The Frost group has two Royal Society / departmental funded PhDs

Overview / TL;DR

• Two fully funded (£20,410 per annum stipend, 100% home student fees) PhDs at Imperial Chemistry with me. 
• These positions are computational + theory focused PhD projects on method development for materials for renewable energy. 
• Exemplar projects described below, but I'm a firm believer in designing PhD projects with the student, and being agile and footloose in research direction.
• Rolling application / interview process. Get in touch for a informal chat: jarvist.frost@imperial.ac.uk 
• ** We're aiming to close the next window for applicants in July 2023, and interview soon after. **

More details and project proposals available here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wiG-T8uqgq_-h-Btu1tecmdrZbK-zS006eB6BKGqFgI/edit?usp=sharing

We are recruiting to a fully-funded 4-year Industrial PhD studentship (UK/Home students) in the field of metal-organic chemistry/materials/tribology. The student will join as a member of the CDT in Advanced Characterisation of Materials (CDT-ACM); see https://www.cdt-acm.org/ for further details.

The cold forming of metals or metal alloys, such as steel, is a widely used process for the forming of the metal into the desired part shape/size. In order to aid this process a combination of a metal organic/metal inorganic conversion layer (such as iron oxalate) and a lubricant are applied to the metal. Attempts to apply this system of metal organic and lubricant layers together in one single treatment step have mainly proven unsuccessful to date. This project will focus upon building a better understanding of the deposition processes occurring, leading to improvements towards a more reliable single step deposition of both layers. The iron oxalate species will be studied in terms of structure and particle size/morphology both in solution and on the metal surface during the deposition process as well as deposition mechanisms. The treated surfaces will undergo full physico-chemical characterization, and sliding tribometer tests will be used to enable friction and wear performance and lubrication mechanisms to be observed and optimised.

Applications are welcomed from candidates for October 2023 entry. You will need to hold, or be expected to achieve, a Master’s degree at 2:1 level (or above) in a relevant subject, including Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials or Tribology. The project is fully funded (stipends and fees) for 4-years for applicants of Home/UK status. The student will be based jointed in the Chemistry and Tribology departments at Imperial in the groups of Dr Rob Davies (Chemistry), Dr Phil Miller (Chemistry) and Dr Tom Reddyhoff (Tribology). In addition, there will be the opportunity to undertake a student placement at Chemetall in Frankfurt a.M., Germany.

How to apply: Prospective students should send a CV and cover letter to Dr Rob Davies (r.davies@imperial.ac.uk ).  Closing date: 30 April 2023.

Project description

ICL Chemistry department is offering a fully funded studentship to a highly motivated candidate. The position is immediately available. The project will be based in the Computational NanoElectrochemistry group of Dr. Clotilde Cucinotta, in the framework of a multidisciplinary project on developing and applying new theoretical methodologies for the operando modelling of electrochemical (EC) systems. You can find out more about the project here: Towards a Parameter-Free Theory for Electrochemical Phenomena at the Nanoscale (NanoEC).

Oxidation and corrosion in materials science and technology costing yearly billions of pounds to the UK economy and affecting multiple sectors, from metal consumption in biomedical implants to the corrosion of electronic circuits, from atmospheric corrosion, to the interrelated passivation and dissolution processes occurring in the eroding environments of the petrochemical industry.

In spite of the large variety of experimental and computational approaches adopted to rationalize different corrosion processes, relatively little is known of the electrochemistry of metal surfaces in realistic electrochemical environment, even for the simple case of metal aqueous electrolyte interfaces. Information on the local chemistry of the electrolyte in contact with the metal is essential e.g. to unravel the initial stages of metal oxidation.

In this project we will focus on the realistic simulation from first principles molecular dynamics of the interaction of metal (e.g. Cu, Ag, Fe, Ni and Mg) surfaces with the aqueous electrolyte, studying the formation and degradation of oxidising layers on the metal surfaces. In certain cases surface degrades (e.g. iron) in other cases protective films form (e.g. in stainless steel). We will develop molecular scale models for these processes with the aim of unravelling the fundamental mechanisms triggering surface degradation and protection.

Applications should be submitted ASAP through the College’s online application system, specifying Dr Cucinotta as a supervisor: 

Apply here >>

Required documentation includes CV, research proposal or personal statement, transcript, 2 references and IELTS results. Outstanding applications submitted prior to January 10th will be shortlisted for the President’s scholarship.

Interested candidates can email Dr Clotilde Cucinotta with enquires, with a transcript and a motivation letter.

Funding notes

UK/EU students are eligible for this studentship, which will cover tuition fees at UK/EU rate plus a stipend for three and ½ years. The position is available immediately and will stay open until a suitable candidate is found. We also welcome applications from students who have alternative funding available.

