PhD Studentship Development of Water-Soluble and Biodegradable Detergent Ingredients from CO2 and Bio-renewable Sources

Award summary

100% fees (Home & international), a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £18,622 (2023/24 UKRI rate), and a research training support grant of £20,000.

Overview

The PINZ CDT will train the next generation of process and chemical engineers, and chemists, to develop the new processes, process technologies and green chemistries required for the process industries’ transition to Net Zero.

Fast moving consumer good, such as fabric and home care products, have a high market volume and can contribute positively for industrial and consumer sustainability. This project is co-funded by Procter and Gamble and will be focused on the development of novel renewable and biodegradable water-soluble detergent ingredients through a circular economy approach.

The candidate will research CO2 activation and conversion techniques and exploit bio-renewable platform molecules in Newcastle University, with a specific focus on catalysis, molecular functionality creation, and production pathways development.

The candidate will access to Procter and Gamble’s R&D facility in Newcastle, and explore application of the novel ingredients in fabric and home care products.

You will be co-supervised by Academic supervisor from Newcastle University and Industrial supervisors from Procter and Gamble. Project co-creation with our industrial partners will guarantee the industrial relevance and impact of the research. Some projects will also be in collaboration with our partners at the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence at University of York.

You will also be taught a range of skills to complement, drive and strengthen your research: life-cycle analysis, techno-economic analysis, digital and business skills, ethics etc.

Number of awards: 1

Start date: 17^th September 2024

Award duration: 4 years

Sponsor: EPSRC

Supervisors

Academic supervisor: Dr Fernando Russo Abegão and Prof Kamelia Boodhoo, Process Intensification Group, Newcastle. There will also be an industrial supervisor from Procter & Gamble Newcastle Innovation Centre.

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 (usually chemical engineering or chemistry, but please get in touch if you think your qualification may be relevant). Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements.

Home and international applicants (inc. EU) are welcome to apply and if successful will receive a full studentship. 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.

How to apply

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: 8856F
• Leave the ‘research area’ field blank
• Select ‘PhD in Process Industries; Net Zero (PINZ’) 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 PINZ03 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field.
• ‘Research Proposal’ - when prompted for how you are providing your research proposal – select either ‘Write Proposal’ or ‘Upload document’. Your research proposal should be no more than 2 pages max.

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

Contact details: pinz.cdt@ncl.ac.uk

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