The
Research Councils UK Energy Programme provides focused support for postdoctoral
training through 12 Centres for Doctoral Training with the goal of securing the
future supply of world leading energy researchers. The Centres for Doctoral Training
(CDTs) provide students with a better whole systems understanding and improved learning
environment in priority areas for the Energy Programme. Students carry out a PhD-level
research project together with taught coursework in a supportive and exciting environment.
Some of the Centres are Industrial doctorate centres which provide an alternative
to the traditional PhD for students who want a career in industry. A four-year programme
combines PhD-level research projects with taught courses, and students spend about
75% of their time working directly with a company.
The Centre is well placed to meet the needs of the fast growing wind energy industry
by providing high calibre PhD graduates with the specialist, generic and leadership
skills necessary to lead future developments in wind energy systems. The objectives
are to ensure all students from different disciplines gain competencies in core
aspects of wind energy systems engineering and understand the socio economic impact
of wind energy systems.
The UK Wind Energy Systems CDT is based at the Department of Electronic and Electrical
Engineering’s Institute for Energy and Environment at the University of Strathclyde.
As the first dedicated training centre in the field of hydrogen and fuel cells,
the CDT is addressing the increasing demand for skilled staff. Large hydrogen and
fuel cell companies have substantial hydrogen and fuel cell projects; recruitment
has been a problem in recent years since only a handful of UK universities carry
out research in this area.
The CDT will allow students to gain a systematic knowledge and understanding
of hydrogen, fuel cells and their applications, including developments and problems
at the forefront of the discipline. They will be able to evaluate current research
critically, be original in the application of their knowledge and proposing new
hypotheses.
The CDT in Low Carbon Technologies brings together a cohort of postgraduate research
students and their supervisors to develop innovative technologies for a low carbon
future based around four key interlinking themes; low carbon enabling technologies,
transport and energy, carbon storage and climate change and energy systems research.
The students will have the opportunity to develop high-level expertise in a particular
topic, but with the excitement of working in a multidisciplinary environment stretching
across science, technology, economics, business and policy.
Over the next fifteen years there will be major national and international challenges
concerning the implementing of new power plants that generate electricity more efficiently
using fossil energy with near zero emissions. The Doctoral Training Centre will
produce the future leaders who will have the ability to tackle these issues.
These leaders will be part of the new breed of engineers who will be thoroughly
versed in cutting edge energy research and capable of operating in multidisciplinary
teams; covering a range of knowledge transfer, deployment and policy roles; with
the skills to analyse the overall economic context of their projects and to be aware
of the social and ethical implications.
Nuclear FiRST: University of Manchester and Sheffield
Over many years, research in all aspects of nuclear fission has been neglected
in the UK. However, Government policy now requires rejuvenation of this research,
to support cleanup of the historical nuclear legacy, geological disposal of radioactive
wastes, a new generation of nuclear power stations and military nuclear applications.
Nuclear FiRST, a collaboration between The University of Manchester and The University
of Sheffield, aims to underpin UK Energy and Defence strategy by addressing a growing
doctoral skills gap in nuclear fission science and engineering.
Nuclear Engineering: University of Manchester and Imperial College, London (Industrial
Doctorate Centre)
A consortium of UK universities, led by The University of Manchester in partnership
with Imperial College London, University of Bristol, University of Leeds and the
University of Strathclyde has established an industrial Doctoral Centre, offering
a fully funded EngD in Nuclear Engineering.
The primary objective of the Industrial Doctorate Centre is to provide outstanding
young nuclear Research Engineers with intensive, broadly based training in collaboration
with industrial companies so that they are equipped to take up senior roles within
the nuclear industry. The research themes being offered are reactor technology,
waste management, decommissioning, materials, socio-economic aspects and safety
aystems.
The Energy Futures Doctoral Training Centre provides depth and breadth in PhD
training in energy and its role in climate change mitigation. It will focus on future
energy generation and distribution, aimed in particular on the role of the energy
sector in achieving the UK’s ambitious mitigation goals required to meet the challenge
of climate change.
The students will work with existing energy research networks and the research
teams behind them, by collectively addressing critical and cross-cutting research
questions; such as “how can we improve the energy efficiency of cities of the future”,
and “how can we decarbonise energy generation”.
E-Futures: University of Sheffield
E-Futures offers industry-focused training across a broad range of energy-related
topics, with the aim of training skilled researchers with a thorough grounding in
technical and social issues to help make the transition to a low carbon economy.
Drawing together world-class research within 16 academic departments, across
3 faculties, E-Futures brings together diverse areas of expertise to train engineers
and scientists with the skills, knowledge and confidence to tackle today's evolving
issues regarding energy generation, management and supply.
E-Futures also represents a new working culture, fostering relationships between
teams in universities and forging lasting links with industry and other external
organisations.
Energy: Durham University
Energy is fundamental to society and the provision, security of and access to
energy supplies is a key challenge in the 21st century. In response to this, Durham
University has set up a multidisciplinary CDT in energy in order to equip the next
generation of energy professionals to tackle the considerable challenges facing
society today and in the future.
The CDT will allow students to gain a broader knowledge of energy issues from
pure science to engineering to social aspects.
The Centre is the UK champion for postgraduate training to reduce CO2 emissions
from the built environment, to secure our energy supply and to provide healthier
more affordable buildings. The strategic aim of the CTD is to educate the next generation
of highly skilled and broadly based energy researchers to lead and support the complex
multidisciplinary task of driving down energy demand and C02 emissions from the
UK building stock.
The CDT is a collaboration between two of the leading energy research Universities
in the UK: University College London and Loughborough University. Both have invested
heavily in energy research and lead some of the most important energy demand research
initiatives in the UK.
The Centre in Sustainability for Engineering and Energy Systems aims to develop
the next generation of professionals to drive progress towards sustainable delivery
of goods and services in future, by taking a systems perspective and recognising
the need for sustainable energy and low carbon operation and investments across
sectors.
The Centre has strong links to outside organisations, requiring the students
to obtain a sponsor from the industrial sector, a government organisation or a charity.
The research project will then be undertaken with the sponsor at their premises.
Fusion: University of York
The Fusion Doctoral Training Network is a collaboration of universities, including
York, Durham, Liverpool and Manchester and government research institutes such as
the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy and the Central Laser Facility. Together they
provide integrated, coordinated postgraduate training in fusion science and technology
at the doctoral level. Fusion energy is likely to become a major contributor to
world electricity generation capacity; the extent to which this will occur will
become clear over the next 10-15 years. In this timescale, the UK must develop a
cadre of trained personnel who have the ability to contribute to the decisions the
UK will have to make and, if the decision is to take this route, to train the generation
of scientists and engineers who will licence and build the power plants in the UK.
The CDT provides world-leading expertise in a range of fusion-related disciplines,
such as materials science, plasma physics, nuclear physics and laser physics. Students
involved have access to a range of fusion energy facilities, including the MAST
and JET Tokamaks at Culham in Oxfordshire and the Central Laser Facility at the
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.