Applicants should demonstrate excellent communication skills and an outstanding academic record in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, or related discipline. Prior experience in density functional theory based calculations would be an advantage.

Applications are invited for 4-year MRes/Ph.D. EPSRC CDT rEaCt studentship projects – Cohort 3 (Intake October 2021)

The mission of the EPSRC Next Generation Synthesis & Reaction Technology CDT is to educate a critical mass of researchers equipped to respond to future research challenges and opportunities created by the data-revolution. The aim is to train highly qualified researchers with the ability to collect data using automated, high-throughput reaction platforms, and to apply quantitative and statistical approaches to data analysis and utilisation. This will be achieved by incorporating cross-disciplinary skills from engineering, as well as computing, statistics, and informatics into a chemistry graduate programme, which are largely lacking from existing doctoral training in synthetic chemistry.

Available studentships

• View a list of available studentship projects. Please note, on your application you can select your top three projects.

Applying

• How to apply. Please note that due to COVID-19 interviews are likely to be held on a virtual platform.

The CDT

• Find out more about the CDT programme
• Frequently asked questions
• Our academic and support staff
• Our students

Contact us

Got a question? Find out how to contact the Centre

The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Smart Medical Imaging at King’s College London and Imperial College London is now accepting applications for fully-funded PhD studentships beginning in September 2023.

Students at the CDT typically follow a 1 + 3 pathway spending their first year studying for the newly designed MRes in Healthcare Technologies at King’s College London, and then the remainder of their course on their PhD research project (N.B. a 0 + 4 pathway is sometimes possible for candidates with excellent and relevant prior experience). Research projects fit into at least one of the CDT’s four smart medical imaging themes: AI-enabled imaging, Smart Imaging Probes, Emerging Imaging and Affordable Imaging.

Professor Nick Long (Chemistry), deputy director of the CDT in Smart Medical Imaging said:

“Our vision is to train the next generation of medical imaging researchers, leveraging the full potential of medical imaging for healthcare through integration of artificial intelligence, targeted, responsive and safer imaging probes, cutting-edge emerging and affordable imaging solutions, within a unique multi-disciplinary environment of imaging scientists, engineers, clinicians and other healthcare professionals.”

Why Join Us

• Fully funded PhD studentships, including generous research consumables and conference travel, with exposure to international imaging labs and healthcare industry placements;
• Research excellence in Smart Medical Imaging within a unique multi-disciplinary hospital environment in Central London (St. Thomas’ Hospital), with state-of-the-art labs and clinical research imaging facilities within both King’s and Imperial (based at South Kensington or White City campuses).
• Choice of a large number of innovative PhD projects, supervised by internationally renowned academics from Imperial College London and/or King’s College London, with direct input from world-leading clinical academics of our associated NHS Hospital Trusts;
• Close healthcare industry involvement in selective research projects, with paid internships and on-site clinical application specialists from major industry partners;
• Emphasis on research collaboration through PhD cohort building and interdisciplinary research training, and transferable skills training for outstanding employability;
• Access to large UK research initiatives and infrastructure, such as the new £10m London Medical Imaging & Artificial Intelligence Centre for Value-Based Healthcare, the NVIDIA AI initiative at King’s and the new London high-field 7T MR centre based at King’s.

For more information, visit the CDT’s website.

The ICB CDT is a postgraduate training programme, which forms the heart of the ICB at Imperial College London. The ICB is an institute which brings together more than 130 research groups across Imperial College London with 20 industrial partners and a SME business club with over 40 members.

The aim of the ICB CDT, one of the longest standing CDTs in the UK, is to train students in the art of multidisciplinary Chemical Biology research, giving them the exciting opportunity to develop the next generation of molecular tools and technologies for making, measuring, modelling and manipulating molecular interactions in biological systems. Students on the programme apply these advances to tackle key biological/biomedical problems and clinical/industrial challenges. In addition, students gain experience of industry 4.0 technologies such as 3-D printing, machine learning and robotics with a view to increasing the impact of Chemical Biology research.  This is a skill set which is in great demand from industry and addresses the future needs of employers in the pharmaceutical, biomedical, healthcare, personal care, biotech, agri-science and SME sectors.

To find out more or to apply to our 4 year studentships, visit our webpage at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/chemical-biology/cdt

A PhD studentship using machine learning to accelerate the discovery of energy materials is available in the research group of Dr Alex Ganose based in the Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London (https://virtualatoms.org).

 Start date: 2 October 2023. Application deadline: The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

 Background

Computational materials discovery is a powerful tool for designing new technologies to tackle the global energy crisis. Recently, the development of machine learning in chemistry has opened the door to a new paradigm of data-driven materials research. However, the range of properties that can be modelled is currently constrained by a lack of data and the limitations of existing machine learning architectures. There is an emerging need to develop physics-informed machine learning models that can predict a wide range of technologically relevant properties. Integrating these tools into computational materials discovery will enable the rapid and reliable prediction of completely novel materials for renewable energy generation.  

