Other PhD Scholarships Available in Design Engineering

The funding covers:

· Full home tuition fees.

· Annual stipend of £21,237 at the UKRI standard rate.

Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form, following the standard Imperial College application procedure; more information can be found here. 

The deadline for applications is 31/01/2025, but we encourage you to submit as soon as possible. 

For queries regarding the application process, please contact n.moult@imperial.ac.uk.

Hundreds of billions of tons of copper (Cu) sit idle in difficult to process mine waste sites. Novel solutions are needed to liberate this unrecovered Cu to meet the demand for manufacturing electronics and clean energy technologies, and so that mine sites can be remediated to protect the environment. The proposed research aims to address the critical challenge of recovering copper (Cu) from low-grade mine waste, a significant untapped resource estimated to contain hundreds of billions of tons of Cu. This study seeks to develop innovative biointegrated material architectures for Cu hyperaccumulation, combining expertise from design engineering, microbiology, bioprocessing, and waste management. The primary objective is to create an optimized organism suite integrated into inert scaffolds for controlled Cu accumulation from waste brines and tailings. This approach aims to enhance the efficiency and selectivity of Cu recovery compared to traditional methods. To achieve this, we will investigate and select microorganisms with high Cu accumulation capacity, focusing on their ability to thrive in the harsh conditions typical of mine waste environments. Inert scaffolds will be engineered to optimize surface area for microbial colonization, mass transfer of Cu ions, and structural integrity under process conditions. Key factors to be studied include nutrient availability for microbial growth, microclimate control within the scaffold, tortuosity effects on Cu ion transport, mechanical stability of the bio-integrated system, and chemical fixation mechanisms for Cu retention. The research will focus on developing a large-volume biochemical copper isolation process that emphasizes interface optimization between organisms and scaffolds, geometric configurations for enhanced Cu selectivity, and scalability of the bio-integrated system. This project synthesizes knowledge from multiple disciplines: design engineering for scaffold architecture and process integration; microbiology for organism selection and optimization; bioprocessing for scaling up and process efficiency; and circular economy for sustainable resource recovery models. The expected outcomes include novel bio-integrated material architectures for Cu

hyperaccumulation, improved understanding of organism-scaffold interactions in metal recovery, a scalable and environmentally friendly Cu recovery process, contributions to mine site remediation strategies, and advancements in circular economy approaches for metal recovery. Hosted by the Dyson School of Design Engineering, this research aims to provide a sustainable solution to the grand challenge of copper recovery from waste, potentially revolutionizing resource extraction in the mining industry while addressing environmental concerns.

Funding Notes

This highly prestigious PhD Scholarship will enable funding for three years of research of a UK home students or an international student. The research will also include secondments at ANU and UBC and participation in annual Rio Tinto Research Conferences. We are looking for students from Bioengineering, Design Engineering, Biochemistry or Chemical engineering, or another related disciplines with Passion for sustainable design and research who are interested working on an international transdisciplinary research project with the potential for impact at scale. The candidate will have the opportunity to interact with a transdisciplinary network of researchers and other PhD students from the fields of microbiology, environmental sciences, chemical engineering and earth science engineering.

The Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials is a $150M, 10-year, multidisciplinary, global effort to deliver a step-change in the approach to materials extraction, use and reuse, in a way that is more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable in support of the Energy Transition. The Centre is hosted by Imperial College London and brings together Imperial, four global university partners (The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, The University of California, Berkeley, The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, The Australian National University, Canberra) and Rio Tinto.

For application enquiries, please contact Dr Elena Dieckmann: Elena.dieckmann13@imperial.ac.uk

Applications must be submitted by 30/04/2025. 

About the project: Applications are invited for an exciting PhD research project in the interdisciplinary field of artificial intelligence (AI) powered manufacturing and structural design for lightweight vehicles leading to the award of a PhD degree. This studentship is funded by an EPSRC iCASE award and industrial partner Tata Steel UK.

The vision of the project is to pioneer fundamental AI methodologies to empower the creation of steel-based high-performance, manufacturable parts by holistically optimising vehicle part geometries, process settings, as well as material conditions. The aim is to lead the development of the world’s first AI-driven platform that empowers the creation of high-performance, manufacturable vehicle parts, tailored to Tata Steel UK’s products. You will join us for achieving this aim through the development of fundamental applied AI methodologies. This novel interdisciplinary project could increase effectiveness of today’s components forming simulations. The AI methodology will provide a more advanced approach for constructing AI based forming feasible deep-drawn components as well as optimising the forming strains in crash sensitive parts of a vehicle to achieve weight reduction, which could help designers choose the right geometries for blanks and tooling, the right material and gauge for vehicle components, and therefore help reduce weight, cost, and CO2, addressing real-world sustainability needs.

The project will be supervised by Dr Nan Li at Imperial College London and an industrial expert, Mr. Andrew Ruthven, at Tata Steel UK. During the project, the PhD student will have the opportunity to visit Tata Steel UK’s premises, and to disseminate the work at international conferences and industrial events.

Academic criteria: applicants must be in receipt of, or are due to receive, a first class or equivalent in an undergraduate or integrated Masters degree, in Engineering, Physics, Computing or any other relevant STEM subjects; or if a first class or equivalent has not been achieved, applicants must be in receipt of (or where this has yet to be received, be able to provide evidence of high performance that will lead to) a distinction in a standalone Master’s qualification. (A 2:1 degree is acceptable if the applicant can demonstrate significant industrial or research experience and output.)

We also expect applicants to have a demonstrable interest in innovation and interdisciplinary and translational research. In addition, good communication, team-working, and management skills are also important.

Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Nan Li (nan.li@imperial.ac.uk). Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form, following the standard Imperial College application procedure; more information can be found here. For queries regarding the application process, please contact n.moult@imperial.ac.uk.

Funding Notes

This studentship covers full tuition fees at the Home rate and includes a generous stipend set at the UKRI rate plus industrial top-ups for 4 years.

According to EPSRC rules, this post will prioritise Home students. The timeframe is tight, so please contact Dr Nan Li ASAP if you are interested. The advert will be closed once the post is filled, so please apply as soon as possible if you are interested.