Overview

The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Renewable Energy Northeast Universities (ReNU) is a collaborative doctoral training programme run by the Universities of Northumbria, Newcastle and Durham. In addition to undertaking an individual scientific research project described below at one of the three partner Universities, doctoral candidates will engage with added value training opportunities for example in business, innovation and internationalisation through a 4-year training programme that has been designed to maximise the benefits of a cohort approach to doctoral training.

As part of ReNU you will work on improving the performance of energy storage devices, such as batteries. This is a fundamental stepping-stone to achieve a carbon neutral economy, as these devices are needed to offset the intermittency in energy production from renewable resources and to manufacture electric vehicle. To this end, new cathode materials with higher capacity than those commercially available are needed. Disorder rocksalt oxides and oxyfluorides (DRX) have been identified as a promising class of cathode materials.

As part of your studentship:

• you will become a member of an inclusive and interdisciplinary team of physcists, material scientists and chemists, to lead the development of ball milling and polymer assisted deposition methods for the synthesis of DRX materials

• you will characterise these materials using a suite of techniques, such as electrochemical methods, X-ray diffraction, and in-operando X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.

Number Of Awards: 1

Start Date: September 2022 

Award Duration: 4 years

Application Closing Date: Sunday 6 Feb 2022

Sponsor

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

Supervisors

Dr Elisabetta Arca, Dr Erli Lu

Eligibility Criteria

•  Academic excellence 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.

• Academic excellence in an appropriate subject area relevant to proposed project.

• The award is available to UK and international applicants

• If English is not your first language, you must have IELTS 6.5 overall (with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills)

How To Apply

Applicant should include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words and include the advert reference number.

You must apply through the University’s online postgraduate application system. To do this please ‘Create an account’. All relevant fields marked with a red asterisk must to be completed. You will need to:

• Insert the programme code 8208F in the programme of study section

• Select PhD Energy Materials as the programme of study

• Insert the advert reference number renu2206 in the studentship/partnership reference field

• Attach a covering letter and CV, quote code renu2206, and state how your interests and experience relate to the project

• Attach degree transcripts and certificates and, if English is not your first language, a copy of your English language qualifications