Academic supervisors: Dr Andrea Hamilton, Strathclyde University
                                       Professor Mohamed Saafi, University of Lancaster

Industrial supervisor: John Riding, Sellafield Ltd. 

A fully funded PhD scholarship is available within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Strathclyde on the development of advanced sensor technologies and smart materials for encapsulated waste forms.

The Engineering faculty at Strathclyde is world renowned for innovation, close collaboration with industry and state of the art laboratory facilities for sensor development, imaging and testing. This 3 year PhD studentship will be carried out in collaboration with Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the National Nuclear Laboratory.  The project will offer the successful candidate access to internationally leading laboratories and is an excellent training / research opportunity for a talented scientist/engineer with an interest in materials.  It is also an excellent introduction to the nuclear industry and will give the successful candidate the opportunity to work as part of a team of interdisciplinary researchers.  

This PhD project particularly focuses on the design, fabrication and evaluation of moisture/anion sensors for embedding in hydroceramic waste forms and civil structures at Sellafield.  Dealing safely with heritage nuclear waste is a huge issue for many countries and is an important topic for national health and security. The embeddable sensors will be developed using systems such as graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS).

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has recently moved into custom-built laboratories with integrated facilities for advanced sensor technologies, nanotechnology, micro fabrication, structural and geomechanics research.

Candidates should hold a an upper second class or first class Honours Degree from a UK institution (or EU equivalent) in the area of electrical and electronic engineering, physics or materials science.

The studentship is open to UK or EU candidates only and will cover all UK/EU fees plus an annual stipend of £13,726 per annum (paid monthly) for 3 years.

If you are interested in this position, please email a CV and covering letter to andrea.hamilton@strath.ac.uk and lisa.lyons@strath.ac.uk.  Please title your email “sensor technology PhD”. The closing date for this position is Friday 27^th March 2015.