Welcome

The Leverhulme Centre for Material Social Futures Research

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. PhD researchers in the centre will be drawn from the university’s academic departments and will join teams examining different ways of creating more sustainable and socially beneficial futures. While developing their disciplinary tools, Material Social Futures research PhDs will bring together concepts and approaches from 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 2018. 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, extensive financial support for research expenses, conference attendance and other activities at standard levels, and opportunities for comprehensive further support. The centre will also host numerous international visitors and scholars over its lifecycle and 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 the following:

• The Future of Data Storage and the Future of Data Need: a PhD in Design and HCI
• The Future of Data Storage and the Future of Data Need: a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction(HCI)
• Sociology and physics in data storage and nanotechnology (contact Dr Nicola Spurling, Professor Richard Harper, Dr Ben Robinson or Dr Samuel Jarvis).
• The social lives of batteries and electric cars
• Sustainable use of Plastics
• In chemistry and computer science of new post-cobalt battery technologies (contact Dr Kathryn Toghill, Dr Nuria Tapiaruiz, Dr P. Garraghan or Professor Richard Harper.
• In energy production, particularly at the intersection of public understanding of and long-term research, nuclear fuels and their substitutes. (Contact Dr Emily Spiers, Professor Rebecca Braun or Dr Sam Murphy). For further information about the centre, its research agenda, its developing research corpus, or to apply for a PhD Scholarship, please get in touch with 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.