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This fully funded PhD project is open to Home fee applicants only

Deadline for applications: 27 April 2026 11:59pm

Sustainable Triboelectric Nanogenerators

About the Project

This PhD project focuses on triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), an emerging technology that converts ambient mechanical energy, such as human motion and environmental movements, into electrical energy. 

As wearable devices, environmental sensors, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies continue to grow, battery dependence is becoming an increasing limitation. Mechanical energy harvesting using TENGs offers a promising route to supplement or replace batteries in such systems, motivating advances in TENG materials and device design to enhance their performance. 

This PhD project aims to develop high-performance, sustainable nanofibre-based TENGs by integrating recyclable and earth-abundant polymers with controlled nano- and micro-scale structure. The research seeks to enhance the energy output of TENGs while supporting material circularity, low-energy fabrication routes and reduced environmental impact. 

The project will combine materials engineering, microfabrication, electrospinning and computational modelling, using the Department of Engineering cleanroom and laboratories. The research will systematically investigate the effects of fibre diameter, alignment, material polarity and contact-surface architecture on triboelectric charge generation. COMSOL Multiphysics simulations will be used to optimise device geometries, analyse electric-field distributions and reduce experimental iteration, lowering time, cost and environmental footprint. Fabricated TENGs will be experimentally evaluated under controlled mechanical loading to assess output power, charge density, durability and long-term stability. 

The outcomes of this work will advance the fundamental understanding and practical performance of sustainable TENGs, with potential application to future self-powered sensing systems. 

More information about ReNU⁺ and our approach to competency assessment on our website. 

For informal enquiries please contact Dr Ensieh Hosseini: Ensieh.hosseini@durham.ac.uk

Eligibility Requirements: 

• A minimum of 60% in an MEng degree (or International equivalent Regional Pages - Durham University) in Electronic Engineering, Materials, Physics or a closely related field. 
• Appropriate English Language qualifications (Direct Entry Band B - Durham University), if required. 
• Applicants cannot apply if they are already a PhD holder or if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Durham or elsewhere. 
• Must be able to commit to campus-based full-time or part-time study. 
• Home fee student. 

To be classed as a Home student, candidates must: 

• Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or 
• have settled status, or 
• have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or 
• have indefinite leave to remain or enter. 

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student.   

Modes of study 

Full time or Part Time at 0.6 Full Time Equivalent at Durham.  

How to apply 

For further details on how to apply, and the link to Durham’s Postgraduate Application portal, see https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/how-to-apply/  

In the Postgraduate Application portal apply for the H1A601 PhD Renewable Energy Northeast Universities (EPSRC RENU CDT) Course.  When completing the form on the application portal:  

• On the funding tab select ‘yes’ you are applying for a scholarship, select ‘Other’, write RENU/HOSSEINI in the name of the scholarship, and select 1st October 2026 as the start date.  No scholarship documents are required. 
• On the project course details tab write RENU/HOSSEINI in Field of Study. 

In addition to completing the form on the Postgraduate Application portal, ensure you upload the following additional documents to the portal: 

1. A completed ReNU Plus Competency Assessment in the place of a proposal.  Please read further instructions within the form.  

2. Curriculum Vitae (CV). 

3. Two satisfactory academic references.  

4.  Any other required documentation as listed on https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/how-to-apply/  

Please ensure you follow all these steps to ensure your application is considered. 

By submitting your application to ReNU⁺ you are agreeing for your data to be used as described in the ReNU⁺ privacy notice. 

Funding notes 

The studentship is available to Home only students and includes a full stipend at UKRI rates (for 2026/27 full-time study this is £21,805 per year) and full tuition fees.  Please note that one scholarship is expected to be offered amongst the two competitive projects at Durham, of which this project is one.   

Deadline for applications: 27 April 2026 11:59pm 

Start date of course: 1 October 2026 

This fully funded PhD project is open to Home fee applicants only

Deadline for applications: 27 April 2026 11:59pm

Nature-Inspired Composite Design for Longer-Life Tidal Turbines

About the project

Marine renewables need composite structures that stay lightweight and dependable after years in harsh ocean conditions. This PhD research focuses on tidal turbine blades and structural components subject to marine environments. Tidal devices operate for long periods in cold, corrosive seawater, and composite blades/structures must stay reliable despite water ingress, repeated loading in wet conditions, and freeze–thaw damage. Current carbon-fibre composites can gradually absorb moisture, weaken at internal interfaces and start to separate between layers, which can trigger sudden failures and increase maintenance. The project will develop new, bio-inspired composite designs that better resist seawater and freezing conditions while remaining lightweight and damage-tolerant, supporting higher availability and lower whole-life carbon for tidal energy.  

You will explore how and why conventional composites degrade in realistic marine conditions, then create and test improved designs inspired by nature. One strand takes cues from seashells, which are tough because they guide and slow down cracking; you will build similar “crack-stopping” features into composite laminates. The second strand takes inspiration from plant cell walls, which control how water moves through their structure; you will develop processing approaches that make it harder for seawater to penetrate and for ice to create internal damage. The work is hands-on and experimental, with modelling used to guide design choices and offer insights.  

