PhD Studentship–Computational Design of Solid-State Battery Materials

Award Summary

100% home tuition fees covered and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £19,237 (2024/25 UKRI rate).

Overview

Achievement of net-zero target requires electrification of end use applications such as the energy grid and transportation sector. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery is the technology of choice for this. However, the commercial standard requires the use of highly flammable and corrosive liquid electrolytes. To improve safety and stability, solid-state batteries and new solid electrolyte materials must be developed.

During your PhD, you will develop theoretical expertise in the field of solid electrolyte technologies. You will learn how to carry out atomic-scale simulations of a variety of topical solid electrolytes (oxides, sulfides and halides) and their nano/microstructures using a combination of density functional theory, classical molecular dynamics and other complimentary computational methods.

Solid-state batteries are a rapidly emerging technology with the potential to revolutionise energy storage. Our objective, in collaboration with world-leading experimental partners, is to develop and apply state-of-the-art computational and experimental techniques to provide a fundamental understanding of ion transport at the microscale of solid electrolytes for solid-state batteries. Such an understanding will allow for the design of solid electrolyte microstructures that promote ion transport instead of restricting it.

The studentships will be based in the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Newcastle University with Dr James A Dawson. The successful candidates will be part of a large group working on solid-state batteries as part of the UKRI Frontier Research Grant “AMPed”.

Number Of Awards

3

Start Date

16th September 2024

Award Duration

3 Years

Application Closing Date

30th April 2024

Sponsor

UKRI Frontier Research Grant

Supervisors

Dr. James Dawson

Eligibility Criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project, i.e., chemistry, physics, materials science and/or engineering. Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements.

The studentship covers fees at the Home rate (UK and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status and meet the residency criteria). International applicants are welcome to apply but will be required to cover the difference between Home and International fees. Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills.

International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme ) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme. 

How To Apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal  

Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.  

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:  

·        search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8100F

·        Research Area: Materials Modelling/Computational Chemistry

·        select ‘PhD Chemistry (full time)’ as the programme of study 

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:  

·        a ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) - upload a document or write a statement directly in to the application form  

·        the studentship code SNES290 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field  

·        when prompted for how you are providing your research proposal - select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.  

You must submit one application per studentship, you cannot apply for multiple studentships on one application.

Contact Details

Dr James Dawson: [email protected]