Materials Engineering: Fully Funded Swansea University and EPSRC PhD Scholarship: Next generation photovoltaics: Powering the Internet of Things

Funding providers: Swansea University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

Subject areas: Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Electronic Engineering

Project start date: 

• 1 April 2023 (Enrolment open from mid-March)
• 1 July 2023 (Enrolment open from mid-June)

Project supervisors: 

• Professor Matt Carnie
• Professor Trystan Watson

Aligned programme of study: PhD in Materials Engineering

Mode of study: Full-time

Project description: 

Next generation photovoltaics including organic, perovskite and dye-sensitized solar cells have superior low-light energy harvesting capabilities. This makes these technologies eminently suited to power the next generation of self-powered internet of things (IoT) devices. This will avoid the need to replace or remove batteries to recharge saving energy, scarce materials and ultimately helping to reduce the carbon-footprint of such devices. The PhD project is closely aligned with ATIP a £6M Program Grant funded by EPSRC and led by Swansea University, in close collaboration with Imperial College London and Oxford University and GENERATION, a new £1M project to develop energy harvesting technologies for the benefit of an ageing population.

We are seeking one PhD candidate to support the project. The ideal candidate will be able to work in a cross-disciplinary environment, drawing on the expertise of researchers, and developing their own expertise in the manufacture and characterisation of energy-harvesting solar cells and modules that have been designed specifically for low-light energy harvesting. The candidate will investigate the low-light performance and operating physics of the photovoltaics cells and provide photovoltaic modules to our team of electronic engineers who will integrate them into real-World IoT devices.

Eligibility

Candidates must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Electrical & Electronic Engineering (EEE) or related engineering and science subjects. For bachelor’s degrees a minimum of a 2:1 is normally required but this can be lowered to a 2:2 if the candidate can demonstrate relevant practical experience in the fields outlined above.

English Language requirements: If applicable – IELTS 6.5 overall (with at least 5.5 in each individual component) or Swansea recognised equivalent.

Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only, as defined by UKCISA regulations.