Postgraduate research & PhD opportunities

This PhD will explore how bacterially generated materials can be modified by incorporation of polymers and nanoparticles to enhance their mechanical properties. In this way, bacterially generated materials could be modified for specific tasks, such as earthquake and weather resistance.

Bio-deterioration of concrete strongly affects much of our built heritage and is particularly notable in wet territories like the UK or South East Asia. How to effectively solve bio-deterioration of concrete sculptures and buildings is an environmental, societal and scientific challenge.

The project focuses on laboratory and field investigation of the effects of root architecture on evapotranspiration processes and hydraulic conductivity of the rhizosphere. This is aimed at designing remedial measures to prevent diffuse shallow landsliding.

This PhD will practically explore how robotically applied sensors, repairs and smart materials can be used to enhance the integrity and safety of civil infrastructure.

This PhD project will assess the effects of air pollutant exposure on the efficacy of medical treatments for respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, in collaboration with and the NHS in Scotland and Ricardo Energy & Environment.

There is growing research interest in exploiting biologically-mediated mineral precipitation to develop new methods for nuclear waste treatment. This PhD project will investigate using bacterial apatites to remove radionuclides, such as 3H and 36Cl from gaseous and aqueous waste streams.

The aim of this project is to develop a practical approach to estimate the economic value of data used within engineering seismology, i.e. the assessment of the earthquake loading that a structure or infrastructure may be subjected to during its lifetime.

Many naturally occurring heat sources are accessed using EGS technology, one of the challenges in this technology is mineral precipitation. This project aims to understand how the precipitation (nucleation) of these minerals occurs in different rock types.

Geothermal energy represents a real and exciting opportunity to decarbonise the heat sector. This PhD project will investigate existing, and develop new methodologies to optimise exploration and de-risk development of deep hot sedimentary aquifers.

This PhD studentship will focus on conducting a micro-scale experimental investigations of crack initiation in clays, to characterize the cracking micro-mechanism occurring when exposed to CO2. The PhD student will be involved in the activities of the International Research Centre for Clay Micromechanics.

Thermal energy storage in flooded mines represents an exciting opportunity to decarbonise the heating and cooling sector. This PhD project will investigate feasibility of long (e.g. seasonal) and short (e.g. diurnal) term thermal storage in a single shaft system. It will be in partnership with the Coal Authority.

One of the challenges in enhanced geothermal system (EGS) technology is mineral precipitation, e.g. formation of carbonates or low solubility sulfates, that can block pores and hence hinder extraction. This project aims to understand how the precipitation (nucleation) of these minerals occurs in different rock types.

This exciting PhD project will explore how cognitive and physical bias in fracture data collection (at different scales of enquiry) affect fracture presentation in geological models and, critically, how these uncertainties influence model outcomes for geoenergy and engineering applications.

This joint university/industry PhD is aimed at advancing the state-of-the-art in automated ground modelling of offshore wind farms. The project seeks to develop a rigorous, statistical framework to automatically combine geophysical & geotechnical data to improve the quality of the ground model for an offshore windfarm.