 Project Aims

This project will develop new machine-learning approaches to predict the electronic properties of materials. These new methods will be used for the inverse design of new materials with tailored properties for use in renewable energy applications, including photovoltaics and thermoelectrics. Promising candidates will be validated using quantum mechanical simulations run on high-performance compute clusters and through experimental collaborations. The candidate will extend state-of-the-art machine learning methods to new high-dimensional electronic properties to improve the reliability of materials discovery efforts.

 The project will be supervised by Dr Alex Ganose and will involve close collaboration with computational and experimental partners. The project will provide a range of experience in computational materials chemistry and machine learning as well as opportunities to develop programming, scientific communication, and team-working skills.

 Entry requirements

Applicants should have, or be expected to achieve, at least a 2:1 Honours Masters degree, or BSc with substantial research experience, (or equivalent if from other countries) in Chemistry or a related subject (such as Natural Science, Materials Science, Physics, Engineering). Experience in computational research or programming will also be beneficial

Deadline: review of applications will start in June 2023, and the positions will be filled as soon as possible thereafter; hence you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

 To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter to a.ganose@imperial.ac.uk.

 Funding Notes

This PhD studentship is fully funded for 42 months starting in October 2023. This funding covers the payment of tuition fees at the UK/home rate and gives you a tax-free stipend at the standard UKRI rate (currently £19,668 per year). Please contact Dr Alex Ganose (a.ganose@imperial.ac.uk) for further information.

• Dr Maxie Roessler
• Email Dr Roessler

Two fully funded PhD positions are available in the Roessler research group as part of the Centre for Pulse EPR spectroscopy (PEPR) that is being built on the White City Campus at Imperial College London, supported by a £2.3 M grant from the EPSRC. The Roessler group investigates unpaired electrons in redox reactions that underpin essential chemical reactions in respiration and photosynthesis by applying state-of-the-art pulse EPR techniques [1] to understand the mechanisms of challenging enzymes that cannot be obtained in high concentrations and require precise electrochemical potential adjustment [2]. More recently, the group has been developing film-electrochemical EPR spectroscopy (FE-EPR), an exciting technique for studying the evolution of radicals during a reaction [3]. FE-EPR allows the accurate determination of the redox potentials of buried redox centres within enzymes and their activity during catalysis. PEPR combines state-of-the-art pulse EPR at X- and Q-band frequencies with FE-EPR and instrument development in collaboration with University College London and the London Centre of Nanotechnology.  

Project 1

In this project, you will expand the capabilities of FE-EPR from continuous wave to pulse EPR spectroscopy, thus enabling a new dimension in the investigation of radicals formed during catalytic reactions. This new method promises to enable us to get detailed information on structure and bonding (from pulse EPR) of radical intermediates formed during redox reactions, including surface-bound catalysts which are of wide interest. For this project a background in physical sciences will be helpful.  

Project 2

In this project, you will apply the state-of-art instrumentation available at PEPR to complex biological systems, such as metal-centered redox processes occurring in cells as well as in membrane proteins reconstituted into artificial membrane systems. For this project, either a background or an interest in biochemistry will be helpful.

Eligibility

We are looking to recruit an outstanding Masters level graduate in Chemistry or a related subject. The PhD studentships are fully funded for 3.5 years. Please see Dr Roessler's websites for further details on current research and a full list of recent publications:

• Dr Roessler's Imperial webpage
• The Roessler Lab website

The PhD student will primarily be based in the Molecular Sciences Research Hub, the new research home for the Department of Chemistry at Imperial’s White City campus, with access to further research facilities, e.g. SPIN-Lab, at the South Kensington Campus. 

EEA nationals are eligible but those who do not have permanent residence status in the UK must be able to start by 31.07.2021 at the latest to guarantee full funding of their tuition fees for their entire PhD. The prospective PhD student is encouraged get in touch via e-mail with a detailed CV and explaining his/her interests and research experience. 

1. M. M. Roessler and E. Salvadori, 'Principles and Applications of EPR Spectroscopy in the chemical sciences', Chemical Society Reviews, 2018, 47 (8), 2534-2553

2. N. le Breton, J. J. Wright, A.J.Y.J. Jones, E. Salvadori, H. R. Bridges, J. Hirst, M. M. Roessler, 'Using EPR Hyperfine Spectroscopy to define the Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Reaction at Fe-S cluster N2 in Respiratory Complex I', J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 139 (45), 16319-16326, Spotlight Article

3. K. Abdiaziz, E. Salvadori, K.P. Sokol, E. Reisner, M.M. Roessler, ‘Protein film electrochemical EPR spectroscopy as a technique to investigate redox reactions in biomolecules’, Chemical Communications, 2019, 55 (60), 8840-8843