• Machines will be able to verify their readiness to manufacture to required standards
• Less failed builds
• Quantified quality metrics will be used to assess production readiness
• The development of standards for verification of a production platform
• More reliable manufacture of components using EB additive
• Enable the uptake of AM parts for more safety critical applications e.g. in aerospace
Lancaster University is a strong and dynamic university with a very highly regarded School of Engineering. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, 95% of our research was rated internationally excellent and world-leading. Lancaster’s approach to interdisciplinary collaboration means that it has pre-eminent capacity and capability for the integration of Engineering with expertise in the areas of data science, autonomous and learning systems, intelligent automation, materials science and cyber security. The University is developing an ambitious growth plan for Engineering, including investment in staff, doctoral students, equipment and a new building focussed on research themes including Digital and Advanced Manufacturing.
NSIRC is a state-of-the-art postgraduate engineering facility established and managed by structural integrity specialist TWI, working closely with lead academic partner Brunel University, the universities of Cambridge, Manchester, Loughborough, Birmingham, Leicester and a number of leading industrial partners. NSIRC aims to deliver cutting edge research and highly qualified personnel to its key industrial partners.
Candidates should have a relevant degree at 2.1 minimum, or an equivalent overseas degree in (engineering or physics) Overseas applicants should also submit IELTS results (minimum 6.5) if applicable.
This project is funded by Lancaster University, Lloyds Register Foundation and TWI. The funding covers the cost of tuition fees and a standard tax-free RCUK stipend for three years for UK/EU applicants. Non-EU students are welcome to apply, but the funding will only cover the cost of overseas tuition fees and the applicant would need to self-fund their living cost for three years. The successful candidate is expected to start in October 2023.
For further information, please contact Professor Andrew Kennedy (a.kennedy3@lancaster.ac.uk). Candidates interested in applying should forward a copy of their CV to Professor Andrew Kennedy.
The biorefining industry, where biomass undergoes various processing steps to produce a range of added-value products and energy, is crucial for advancing the European Circular Economy. It aligns with the EU Green Deal and UN SDG commitments, aiming to develop a more sustainable and globally competitive economy. Biorefining represents a rapidly developing key enabling technology poised to replace fossil-based products and energy with more sustainable bio-based alternatives.
Biorefining processes involve fractionating, purifying, and concentrating targeted compounds from biomass, introducing new bio-based products to the market. Different separation and purification processes can significantly impact process sustainability, efficiency, and costs. In the chemical industry, separation and purification costs generally account for 40-70% of total manufacturing costs and nearly half of total energy use. Therefore, developments in separation technologies can lead to substantial improvements in the biorefining sector.
Membranes present an attractive alternative for intensifying biorefinery processes. They enable simultaneous separation, partial purification, and concentration of target compounds from complex biorefinery streams. The Doctoral Network (DN) entitled "Membranes as Enablers for Future Biorefineries: from Fabrication to Advanced Separation Technologies" (Mem-Fast) aims to facilitate membrane and membrane-based hybrid process development. It also seeks to enhance acceptance and utilization of membrane technology in the biorefining sector by training 11 highly skilled Doctoral Candidates (DCs) as future professionals. This facilitates collaboration between membrane and biorefining experts across Europe.
Mem-Fast creates an interface among participants from various disciplines to unlock the potential of membrane technology in the biorefining field. Although membrane processes are well-established in various fields, they are assumed to be key processes in the future biorefineries. Additionally, this network of membranologists and biorefining experts aims to advance sustainable biorefining development. Educating highly qualified professionals equipped with diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge about the biorefinery industrial sector, membrane manufacturing, and membrane performance in different biorefining processes will enable more sustainable chemical and energy production in Europe and globally.
The main objectives of this project are to develop an innovative, environmentally friendly, and energy-efficient continuous production method for low molecular weight organic acids, such as lactic acid or succinic acid, utilizing a membrane bioreactor. The chosen substrates for this process are waste from the juice industry (e.g. apple pomace, carrot pomace etc.)
