PhD Studentship in Advanced Battery Technologies

UCL Department / Division
Department of Chemical Engineering
Location of position
London
Duration of Studentship
3.5 years
Stipend
£17,983 per annum
Vacancy Information
UCL Chemical Engineering is a world-leading centre for research in electrochemical technology and home to the Electrochemical Innovation Lab. The Electrochemical Innovation Lab (EIL) is an internationally leading hub for research in electrochemical science and engineering. The EIL’s approach is to embody scientific, engineering and commercial thinking in the research phase. In this way the EIL identifies commercial opportunities early, considers the engineering and commercial implications of the science and builds research programmes to accelerate the science into commercial products. The Department of Chemical Engineering at University College London (UCL) is seeking up to 4 students to work on PhD projects related to advanced batteries. The projects will be aligned to the UK’s recent investment in battery technologies through the Faraday Challenge, and will benefit from close interaction with industry. The projects are focused on:
Development and Characterisation of metallic electrodes for rechargeable batteries (Contact: Paul Shearing – [email protected] ).
Understanding of battery degradation using advanced imaging, diffraction and modelling tools (Contact: Rhod Jervis – [email protected] ).
Development of new architectures for metal-air batteries (Contact: Paul Shearing – [email protected] ).
Multi-scale modelling of batteries (Contact: Dan Brett – [email protected] ).
Studentship Description
Li-ion batteries have revolutionised modern life, and will continue to shape the way we live, from advanced batteries for automotive applications, to off grid micro-generation systems to power our homes. In the coming years, the demanding applications proposed for advanced batteries span mW to MW applications, with various requirements to operate under extremes of temperature and pressure. As emerging battery chemistries emerge, the ability to rapidly translate lab discoveries to real-world application is critical. In these projects, we will build upon our extensive experimental and modelling work in characterisation of advanced batteries, contributing to the development of safe, low cost, high durability energy storage aligned with the goals of The Faraday Challenge.
Person Specification
Candidates are expected to have or expected to obtain a first degree in chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science, physics or associated discipline, proficiency in conducting scientific experiments, prior experimental research experience and commitment to the highest quality research. More requirements can be found in the job description.
Eligibility
Please note that due to funding restrictions the post is funded for UK citizens, however if a student is able to fund the difference between overseas and home fees themselves, overseas candidates may apply. The successful applicant must hold (or soon be expecting to obtain) a 1st, 2:1 (and/or M.Sc.) in a relevant scientific or engineering discipline (e.g. chemical engineering, chemistry, physics, materials) and be a UK citizen (or be able to self-fund overseas fees). The closing date for applications by email is 31st March 2022, however the position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found.
Applications should be submitted through: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/adminsys/search
Please nominate Professor Paul Shearing, Professor Dan Brett, or Dr Rhod Jervis as supervisor depending on your project of interest, and include a cover letter.
In addition to your application, please also send a CV and cover letter to Claire Saunders  [email protected] .
Contact name
Claire Saunders
Contact details
[email protected]
UCL Taking Action for Equality
Closing Date
31 Mar 2022
Latest time for the submission of applications
23:59
Interview date
TBC
Studentship Start Date
26th September 2022