About the Project
Applications are invited for a three year Postgraduate studentship, supported by the School of Engineering and Applied Science, to be undertaken within the within the European Bioenergy Research Institute (http://www.aston.ac.uk/eas/research/groups/ebri/) at Aston University under the supervision of Dr Georgios Kyriakou, Professor Karen Wilson and Dr Rob Evans. The successful applicant will join an established experimental group working on heterogeneous catalysis.
The position is available to start in October 2017 (subject to negotiation)
Financial SupportThis studentship includes a fee bursary to cover the home/EU fees rate, plus a maintenance allowance of £14,553 in 2017/18.
Overseas ApplicantsApplicants from outside the EU may apply for this studentship but will need to pay the difference between the ‘Home/EU’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees, currently this is £12,005 in 2017/18.
As part of the application you will be required to confirm that you have applied for, or, secured this additional funding.
Background of the ProjectThe future, sustainability and commercial exploitation of bio-based industries will be highly dependent on the development of advanced catalytic processes capable of selectively transforming biomass to products and fuels. This project will explore the synthesis and characterization of single atom alloy and core-shell bimetallic particles which will be used as catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of biomass platform molecules to useful chemicals. It will further focus on understanding the mechanism of hydrogen activation and will develop and refine diffusion NMR techniques for the characterisation of the nanoparticles. The student will be part of the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) programme http://www.era.ac.uk/.
ERA is a cross-disciplinary energy innovation hub which brings together capital assets, data and intellectual leadership to foster collaboration between academia and business to accelerate the development of solutions to the global energy challenge. Building on existing programmes and academic expertise across the partnership, universities within ERA have committed over £2m for doctoral students as a critical part of the ERA skills agenda.
Delivered through Innovate UK, the government has committed an initial capital investment of £60m, and ERA has secured private sector co-investment of £120m. ERA’s initial priorities of Geo-Energy Systems, Integrated Energy Systems and Thermal Energy will help deliver the new technologies and behaviours that will open the avenues for its future development.
Person SpecificationThe successful applicant should have a first class or upper second class honours degree or equivalent qualification in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a relevant discipline. Preferred skill requirements include knowledge/experience in nanoparticle synthesis, catalyst characterization, and analytical chemistry.
We would particularly like to encourage applications from women seeking to progress their academic careers. Aston University is committed to the principles of the Athena SWAN Charter, recognised recently by a prestigious Silver Award to EAS, and we pride ourselves on our vibrant, friendly and supportive working environment and family atmosphere.
For informal enquiries about this project and other opportunities within the European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI), contact Dr Georgios Kyriakou by email: [Email Address Removed].
The online application form, reference forms and details of entry requirements, including English language are available here:
http://www1.aston.ac.uk/eas/research/prospective-research-students/how-to-apply/
Applications must also be accompanied by a research proposal giving an overview of the main themes of the research, and explaining how your knowledge and experience will benefit the project.
Closing Date: 26/05/17
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