This new approach to bio-renewables production is anticipated to:
i) Significantly increase the production rate of platform chemicals, thereby reducing production costs.
ii) Support the simultaneous microbial production and separation in a single step, minimizing space requirements.
iii) Alleviate environmental issues arising from agri-food wastes by transforming them into valuable products.
Microbial production of low molecular organic acids, including lactic acid (a raw material for biopolymer production) and succinic acid (considered a top platform bio-based chemical), is an attractive option for various industries. The biotransformation potential of juice industry waste materials into succinic or lactic acid will be established using a continuous membrane bioreactor, where microbial production and separation will occur simultaneously. Additionally, information on required pre-treatments for the waste streams will be generated.
The project aims to optimize growth conditions (e.g., carbon source supplementation, product and cells removal, cells recycling ratio, etc.) and explore in situ physical cleaning of the membrane. This is essential for prolonging operating periods and achieving the highest possible productivities.
This project is supported by facilities in the Engineering building at Lancaster University (http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/engineering/) and also benefits from established industrial and academic partners links.
The scholarship offers a salary in accordance with the rules of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie network for its entire duration, and it also covers the University tuition fees.
Candidates for this position should have or expect to achieve a first-class or upper second class degree in chemical engineering, chemistry, biochemistry or a closely related discipline. According to the mobility rules applied in this project, candidates must not have spent more than 1 year (365 days) out of the last 3 years in the UK at the time of their recruitment to the network. Experience in microbial cultures, membrane separation processes, and analytical methods (e.g. HPLC and UV-Vis spectroscopy) would be an advantage.
For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Papaioannou (e.papaioannou@lancaster.ac.uk). Candidates interested in applying should send a copy of their CV and a personal statement/covering letter addressing their background and suitability for this project. Early applications are strongly encouraged. The position will remain open and applications will be considered until a suitable candidate is appointed.
The potential and significance of a diverse range of biomolecules (BMs) for sustainable future processes are evident and widely acknowledged. However, comprehensive training to fully harness their potential is currently lacking, despite various but scattered research activities across Europe. In the framework of the 'Green Membrane Bioseparation for Circular Economy' (Bio-GENTLE) training program, 12 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) are expected to surpass current practices in biomolecule (BM) separation and/or biotransformations by developing interdisciplinary approaches.
The shared training program for these DCs is carefully designed, with special attention given to understanding and modulating the interaction of the targeted BMs with gentle separation methods. A complete understanding of the chain from molecules to processes is essential for evaluating each process's performance holistically, considering the cost and the environmental impact of the BMs recovery and purification. The program revolves around excellent research-based topics, facilitating DCs in acquiring a wide range of subject-specific and general transferable skills. This occurs in an interdisciplinary environment and through multinational collaboration, enhancing early-career DCs' long-term employability and competitiveness.
Bio-GENTLE serves as a key instrument for supporting and training the next generation of professionals who will revolutionize separation processes in the bioprocessing industry. Specifically, the pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics sectors will benefit from transitioning to high-throughput production with greener separation options and improved bio-circularity.
The aim of this project is to develop an integrated MBR system for the simultaneous production of intracellular (carotenoids) and extracellular (carbohydrases) biomolecules, preferably under continuous operation mode. The main goals of the project are to establish an efficient biotransformation process using agri-food waste as a substrate and Blakeslea trispora, a heterothallic fungus successfully employed on an industrial scale for the intracellular production of β-carotene and lycopene. B. trispora is able to grow in agri-food substrates, accumulating carotenoids and simultaneously excreting hydrolytic enzymes into the culture broth.
