Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Sustainable Production of Chemicals and Materials

The University of Aberdeen has been awarded over £1million in funding to establish a centre that will train a new generation of researchers to develop technologies that convert organic waste into sustainable materials.

The University is one of only ten universities across the UK to receive a prestigious Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship Award, which will fund 15 doctoral scholarships across three cohorts.

The multi-disciplinary Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) will equip a new generation of researchers with the skills and knowledge to deliver the sustainable production of chemicals and materials from organic waste. It will also evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of developing such technologies.

Their research will focus on the conversion of unavoidable organic waste into essential chemicals and materials (e.g. fuels, fertilisers, pharmaceuticals, construction materials) via anaerobic digestion followed by separation and chemical conversion of the products.

The interdisciplinary research programme will involve the University’s Schools of Engineering, Business, Biological Sciences, Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Natural and Computing Sciences and Social Science.

Examples of Specific projects to benefit from the new funding include:

• production of essential chemicals from biomass using renewable energy
• utilisation of carbon dioxide to produce materials with negative carbon impact
• assessment of the environmental impact and economics of the proposed processes and the new policies that will be needed to be developed to allow for the large shift in resources used and manufacturing processes.

The PhD students will be provided training on the fundamental engineering, economic and political science required to move towards the use of these renewable feedstocks for the production of chemicals and materials in a sustainable, environmentally friendly and economically competitive way.

Funding Notes

Leverhulme Doctoral Scholars will receive maintenance costs at Research Council rates, tuition fees at the rate for UK/EU students and research and training expenses for three years. In 2019-20 the maintenance grant for full-time students was £15,009 per annum. International applicants who can pay the difference between the Home and International Fees would also be welcome to apply.

Fully-Funded Projects

FEES ONLY Projects