Here is a message from a STEM contact about 17 fully funded PhD positions at the University of Greenwich, covering a wide range of themes and fields:

M³4Impact – PhD Student Scholarships

Our vision is to expand our world-leading Multi-Disciplinary and Multi-Scale Modelling expertise in both reach and ability, to tackle major societal challenges affecting the environment, quality of life, safety, security, and the economy. This will be achieved through the amalgamation and expansion of two existing award-winning teams: the Centre for Safety, Resilience and Protective Security (CSRPS) and the Computational Science and Engineering Group (CSEG), creating the Multi-scale, Multi-disciplinary Modelling for Impact (M³4Impact) platform. Both teams excel at developing and applying mathematical models, computational simulations and bespoke software to create digital worlds that predict physically accurate outcomes addressing a wide range of societal challenges.

Safety and Security

Led by Prof. Ed Galea

Covers disaster resilience, fire and evacuation, dynamically coupling urban-scale and building scale evacuation modelling, Fire Modelling and protective security incorporating real-time interactivity through Virtual/Mixed Reality (VR/MR).

Materials Science and Engineering

Led by Prof. Andrew Kao

Focusses on the design and manufacture of sustainable, lighter, stronger materials with broad applications, in the transport, aerospace, energy and biomedical sectors. This encompasses materials and process modelling targeting recyclability, low waste and energy efficiency.

Digital Cities/London

Led by Prof. Koulis Pericleous

Interdisciplinary research will develop the evidence-base to protect UK cities/populations from pollution, pathogen dispersal, natural/anthropogenic disasters and to support policy decisions using a multi-scale approach from cityscape to street level.

Programme Information

Underpinning these themes are multi-physics and computational disciplines such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), human behaviour, Agent-Based Modelling, High Performance Computing and Artificial Intelligence (including physics informed Machine Learning).

We are planning to fund a total of 17 PhD students across all three themes, with 10 PhD studentships in the first phase of the expansion. The PhD studentships are for up to 4 years. When specific studentships are available they will be advertised on the FSEG website.

For further information, please see the weblink or contact the theme leads.

Bursary Rates

In addition, the successful candidate will receive a contribution to tuition fees, equivalent to the University Home Rate, currently £4,712 (FT) or pro-rata (PT), for the duration of their scholarship. International applicants may need to pay the remainder tuition fee for the duration of their scholarship.

This fee is subject to an annual increase.

Requirements

Education and Training

• (E) 1^st Class or 2^nd class, First Division (Upper Second Class) honours degree, or a taught master’s degree with a minimum average of 60% in all areas of assessment (UK or UK equivalent) in a relevant area to the proposed research project.
• (E) For those whose first language is not English and/or if from a country where English is not the majority spoken language (as recognised by the UKBA):
  • A language proficiency score of at least IELTS 6.5 (in all elements of the test) or an equivalent UK VISA and Immigration secure English Language Test is required;
• (E) If your programme falls within the faculty of Engineering and Science, then additionally:
  • A language proficiency score of at least IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in all elements of the test or an equivalent UK VISA and Immigration secure English Language Test is required.

The langauge requirement may be waived if the degree in the first requirement was taught in English and obtained in a majority English speaking country, e.g. UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, etc, as recognised by the UKBA.

Experience and Skills

• (E) Previous experience of undertaking research (e.g. undergraduate or taught master’s dissertation).
• (E) Experience in a related discipline. Note this will depend on the topic of the PhD and the M³4Impact Theme (Safety and Security, Materials Science & Engineering, Digital Cities). The list is not exhaustive, but examples include:
  • Mathematical Modelling;
  • Behavioural psychology;
  • Computational Fire Engineering;
  • Materials Science;
  • Physics;
  • Applied Mathematics;
  • Manufacturing;
  • Engineering (e.g. Mechanical, Civil, Chemical);
  • Built Environment.
• (D) Experience in computer programming.
• (D) Experience of numerical modelling techniques.
• (D) Experience of numerical modelling packages, e.g. OpenFOAM, COMSOL, ANSYS, STAR-CCM+, FDS, EXODUS, SMARTFIRE, or equivalent.

Personal Attributes

• (E) Understanding the fundamental differences between a taught degree and a research degree in terms of approach and personal discipline/motivation.
• (E) Able to, under guidance, complete independent work successfully.

Other Requirements

• (E) This scholarship may require Academic Technology Approval Scheme approval for the successful candidate if from outside of the EU/EEA.
• (E) Start date is flexible and will be agreed with supervisory team and M34Impact Programme Leads.

Deadlines

N/A - Open Call

Contacts

For further information about specific projects, contact:

• Prof. Ed Galea – Safety and Security

  e.r.galea (at) gre.ac.uk
  

• Prof. Andrew Kao – Materials Science and Engineering

  a.kao (at) gre.ac.uk
  

• Prof. Koulis Pericleous – Digital Cities

  k.pericleous (at) gre.ac.uk
  

Or for an informal chat about the opportunity in general, please send an email to:

• Prof. Aoife Hunt

  a.l.hunt (at) greenwich.ac.uk