While the ability to control the production of carotenoids by manipulating the growth media for B. trispora has been previously demonstrated, the simultaneous production of different compounds from B. trispora is not addressed in the literature so far. This project will explore the use of MBR and the fundamentals of membrane-microorganism interactions. The novel alternative of simultaneous production of bioactive molecules is expected to significantly increase the production of these molecules and waste valorisation, thereby reducing production costs. It will also support the combined use of biotechnological production and separation in one step for carotenoids and extracellular enzymes, requiring less space and protecting the enzymes from further digestion. This project is supported by facilities in the Engineering building at Lancaster University (http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/engineering/) and also benefits from established industrial and academic partners links.
The scholarship offers a salary in accordance with the rules of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie network for its entire duration, and it also covers the University tuition fees.
Candidates for this position should have or expect to achieve a first-class or upper second class degree in chemical engineering, chemistry, biochemistry or a closely related discipline. According to the mobility rules applied in this project, candidates must not have spent more than 1 year (365 days) out of the last 3 years in the UK at the time of their recruitment to the network. Experience in microbial cultures, membrane separation processes, and analytical methods (e.g. HPLC and UV-Vis spectroscopy) would be an advantage.
Informal enquiries and how to apply
For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Papaioannou (e.papaioannou@lancaster.ac.uk). Candidates interested in applying should send a copy of their CV and a personal statement/covering letter addressing their background and suitability for this project. Early applications are strongly encouraged. The position will remain open and applications will be considered until a suitable candidate is appointed.
The potential and significance of a diverse range of biomolecules (BMs) for sustainable future processes are evident and widely acknowledged. However, comprehensive training to fully harness their potential is currently lacking, despite various but scattered research activities across Europe. In the framework of the 'Green Membrane Bioseparation for Circular Economy' (Bio-GENTLE) training program, 12 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) are expected to surpass current practices in biomolecule (BM) separation and/or biotransformations by developing interdisciplinary approaches.
The shared training program for these DCs is carefully designed, with special attention given to understanding and modulating the interaction of the targeted BMs with gentle separation methods. A complete understanding of the chain from molecules to processes is essential for evaluating each process's performance holistically, considering the cost and the environmental impact of the BMs recovery and purification. The program revolves around excellent research-based topics, facilitating DCs in acquiring a wide range of subject-specific and general transferable skills. This occurs in an interdisciplinary environment and through multinational collaboration, enhancing early-career DCs' long-term employability and competitiveness.
Bio-GENTLE serves as a key instrument for supporting and training the next generation of professionals who will revolutionize separation processes in the bioprocessing industry. Specifically, the pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics sectors will benefit from transitioning to high-throughput production with greener separation options and improved bio-circularity.
The primary objective of this project is to develop general methodologies for the initial harvesting of cells from submerged cultures. The focus is on enhancing the understanding of conditions contributing to membrane fouling during cell harvesting, comparing the performance of various membranes under different operating conditions, and working towards a general model to predict the cell harvesting behaviour.
To address the knowledge gap in this field, an in-depth investigation will be conducted on the effects of membrane characteristics (e.g., surface chemistry, pore sizes, etc.), complex fluid physiochemistry (e.g., biomolecules chemistry, biomolecules changes in conformation etc.), and flow dynamics contribution. This approach aims to reveal the synergy between solute-surface-flow interactions and predict the filtration behaviour, encompassing aspects such as solute selectivity, mass transport, and fouling formation.
The obtained results can be directly applied to the separation of cells (for the intracellular product recovery) or the broth (for the extracellular product recovery), representing a crucial initial step before the final product purification. The resulting knowledge matrix will offer essential insights for developing more generalized mathematical models and, consequently, serve as a guideline to identify performance-limiting factors in this critical separation step. This project is supported by facilities in the Engineering building at Lancaster University and also benefits from established industrial and academic partners links.
The scholarship offers a salary in accordance with the rules of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie network for its entire duration, and it also covers the University tuition fees.
Candidates for this position should have or expect to achieve a first-class or upper second class degree in chemical engineering, chemistry, biochemistry or a closely related discipline. According to the mobility rules applied in this project, candidates must not have spent more than 1 year (365 days) out of the last 3 years in the UK at the time of their recruitment to the network. Experience in microbial cultures, membrane separation processes, and analytical methods (e.g. HPLC and UV-Vis spectroscopy) would be an advantage.
