Project details
Do you have a passion to develop the next generation batteries? Did you ever thought of making batteries that is safer, more efficient and can help achieving better performance for electric vehicles and energy storage application? If so, perhaps this fully funded PhD studentship is available for you. Bournemouth University is teaming with ambitious industrial partner, Arkimedes B.V. (The Netherlands), to develop new types of solid-electrolytes to build next generation solid state batteries. The project is multidisciplinary and covers aspects of chemistry, chemical engineering, physics and materials science. Main focus will be on developing novel synthesis method and while making the industrial processing easier. The synthesized electrolytes will be characterized using X-rays, SEM, electrochemical methods (impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry etc.) and tested in various half and full cell battery configurations to find compatible electrode materials.
The PhD student will be embedded in the advanced materials lab at the Bournemouth University under the supervision of by Dr. Amor Abdelkader) and co-supervised by Remco van der Jagt and Dr. Deepak Singh at the Arkimedes (The Netherlands).
The PhD student is expected to have secondment and frequent visit to industrial partner in the Netherlands, and will also have an opportunity to partaking experiments in the UK and abroad. The PhD candidate will receive extensive training in a range of state-of-the-art research techniques via course work, conferences and collaborations, which are directly applicable to a career in academia or industry.
View full project description (pdf 269kb)
The closing date for applications is 30 June 2024.
Supervisors
Amor Abdelkader received his PhD degree (2011) in Materials Science and Metallurgy from the University of Cambridge supervised by Professor Derek Fray, FRS. He then moved to study self-healing materials with Professor Sybrand van der Zwaag at the Delft University of Technology. In 2012, he Joined the school of materials at the University of Manchester to work in the graphene technologies. He then moved to the National Graphene Institute to work with Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov (a Nobel laureate in physics). Amor returned to Cambridge in 2016 where he was working with Professor Andrea Ferrari at the Cambridge Graphene Centre. In 2017, Amor was appointed as an associate professor of advanced materials at Bournemouth University. He has published over 40 papers, 20 patents, and 1 book chapter. His research activities cover a broad spectrum of materials topics ranging from newly discovered nanomaterials to traditional engineering materials such as alloys and ceramics. He also has a keen interest in the carbon dioxide sequestration.
Funding
A fully-funded Studentship includes a maintenance grant of £18,622 per year to contribute towards living expenses during the course of your research, as well as a fee waiver for 36 months.
Associated costs, such as for fieldwork and conference attendance, will also be met under the Studentship.
Academic support
The Research Development Programme, developed by the Doctoral College in line with the Researcher Development Framework (Vitae).An added benefit is the opportunity to meet researchers from other academic schools at BU through the activities of the Doctoral College and benefit from their experiences, skills, and perspectives.
Full entry requirements
The BU PhD and MRes Studentships are open to UK, EU and International students.
Candidates for a PhD Studentship should demonstrate outstanding qualities and be motivated to complete a PhD in 4 years and must demonstrate:
- Outstanding academic potential as measured normally by either a 1st class honours degree (or equivalent Grade Point Average (GPA) or a Master’s degree with distinction or equivalent
- An IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 minimum (with a minimum 6.0 in each component, or equivalent) for candidates for whom English is not their first language and this must be evidenced at point of application.
In addition to satisfying minimum entry criteria, BU will look closely at the qualities, skills and background of each candidate and what they can bring to their chosen research project in order to ensure successful completion.
Applicants will be asked to submit an online application form and a proposal (approximately 1500 words) outlining their understanding of the project for which they are applying, the approach they would envisage taking and what qualities they will bring to the research community.
Please note:
- current BU Doctoral students are not eligible to apply for a Studentship
- current MRes/MPhil students can apply, subject to satisfactory completion of their Research Degree prior to being able to take up the award
- PhD Studentships cannot be used to support BU staff to complete doctoral programmes.
International entry requirements
If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:
IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 (with a minimum 6.0 in each component) or equivalent.
View further information about our English language requirements.
A number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes are offered through our partner institution, Bournemouth University International College, and will get you ready for study at BU at the appropriate level.
You can also find further details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our postgraduate entry requirements page.
How to apply
Click the green ‘Apply now’ button at the top of the page and complete the online application form. You can find further guidance about applying for a postgraduate research degree in our Postgraduate Research section.
The closing date for applications 30 June 2024.
Careers
A research degree can open new career opportunities in commercial research and development, consultancy, or could lead you to starting your own business. You may alternatively consider a career in academia. You may wish to undertake research to contribute to your knowledge of a specialist subject, or develop your employability by enhancing your skills in project management and analysis.
