PhD Opportunities

Funded Postgraduate Research Vacancies
Below, you can find out more about our currently available funded postgraduate research positions, including eligibility criteria and funding details.
(Information within this section is correct as of 29th March 2022)

The global effort to improve air quality and the associated implementation of emission regulations have been major driving factors for the development and adoption of new after-treatment technologies for automotive vehicles.
Since the conception of these standards, the automotive industry has been required to invest extensively in the development of improved catalysts and control systems that meet the increasingly stringent pollutant limits.
This is particularly important with the anticipated introduction of Euro 7 standards around 2025, which are expected to require further reductions in emissions limits while increasing the number of regulated pollutants and extending the operating limits over which the vehicle must comply. In effect, they require zero toxic emissions from the vehicle over its lifetime. The use of advanced simulation tools is crucial to the successful achievement of these requirements.
This 3-year PhD project, will involved the investigation of a range of Euro7 catalysts with the aim of developing a predictive model of tailpipe emissions. It will make use of the unique combination of experimental equipment that is available in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
This project is an exciting research collaboration between the Reaction Engineering, Aftertreatment and Catalysis Technologies group and Ford Motor Company. It is funded through a CASE studentship and will build on the 25-year relationship between Queen’s University Belfast and the company. It is expected that the successful student will spend some time at one of Ford’s research facilities during the project and will benefit from the extensive networking opportunities that this experience affords.
Eligibility
- Due to funding restrictions, the position is only available for UK-resident candidates
- Candidates must possess or expect to obtain, a 2:1 or first-class degree in an Engineering or Physical Sciences related discipline
- Full eligibility information can be viewed via https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/department-economy-studentships
- Candidates must be available to start the post by October 2022 at the latest
The project’s funding will cover the tuition fees and a tax-free stipend of approximately £15,285 per annum for up to 3 years.
Closing date
Friday 15th July 2022
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via the University's Postgraduate Application Portal.
More Information
For more information please contact: Prof Alex Goguet (a.goguet@qub.ac.uk) or Dr Geoffrey McCullough (g.mccullough@qub.ac.uk).

Redox flow batteries (RFB) are a promising technology for stationary energy storage systems which will become a real necessity as we transition to a low-carbon energy landscape that relies more heavily on intermittent renewable energy. We have recently developed a 3D-printing platform to produce laboratory-scale RFB test cells, demonstrating leak tightness, chemical stability, and versatility with regards to cavity thickness and internal manifold design. Importantly, these cells have demonstrated, through rapid prototyping, improved performance versus a commercially available test cell. Common designs are flow-by and flow-through configurations, the latter of which is the industry standard and the focus of this study.
This PhD project aims to investigate redox electrolyte flow in bespoke miniaturised operando flow cells as a function of internal manifold, compression, flow rate and current density. Customised, high-fidelity 3D-printed cells have been shown to provide excellent leak tightness and chemical compatibility, and their polymeric structure and versatile design make them amenable to high throughput X-ray computed tomography experiments, as well as complementary operando spectroscopic techniques such as XPS, UV/Vis and Raman microscopy. This allows the impact of manifold design and compression on electrolyte utilisation in operating cells to be probed, a remaining challenge in the field towards increasing performance and lowering costs.
The effects of internal manifold design, particularly as a function of cell compression, on the flow distribution and electrode porosity saturation remains poorly understood in an operating cell. This studentship will aim to establish the relationship between macro-parameters, the microporous flow regime, and the electrochemical performance by imaging miniature operando cells with high temporal resolution, appropriate spatial resolution to capture an RVE and with sufficient resolution and contrast to characterise electrolyte flow. In parallel, spectroscopic techniques (UV-VIS, Raman microscopy, EPR) will be conducted. EXAFS at synchrotron facilities (Diamond Light Source, Oxfordshire) will be employed for monitoring the local oxidation state of the redox species. The results of these spectroscopic techniques, together with the computational modelling will then feed into improved cell designs, which will then be experimentally validated.
The PhD student will work in close collaboration with the industrial partner and will have the possibility to spend up to 6 months at the Shell Technology Centre Amsterdam (STCA), Netherlands (funded). The student will work there closely with a team of international redox flow battery experts and will have access to Shell’s high-end, state-of-the-art energy and lab facilities.
The PhD student will receive extensive training and access to this facility over the full time of the studentship, which is a unique opportunity, since access to high-spec micro-CT instruments is normally limited to a few places worldwide, and access & operation are very costly. The student will moreover present and discuss progress in monthly meetings with the academic supervisory team and a team of energy storage experts from Shell. These meetings will provide additional technical feedback and an industrial perspective to the research.
The ideal candidate should enjoy working in a multi-disciplinary field of energy storage that ranges from inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry to analytical techniques, additive manufacturing and aspects of design & engineering. Team-working qualities, clear communication skills and the ability to learn and develop new techniques are key for a successful candidate. Co-supervisors for this project are Dr Oana Istrate (MAE) and Dr Stephen Glover (MAE).
Eligibility
- Due to funding restrictions, the position is only available for UK-resident candidates
- Candidates must possess or expect to obtain, a 2:1 or first-class degree in Chemistry or closely related discipline
- Full eligibility information can be viewed via https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/department-economy-studentships
- Candidates must be available to start the post by October 2022 at the latest
The project’s funding will cover the tuition fees and a tax-free stipend of approximately £15,285 per annum for up to 3 years.
Closing date
Friday 15th July 2022
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via the University's Postgraduate Application Portal.
More Information
For more information please contact: Prof. Peter Nockemann (p.nockemann@qub.ac.uk)
OTHER POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH VACANCIES
Other available postgraduate research opportunities at the School can be found below - simply select the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from the "All Schools" dropdown menu to view available projects.