For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Papaioannou (e.papaioannou@lancaster.ac.uk). Candidates interested in applying should send a copy of their CV and a personal statement/covering letter addressing their background and suitability for this project. Early applications are strongly encouraged. The position will remain open and applications will be considered until a suitable candidate is appointed.
Drs Xiaodong Wang and Gaurav Gupta, School of Engineering.
A fully funded PhD studentship is available for a motivated candidate to undertake advanced research in the field of hybrid heterogeneous/electro- and enzymatic catalysis.
Catalysis plays a critical role in modern society, where 90% of all chemical processes involve heterogeneous catalysts. Nevertheless, heterogeneous and biological catalysis is still considered as one of the top 24 challenges in chemistry when asking “what’s next”. This project, related to such a fundamental challenge, proposes the innovative use of heterogeneous catalysts (supported metals, electro-catalysts) in tandem with biotransformation for sustainable chemical processes.
Examples of application may include converting CO2 (Greenhouse Gas) to useful chemicals (e.g. methanol) and using renewable biomass (e.g. furfural) as feedstock to produce fuels/chemicals through the development of hybrid (heterogeneous, electrocatalytic and/or enzymatic) catalytic systems, mediated by biological cofactors.
The project will involve catalyst synthesis, characterisation and testing; reaction kinetics/thermodynamics, mechanism investigation, computational modelling and coupling and integration of reactions, using the experimental facilities available within the collaborating research groups.
The research project has a broad range of opportunities and will be tailored on the background and interest of the successful candidate.
The PhD studentship is based at Lancaster University.
Details of the supervisors’ (Dr Xiaodong Wang and Dr Gaurav Gupta) research can be accessed here:
The successful candidate will have, or expect to have, a UK Honours Degree (or equivalent) at 2.1 or above in chemical engineering or chemistry, or related subject along with a Master degree in the same subjects. Preferred skills include knowledge/experience of heterogeneous catalyst synthesis, characterisation and testing, reaction engineering/kinetics, analytic/physical chemistry, computational modelling and possibly photo-/electro-/enzymatic catalysis.
This project is funded by Lancaster University. The funding covers the cost of the tuition fee for UK students and a standard tax-free UKRI stipend (£18,622 per annum for 23/24 academic year) for 3.5 years for UK applicants. Stipends typically undergo a small increase each year. Non-UK candidates are encouraged to apply but the funding will only cover the overseas tuition fee for three years and the applicant would need to self-fund their living cost. Living costs could be financially supported by government funding (i.e. CSC scholarship for Chinese) or other scholarships.
Informal enquiries and how to apply
For any informal enquiries or more information about this position please contact the main supervisor Dr Xiaodong Wang at: xiaodong.wang@lancaster.ac.uk. Candidates interested in applying should forward a covering letter addressing their background and suitability for this project, and a copy of their CV to Dr Wang.
The successful candidate can start as soon as possible on one of the typical cohort dates which are April 2024, October 2024 and January 2025.
Primary supervisor: Dr Naval Singh, School of Engineering (Chemical Engineering)
Secondary supervisor: Dr John Hardy, Department of Chemistry
A fully funded PhD studentship is available for a motivated candidate to undertake advanced applied research to investigate transport mechanisms for colloidal particles in complex fluids in microfluidic devices for various applications including drug delivery and point-of-care diagnostics.
You will be member of a vibrant research group with state-of-the-art microfabrication facilities and will receive full support and training for developing your research. During the project, the candidate will collaborate with multidisciplinary researchers from University College London, Loughborough University, and Institute Lumière Matière at the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1.
