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Duration of study: 3-year fixed term
Starting date: 23 September 2024
Application deadline: 25/02/2024
Primary Supervisor: Professor Ivan P. Parkin (Chemistry, UCL) and Professor Ioannis Papakonstantinou (Electrical and Electronic Engineering, UCL; Dr Gregory Goh (NMC A-star), Dr. Zhang Jing (NMC A-star)
Project Description: A funded Ph.D. position is available to work with Professor Ivan Parkin (chemistry) and Professor Ioannis Papakonstantinou (electrical engineering) on developing coatings that reduce energy requirements for buildings.
Professor Parkin is one of the worlds most top cited scientists (H= 106, 52k citations) and has been awarded 9 prizes and medals. Dr Papakonstantinou has been the holder of a prestigious ERC consolidator award. The project will involve the synthesis and characterisation of new materials for use in radiative cooling coatings. These coatings are designed to have an emission window that is transparent to being trapped on earth. Such materials can provide over 10C of cooling from ambient temperature and when used as a paint or panel can significantly reducing energy costs and demands associated with cooling buildings. The work will involve making switchable coatings that can respond to the local environment. The project will also involve Akzo Nobel (the worlds largest paint company- makers of Dulux paint). Preparation and field testing will be done in Singapore at the A-star institute.
Funding: This position is fully funded by the UCL-A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore) Collaborative Programme via the Centre for Doctoral Training in Molecular Modelling and Materials Science (M3S CDT) at UCL. The student will be registered for a PhD at UCL where he/she will spend year one followed by second and third years of the PhD at the National Metrology Centre (NMC) of A*STAR in Singapore, then return to UCL for the final six months to write up the thesis. If successful, the PhD will be awarded from UCL. The studentship will cover tuition fees at the home rate, and an annual stipend of no less than £20662 increasingly annually with inflation (tax free) pro rata in years 1 and 4. During years 2 and 3, the student will receive a stipend of S$2700 per month directly from A*STAR. In addition, A*STAR will provide the student a one-off relocation allowance.
The candidate should pass the entry requirements of PhD programme at UCL EEE: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/research-degrees/electronic-and-electrical-engineering-mphil-phd
Qualifications required:
The applicants should have, or be expecting to achieve, a first or upper second-class integrated Masters degree (MSci, MChem, MEng etc.) or a 2:1 minimum BSc plus a stand-alone Masters degree with at least a Merit in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, or a related discipline.
The project would be suitable for applicants who are keen to reduce environmental impact and develop real world solutions that could help alleviate climate change. Applicants with a background in chemistry, physics or engineering are particularly encouraged to apply.
Interested applicants should contact Prof Parkin by e-mail at i.p.parkin@ucl.ac.uk. Further information is available on request.
Please note that a suitable applicant will first be required to complete MS Form entitled Application for Research: degree Chemistry programme. In addition, it is essential that suitable applicants complete an electronic application form at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/research-degrees/chemistry-mphil-phd (Select Research degree: Chemistry programme) prior to the application deadline and advise their referees to submit their references as soon as they possibly can.
All shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview no more than 4 weeks after the application deadline. Any admissions queries should be directed to Dr. Zhimei Du via z.du@ucl.ac.uk
How to apply: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/a-3-year-phd-studentship-in-radiative-cooling-paints/?p167019
Equality, diversity, and inclusion: Our research is driven forward by talented researchers and PhD students who come from countries and backgrounds across the globe. We therefore strongly encourage applications from underrepresented backgrounds in engineering, such as women, ethnic minorities, or people with disabilities– EEE is a great place for you to study! We will make reasonable adjustments at interview and/or in the position as requested.