PhD Studentship: Characterisation of Battery Safety Under Extreme Conditions

3.5-year D.Phil. studentship 

Project: Characterisation of Battery Safety Under Extreme Conditions

Supervisors: Prof Paul Shearing

High performance batteries have revolutionized modern life, from consumer electronics to electric vehicles and grid scale energy storage. Whilst thermal failure of batteries is rare, under conditions of mechanical, electrical or thermal abuse, thermal runaway reactions can be initiated.  There is a pressing need to better understand the Science of Battery Failure, to further reduce failure rates and enable increasingly demanding applications. This is particularly true for emerging ‘next generation’ battery chemistries, including Li-sulfur and solid state batteries, where there is lower technical maturity.

In this project, aligned with The Faraday Institution’s Safebatt Programme, we will apply a portfolio of experimental techniques to better understand the safety characteristics of next generation batteries. This includes a range of laboratory tests (for example calorimetry) to establish the thermal behavior of batteries under simulated abusive conditions, alongside advanced materials characterisation tools (including electron and X-ray imaging). Collectively, these tools will enable us to establish the State of Safety for emerging battery technologies, and accelerate their deployment.

Eligibility

This studentship is funded by The Dept of Engineering Science and is associated with the Faraday Institution Safebatt project. The studentship is open to Home students (full award – home fees plus stipend).

Award Value

Course fees are covered at the level set for Home students c. £10,470 p.a. The stipend (tax-free maintenance grant) is c. £21,805 p.a. for the first year, and at least this amount for a further two and a half years. 

Candidate Requirements

Prospective candidates will be judged according to how well they meet the following criteria:

• A first class or strong upper second-class undergraduate honours degree in Engineering, Physics or Mathematics
• Excellent English written and spoken communication skills
• Evidence of experimental research skills

The following skills are desirable but not essential:

• Familiarity with modelling tools including Matlab
• Published academic work

Application Procedure

Informal enquiries are encouraged and should be addressed to Prof Paul Shearing c/o Charlotte Brooks charlotte.brooks@eng.ox.ac.uk

Candidates must submit a graduate application form and are expected to meet the graduate admissions criteria. To apply please visit the appropriate course page on the following University website: Courses open for studentships | Oxford University

Please quote 26ENGCH_PS2 in all correspondence and in your graduate application.

Application deadline: noon on 3 July 2026

Start date: October 2026

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