Fully Funded Swansea University and STRIP5 Prosperity Partnership PhD Scholarship: Circular Economy, Sustainability and Resource Availability Mapping for Metal Substrate Perovskite Solar Cells

Funding providers: Swansea University's Faculty of Science and Engineering, and STRIP5 Prosperity Partnership

Subject areas: Photovoltaics, perovskites, international development, sustainability and circular economy

Project start date: 

• 1 April 2024 (preferred start date) (Enrolment open from mid–March)
• 1 July 2024 (Enrolment open from mid-June)
• 1 October 2024 (Enrolment open from mid-September)

Project description: 

This 4-year PhD position offers an exciting opportunity to join the STRIPS Project (Swansea Tata Research and Innovation Prosperity Partnership for Printed Perovskite PV) and the newly established UNESCO Chair at Swansea University, focusing on 'Sustainable Energy Technologies' for the Global South. As part of the STRIPS project, which encompasses 4-6 PhD studentships across 5 research groups in Swansea, all commencing in 2024, you will be an integral part of a dynamic doctoral cohort. This unique opportunity provides the successful candidate with the chance to collaborate not only with peers in Swansea but also with partners across the UK and of the UNESCO Chair globally, fostering a rich and diverse research environment.

Your role will delve into remanufacturing approaches for perovskite solar cells, emphasizing processes like maintenance, refurbishment, recycling, and waste transformation into manufacturing feedstocks. Through extensive testing and analysis, including photovoltaic device testing, time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, imaging, XRD, and SEM, you'll contribute to understanding photochemistry, morphology, and uniformity of remanufactured perovskite solar cells.

The project aims to quantify sustainability benefits, providing recommendations for eco-designed photovoltaic systems, materials recovery, and substitution. As a critical aspect, your work will align with circular economy principles, fostering resource security and commercial viability for STRIPS technologies. Candidates with expertise or a keen interest in perovskite photovoltaics, photochemical characterisation, lifecycle analysis, international development, and circular economy principles are encouraged to apply.

Recognizing the environmental impacts of emerging photovoltaic technologies, your research will address the need for full lifecycle optimisation, challenging the current linear design of renewable energy technologies. The goal is to innovate towards a circular economy, minimising production-related environmental impacts and optimising circular processes.

This PhD Scholarship will contribute to the Swansea University UNESCO Chair's mission to advance research and training, promoting international cooperation to address global challenges and contribute to Sustainable Development Goals. Collaborating with renowned groups, you'll be based at Swansea University's Bay Campus, working within the research groups led by Prof Matthew Davies (UNESCO Chair) and Dr Francisco Martin-Martinez (UNESCO Chair Partner).

Eligibility

Candidates must hold an Upper Second Class (2.1) honours degree in Engineering or similar relevant science discipline. If you are eligible to apply for the scholarship (i.e. a student who is eligible to pay the UK rate of tuition fees) but do not hold a UK degree, you can check our comparison entry requirements. Please note that you may need to provide evidence of your English Language proficiency. 

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.