UK: PhD CASE Studentship

Start Date: 27th September 2010

Application deadline: 01 July 2010

Supervisor: Professor Peter R Fielden

Project Description:

This PhD CASE project offers an exciting opportunity for a graduate student to pursue a PhD degree within a partnership between the University of Manchester and Compact Instruments Ltd. (a small, dynamic local instrument company). The project will include specialist training and support within the university environment with additional technical and commercial input from Compact Instruments. The project will develop new chemical sensors to enable the continuous monitoring of water chemistry, with a focus on aquariums. The project will investigate ion-selective sol-gel chemistries coupled to both optical waveguide and electroanalytical measurement systems. The integration of the sensing systems will be facilitated through microfabrication techniques, which will be directly available to the student within the University research group. The performance of the sensing system will be modeled and experimentally evaluated, followed by systematic optimization and coupling to computer-based measurement instrumentation. The final design will be used to generate a commercial prototype for evaluation as a measurement and control system for aquarium chemistry.  It is expected that this project will generate both academic and commercially useful outputs.

This project will be carried out within the Miniaturisation and Nanotechnology Group in CEAS at the University of Manchester, in collaboration with Compact Instruments Ltd. (Bolton, UK).

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have a first, or upper second class honours degree in Chemistry, or a similar degree that includes  chemistry as its major study topic. Preference will be given to candidates who also have experience in chemical analysis, measurement instrumentation, or computer programming. The ideal candidate will be stimulated by problem solving and have proven practical ability

Funding:

This is a 3.5 Year EPSRC/Compact Instruments Ltd. Industrial CASE studentship. The studentship includes a stipend for UK students valued at £13,590 pa, with an additional company-funded top-up of £3000 pa, as well as all tuition fees. Other EU-based students would be eligible to apply, but on a tuition fees-only basis.

Enquiries:

For informal enquires about the project, please contact

Name:  Professor Peter Fielden

Email:  peter.fielden@manchester.ac.uk

Tel:  +44(0) 161 306 4889

For more information on the School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, please visit our web sitewww.ceas.manchester.ac.uk.

How to apply:

Please complete an online application form at www.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/howtoapply
Application enquiries to the Postgraduate Team, School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science

Email:  pgr-ceas@manchester.ac.uk

Tel:  +44 (0)161 306 4360

Links: www.manchester.ac.uk/ceas