INCEPTION Doctoral Network – Doctoral Candidates Vacancies

INCEPTION MSCA-DN Project | Doctoral Candidate Position: DC1 - 3D printing of Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries (RZAB) / supercapacitor single components

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INCEPTION MSCA-DN Project | Doctoral Candidate Position: DC2 - Novel additive manufacturing methodologies for Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries (RZAB)/ Supercapacitor cell production

Manchester Metropolitan University is a great university in one of the world's best global student cities. We advance knowledge to benefit society and make higher education accessible to those with the passion to succeed. We bring change through outstanding research and excellent education and support our region and its economy by empowering and enriching our students, colleagues and our wider community.

Manchester Metropolitan University has been a pioneer of modern education since its origins in 1824 and sits in the top 200 young universities in the world. 30% of our research is considered world-leading (4**), and 90% of our research impact is rated ‘world-leading' (4**) or ‘internationally excellent' (3*). Located in the heart of Manchester, a globally recognised centre for digital media with a vibrant and rapidly expanding technology sector.  The University was recently awarded TEF Gold and was rated Outstanding by OFSTED. Based in the Natural Science Department, we are seeking two appointments.

Job information

The INCEPTION - Doctoral Network aims to face zinc-based energy storage development by (i) exploring the innovative idea of supporting the development of rechargeable batteries (RB) and supercapacitors (SC) by early addressing recycling & manufacturing within Safe and Sustainable by Design framework, and (ii) by exploiting excellent expertise and advanced technologies at leading universities, research centres, enterprises, and associations across EU, UK, India and Brazil.

Simultaneously, INCEPTION addresses the significant shortage of young generation talents in this field by providing an excellent triple-i (interdisciplinary / intersectoral / international) research and training network to Doctoral Candidates, with a focus on (a) training-through-research, (b) knowledge sharing, and (c) developing novel materials for RB and SC and new workflows for effective recycling & manufacturing, as well as potential business marketing for technological outcomes. It is expected that the Doctoral Candidates (DCs) trained within INCEPTION will maximize their ability to convert new knowledge / ideas into products and services for the industrial, social, and economic benefit, and thereafter become the future leaders in academia, industry, and the public sector.

It is expected that the Doctoral Candidates (DCs) trained within INCEPTION will maximize their ability to convert new knowledge / ideas into products and services for the industrial, social, and economic benefit, and thereafter become the future leaders in academia, industry, and the public sector.

Additional Information

Benefits:

• The successful applicants selected for hiring will be supported with a fellowship according to the MSCA-DN allowances:

  • Living allowance of €4010/month corrected with the country factor of the recruiting institution
  • Mobility allowance: of €710/month
  • Family allowance of €660/month (if applicable)
  • Special needs allowance (if applicable)

A PhD training programme is part of the agreement.

D1: This PhD project will explore innovative strategies to overcome zinc dendrite formation in rechargeable zinc-air batteries (RZABs), a key challenge limiting their performance and safety. The successful candidate will develop a novel approach based on the electrostatic shielding effect to suppress dendrite growth caused by the “tip effect.” Central to this work is the design and fabrication of advanced 3D printed zinc anodes, integrating artificial interface layers and scalable surface coatings to enhance metallic anode stability. The project will also establish printable gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) tailored for additive manufacturing. This interdisciplinary research spans materials science, electrochemistry, and additive manufacturing, offering the candidate access to cutting-edge facilities and international collaboration within the EU-funded INCEPTION Doctoral Network. The outcomes will contribute to the development of safe, high-performance, and manufacturable energy storage technologies.

D2: This PhD project will develop novel additive manufacturing strategies for producing rechargeable zinc-air batteries (RZABs) and hybrid supercapacitor (SC) cells. The goal is to fabricate 3D-printed energy storage devices—both standard and those enhanced under the INCEPTION framework—with performance comparable to or exceeding conventional manufacturing methods. A key innovation will be the creation of a closed-loop production system that minimizes material waste to below 1%, supporting sustainable and scalable energy storage solutions. The candidate will explore advanced printing techniques, material optimization, and integrated cell design to enable high-performance, low-waste manufacturing. This interdisciplinary research spans materials science, electrochemistry, and engineering design, and will contribute to the development of next-generation energy storage technologies for flexible and wearable electronics. The project is part of the EU-funded INCEPTION Doctoral College, offering international collaboration and access to cutting-edge facilities.

Both have international secondments.

Specific requirements of the candidates:

Essential:

• A first-class or upper second-class honours degree (or international equivalent) in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in materials processing, energy storage materials, or additive manufacturing.
• Strong laboratory skills, including familiarity with materials processing and device fabrication.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Willingness and eligibility to undertake international secondments as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary and international research environment.

Desirable:

• Familiarity with zinc-air batteries, supercapacitors, or closed-loop manufacturing systems.
• Experience with 3D printing of functional materials or electrochemical characterisation.
• Understanding of sustainable design principles or SSbD frameworks.
• Prior involvement in research projects or publications.
• Motivation to contribute to Manchester Met's sustainability and innovation agenda.

Doctoral Network Specific Requirements:

All interested applicants who meet the eligibility requirements (irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background) are encouraged to apply.

Prospective Doctoral Candidates must comply with the following requirements:

• Not be in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment. (Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet been formally awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible).
• Mobility Rule. Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the Recruiting Institution for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date. (Compulsory national service, short stays, such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not considered).
• Fulfil the requirements to enrol the doctoral programme at the Recruiting Institution / Country
• Be fulltime dedicated to the project.
• Be willing to spend a prolonged period in another institution / country of the network during the Ph.D. thesis period, in order to conclude the secondments planned for the DC vacancy.
• Certificate of English Proficiency (e.g., IELTS, TOEFL. This requirement does not apply to native English speakers nor to applicants that underwent formal education in institutions with English as the official language). Please see MMU Doctoral department website.

Selection Process:

Eligibility check: Each application will be checked to assess whether it complies with all the Eligibility Criteria. Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria will be dismissed from evaluation process. The evaluation process for a DC vacancy is conducted by a Local Recruitment Committee.

The Local Recruitment Committees are composed by at least 3 and at most 5 persons: The Supervisors of the DC vacancy, and a representative of an institution that will host a secondment for the DC vacancy. Evaluation comprises three steps: Shortlisting, Interviews and Final Selection.

In each step, the applications are going to be scored in a scale of 0 to 20 points.

Shortlisting: The eligible applications for a DC vacancy will be assessed according to the following criteria and weights: Professional / scientific experience (60%) Motivation letter (40%) Only the applications that score at least 12 points in the shortlisting will be invited to the interview. Interviews: An online interview session of about 20 minutes will be scheduled per application. The interview will be in English. Performance in the interview will be assessed with a focus on these indicators: relevance and quality of research experience, background knowledge / experience related to the research goals of the INCEPTION network, motivation and suitability for PhD, full-time availability for a PhD in a foreign country and for abroad secondments, communication skills.

Final selection: The final score of an application will be calculated according to the following criteria and weights: Professional / scientific experience (30%) Motivation letter (20%) Interview (50%) The applications with a final score of at least 12 points are eligible to hiring and will be rank-ordered from the highest to the lowest score. The application selected for a given DC vacancy will be the one with the highest score. In the case this applicant is not available, the second-best ranked application will be selected, and so on and so forth.

Details

Location: Manchester All Saints Campus

Faculty/Function: Science & Engineering

Closing Date: 23 NOV 2025

Contract Type: Fixed term

Start Date: April or October 2026

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