The rapidly evolving field of microfluidics, in which fluids are manipulated at a microscopic scale, finds many applications in industries, ranging from the pharmaceutical to the oil industry. Most ubiquitous fluids are non-Newtonian and complex such as paints, blood, inks and personal-care products are just a few examples. It also raises curiosity to understand the behaviour of micro- and nano-particles in confinement and under flow that is widely used in various industrial applications, including drug delivery, cosmetics, food, medical diagnostics, environmental remediation, energy and agro-based industries. The technique of controlled manipulation of colloidal particles using microfluidics as a tool in lab-on-a-chip has unlocked opportunities to overcome many limitations of conventional technologies such as the requirement of multiple preparation steps, long processing times and large sample volumes.
The project aims to develop and optimise innovative strategies to control the motion and spatio-temporal distribution of micro/nano-particles in complex fluids in a microfluidic environment. The candidate will design and fabricate microfluidic devices and characterise the flow/particle interaction through optical microscopy methods. There will be exposure to several experimental techniques for the synthesis and characterisation of functional particles and undertaking proof-of-concept studies to identify prospective applications of the developed microfluidic systems - especially for drug delivery and point-of-care diagnostics.
The research project has a broad range of opportunities and will be tailored on the background and interest of the successful candidate. The PhD studentship is based at Lancaster University. Details of the supervisors’ can be accessed here:
Non-UK students are encouraged to apply, however, the studentship only covers UK home fees. Overseas applicants should submit IELTS results (minimum 6.5) if applicable.
This project is funded by Lancaster University. The funding covers the cost of the tuition fee for UK students and a standard tax-free UKRI stipend (£18,622 per annum for 23/24 academic year) for 3.5 years for UK applicants. Stipends typically undergo a small increase each year. Non-UK candidates are encouraged to apply but the funding will only cover the overseas tuition fee and the applicant would need to self-fund their living cost. Living costs could be financially supported by government funding (i.e. CSC scholarship for Chinese, Commonwealth Scholarships) or other scholarships.
For any informal enquiries or more information about this position, candidates are encouraged to contact the main supervisor Dr Naval Singh n.singh1@lancaster.ac.uk for enquires. Candidates interested in applying should send a copy of their CV and a personal statement/covering letter addressing their background and suitability for this project to Dr Singh.
Early applications are strongly encouraged. The successful candidate can start as soon as possible on one of the typical cohort dates which are April 2024, October 2024 and January 2025. The position will remain open, and applications will be considered until a suitable candidate is appointed.
A student is sought for a PhD study on the development of high efficiency RF amplifiers for the Muon Collider design study at CERN. Current particle accelerators use huge amounts of energy but not all of it goes into the beam, a significant fraction is lost as heat due to the inefficiency of the RF amplifiers, known as klystrons. This additional energy must be delivered from the electrical grid and hence leads to higher CO2 emissions. Future colliders will need to be more sustainable and a collaborative program at CERN and Lancaster University has been developed to develop higher efficiency klystrons to meet future needs of a number of future projects. One such project is the muon collider which is a large particle accelerator that will collide muons to study high-energy physics at scales beyond the LHC. Lancaster University is leading the development of the klystron for the muon collider design study.
The PhD student will use state-of-the-art simulation codes and high power computing to study the different technology options for the muon collider RF amplifier, working in synergy with the development of klystrons for other projects at CERN and the Cockcroft Institute, and will investigate how the achievable efficiency and power scales with different frequency choices. Novel methods of further increasing efficiency will be innovated looking at the full amplifier system including power supplies, magnetic focusing, electron sources, and the spent beam collector. This project is a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of the move to more sustainable and socially responsible solutions to big science.
The applicant will be expected to have a first or upper second class degree in physics, electronics or nuclear engineering and should have a good understanding of electromagnetism. The student will also be joining the Cockcroft Institute and will take part in a world leading PhD training program on particle accelerators.
Upon acceptance of a student, this project will be funded (including both stipend and fees) for 3 years; UK citizens are eligible to apply. A full package of training and support will be provided by the Cockcroft Institute, and the student will take part in a vibrant accelerator research and education community of over 150 people.
