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Different course options

Study mode

Full time

Duration

4 years

Start date

SEP-25

Key information
DATA SOURCE : IDP Connect

Qualification type

PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

Subject areas

Aerosol Technology

Course type

Research

Course Summary

Overview

Aerosol science, the study of airborne particles from the nanometre to the millimetre scale, has been increasingly in the public consciousness in recent years, particularly due to the role played by aerosols in the transmission of COVID-19. Vaccines and medications for treating lung and systemic diseases can be delivered by aerosol inhalation, and aerosols are widely used in agricultural and consumer products. Aerosols are a key mediator of poor air quality and respiratory and cardiac health outcomes. Improving human health depends on insights from aerosol science on emission sources and transport, supported by standardised metrology. Similar challenges exist for understanding climate, with aerosol radiative forcing remaining uncertain. Furthermore, aerosol routes to the engineering and manufacture of new materials can provide greener, more sustainable alternatives to conventional approaches and offer routes to new high-performance materials that can sequester carbon dioxide.

Candidates who aspire to work in a truly multidisciplinary field and who have an undergraduate background in any of the following areas are encouraged to apply: chemistry, physics, biological sciences, life and medical sciences, chemical and mechanical engineering, pharmacy and environmental sciences.

You will be based at the University of Bristol for the first seven months of your first year of this EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training. During this time, you will receive training in the underlying physical science governing the properties and transformation of aerosols. Training will be provided by academics and industrial partners using a team-based learning approach.

You will then undertake a short research project for three months that could be in one of the partnering universities (Bath, Birmingham, Cambridge, Hertfordshire, Imperial, Manchester or Surrey), giving you an opportunity to gain an insight into aerosols in an area complementary to your eventual PhD research. During year two or year three, you will undertake a placement hosted by the industrial partner supporting your project, giving you a perspective on aerosols outside the academic environment.

It is our expectation that our graduates will be agile experts, able to work at the many boundaries between the conventional disciplines where aerosols play a role.

Modules

This unit will provide training in Professionalism and Translation of Research with a particular emphasis on topics relevant to aerosol science. Each week, students will be provided with Perspectives from Partners, a session in which partners present their personal reflections on aerosol science, the nature of translational research and technology, and their professional roles. A short course, Science Entrepreneurial Experience, will be delivered by the Bristol Consulting Partnership in conjunction with Unit DX. Designed for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs, the course enables early-stage researchers from a range of diverse backgrounds to simulate how teams perform. Training in responsible innovation (RI) will be provided exploring the origins, meaning and translation of RI into practice.

Tuition fees

UK fees
Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

£4,850

International fees
Course fees for EU and international students

For this course (per year)

£26,700

Entry requirements

Applicants must hold/achieve a minimum of an upper second-class MSci honours degree in a relevant discipline spanning physical, biological and environmental sciences and engineering, or a postgraduate MSc or international equivalent. We may consider applicants with a lower second-class MSci honours degree or an upper second-class BSc honours degree who can demonstrate good potential for research.