Principal Investigator, Professor Richard Harper.

Lancaster University’s Leverhulme Doctoral Training Centre in Material Social Futures is a major new strategic collaborative partnership between two of the university’s recently formed research Institutes – the Institute for Social Futures and the Material Science Institute. PhD researchers in the centre will be drawn from across the university’s academic departments and will join teams who examine different ways of creating more sustainable and socially beneficial futures. While developing their own disciplinary tools, Material Social Futures research PhDs will bring together concepts and approaches from the across the social, engineering and materials sciences to help produce futures that people want and the world needs.

The centre will operate for seven years, commencing in October 2017. In all, up to 21 Scholarships will be awarded. Scholarships include all fees, a full maintenance stipend for three years equivalent to EPSRC/ESRC rates, and extensive financial support for research expenses, conference attendance and other activities at standard levels with opportunities for extensive further support. The centre will also host numerous international visitors and scholars over its lifecycle and will run summer schools and public engagement events related to its research. The centre will be based at Lancaster’s Bailrigg Campus.

Initial Scholarships are being awarded in:

• Sociology and physics in the area of data storage and nanotechnology (contact Dr Nicola Spurling, Professor Richard Harper, Dr Ben Robinson or Dr Samuel Jarvis). See the call here.
• In chemistry and computer science on the topic of new post-cobalt battery technologies (contact Dr Kathryn Toghill, Dr Nuria Tapiaruiz, Dr P.Garraghan or Professor Richard Harper.
• In energy production and in particular at the intersection of public understanding of and long-term research in, nuclear fuels and its substitutes. (Contact Dr Emily Spiers, Professor Rebecca Braun or Dr Sam Murphy)

Further information about the centre, its research agenda, its developing research corpus, or to apply for a PhD Scholarship please contact the centre Director, Professor Richard Harper of the Institute for Social Futures, or Professor Rob Short of the Institute of Materials Science, or follow through the links above.

The Leverhulme Trust was established by the Will of William Hesketh Lever, the founder of Lever Brothers. Since 1925 the Trust has provided grants and scholarships for research and education. Today, it is one of the largest all-subject providers of research funding in the UK, distributing approximately £80m a year. For more information about the Trust, please visit www.leverhulme.ac.uk