For informal enquiries, please contact Prof Graeme Burt (graeme.burt@cockcroft.ac.uk). Candidates interested in applying should send a copy of their CV together with a personal statement/covering letter addressing their background and suitability for this project to Prof Burt.
Developing an efficient transport system over long distances, storage for short periods or on a seasonal/annual basis and creating a hydrogen (H2) distribution network suitable for the various types of applications, are fundamental elements of the H2 supply chain. This is a complex system which must make use of a coordinating set of methodologies and not develop only some elements. R&D in this area, alongside more established methodologies, must also include those under development that allow for a wider field of use of H2 in the future.
For applications such as large-scale industrial processes (refineries, steel mills, paper mills, chemical industries) a massive and continuous supply of hydrogen is required. This requires the integration of clean hydrogen (produced on site) with H2 transmission and distribution systems (in a blend with natural gas, or in dedicated hydrogen pipelines) and with transport/accumulation systems that allow for the safe storage of large quantities capable of ensuring the continuity of operations. This type of storage can be carried out on the ground (more difficult, given the safety limits and high costs) or with underground storage, or through the use of liquid hydrogen carriers which allow both transport and safe storage.
The most developed technology is that of hydrogenation/dehydrogenation of organic molecules (Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier, LOHC).
Storage in the form of NH3, liquefiable at low pressures and on which an extensive system of transport/storage solutions already exists, allows three advantages: i) much higher storage, around 18% by weight; ii) avoid the need to transport the product back once the H2 is released, as the N2 can be withdrawn and returned to the atmosphere (therefore preferable for mobile applications); iii) the possibility of its direct synthesis from N2, H2O and renewable energy, with improved efficiency. Other CO2 hydrogenation molecules (methanol, dimethylether) do not have sufficient reversibility as H2 carriers but it can be used as an alternative to H2 in various applications.
The aim of this PhD is to develop an efficient technology for hydrogenate/dehydrogenate bio-compound for LOHC use. The investigation will include the characterisation of process intensification technologies, studying their performance during the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions.
Candidates should have a relevant first-class degree or first or upper-second-class degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science/Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or related disciplines.
Good oral and written communication skills with the ability to prepare presentations, reports, and journal papers to the highest levels of quality.
Good interpersonal skills to work effectively in a team consisting of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.
This project is funded by Lancaster University. The studentship will cover UK fees plus the standard maintenance stipend (stipend rate for 23/24 academic year is £18,622 per year tax-free). The successful candidate could start in October 2023.
For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Giuseppe Bagnato (g.bagnato@lancaster.ac.uk ). Candidates interested in applying should send a copy of their CV together with a personal statement/covering letter addressing their background and suitability for this project to Dr Bagnato.
The Materials Science, based at Lancaster University is an interdisciplinary institute tackling grand challenges in society and industry. The Institute has 9 fully-funded 3 year PhD studentships available to start in October 2020. The studentships are part of the £4.4m Greater Innovation for Smarter Materials Optimisation (GISMO) Project. GISMO is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and will engage over 250 innovative SMEs in the Cheshire and Warrington area, in the chemicals, aerospace, automotive, energy, applied healthcare, and life sciences sectors, solving industry-driven challenges through innovations in 'smart' materials.
To register your interest in a PhD opportunity, please email the relevant project supervisor with your contact details and a comprehensive CV. Please also include a covering letter, if requested in the advert details.
The project supervisor will contact you and may invite you to hold a Skype or telephone interview. At this stage, you can apply for more than one advertised project if you wish.
If you are successful at interview for the studentship, you will be invited to apply via the admissions portal online. This will ensure that you receive a formal offer of admission. Please submit one application only, and state the studentship that you have applied for in the source of funding section.
Once we have made a formal offer, you will need to check the conditions in your offer letter and supply any outstanding documents by the required deadlines. If your offer is unconditional, then this will not apply to you.