By the end of the PhD, you will deliver practical outputs relevant to tidal blades: evidence-backed design guidance, and predictive tools, and manufactured demonstrator specimens showing improved durability and toughness under marine exposure. While the underlying ideas may also be useful in other marine sectors, the primary application, testing conditions and success criteria will be defined around tidal turbine blade/structure needs, aligning directly with ReNU⁺’s marine renewable energy training and mission.  

Experience with composites, polymers, testing, modelling or lab work is helpful but not required, training will be provided. The ideal candidate is curious, practical, and keen to work at the interface of materials, mechanics and marine renewable energy.  

More information about ReNU⁺ and our approach to competency assessment on our website. 

For informal enquiries please contact:   

Dr Stefan Szyniszewski (stefan.t.szyniszewski@durham.ac.uk) or  

Prof  Heather Knight (p.h.knight@durham.ac.uk).  

Eligibility Requirements: 

• A minimum of 60% in an MEng degree (or International equivalent Regional Pages - Durham University) in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science / Materials Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering (with composites interest), Naval Architecture / Marine Engineering, and Physics (with a practical/engineering focus).
• Appropriate English Language qualifications (Direct Entry Band B - Durham University), if required. 
• Applicants cannot apply if they are already a PhD holder or if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Durham or elsewhere. 
• Must be able to commit to campus-based full-time or part-time study. 
• Home fee student. 

To be classed as a Home student, candidates must: 

• Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or 
• have settled status, or 
• have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or 
• have indefinite leave to remain or enter. 

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student.   

Modes of study 

Full time or Part Time at 0.6 Full Time Equivalent at Durham.  

How to apply 

For further details on how to apply, and the link to Durham’s Postgraduate Application portal, see https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/how-to-apply/  

In the Postgraduate Application portal apply for the H1A601 PhD Renewable Energy Northeast Universities (EPSRC RENU CDT) Course.  When completing the form on the application portal:  

•  In the funding tab select ‘yes’ you are applying for a scholarship, select ‘Other’, write RENU/Szyniszewski in the name of the scholarship, and select 1st October 2026 as the start date.  No scholarship documents are required. 
• On the project course details tab write RENU/Szyniszewski in Field of Study. 

In addition to completing the form on the Postgraduate Application portal, ensure you upload the following additional documents to the portal: 

1. A completed ReNU Plus Competency Assessment in the place of a proposal.  Please read further instructions within the form.  

2. Curriculum Vitae (CV). 

3. Two satisfactory academic references.  

4.  Any other required documentation as listed on https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/how-to-apply/  

Please ensure you follow all these steps to ensure your application is considered. 

By submitting your application to ReNU⁺ you are agreeing for your data to be used as described in the ReNU⁺ privacy notice. 

Funding notes 

The studentship is available to Home only students and includes a full stipend at UKRI rates (for 2026/27 full-time study this is £21,805 per year) and full tuition fees.  Please note that one scholarship is expected to be offered amongst the two competitive projects at Durham, of which this project is one.   

Deadline for applications: 27 April 2026 11:59pm 

Start date of course: 1 October 2026 

Title of the award

EPSRC ReNU⁺ CDT PhD Studentship: Representative Elementary Volume fluid dynamic modelling for sedimentary geothermal production

Award summary

100% fees covered, and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £21,805 (2026/27 UKRI rate). An additional allowance will be provided to contribute towards consumables, equipment, and travel related to the project.

Overview

ReNU⁺ is a unique and ambitious programme that will train the next-generation of doctoral carbon champions who are renowned for research excellence and interdisciplinary systemic thinking for Net Zero. The ReNU⁺ vision is that they will become living examples of a highly skilled workforce delivering an equitable energy transition so that Net Zero is inclusive for all.

The efficient extraction of heat from deep geothermal energy systems relies on a detailed understanding of coupled heat and fluid flow within subsurface reservoirs. Strong temperature gradients drive convective fluid motion, involving interactions between hot and cooler fluids within the porous structure of sedimentary rocks. These processes are critical for both conventional open-loop geothermal developments and engineered systems, including closed-loop configurations. Robust reservoir-scale modelling is therefore essential for predicting system performance and informing design and operational decisions.

Leveraging geological, hydrological, and thermal models developed in conjunction with the industry partner, this PhD project aims to develop a reliable numerical modelling framework capable of:

(i) simulating coupled heat and fluid flow within deep geothermal reservoirs; and

(ii) evaluating reservoir performance under a range of operational scenarios while explicitly accounting for uncertainty and variability in key subsurface properties such as porosity, permeability, and lateral extent.

Given the typical depth and lateral scale of sedimentary reservoirs relevant to geothermal applications (hundreds of metres to kilometres), an averaged fluid dynamics approach will be adopted. This approach is based on the concept of a Representative Elementary Volume (REV), in which material properties are averaged and the reservoir is represented as a homogeneous continuum. Within this framework, pore-scale geometry is neglected and heterogeneity is captured through effective bulk properties. Governing equations based on Darcy’s law and coupled heat and mass conservation will be used to efficiently simulate reservoir behaviour over large spatial and temporal scales. Particular attention will be paid to the role of lateral boundary conditions, reflecting whether geological reservoirs are laterally confined or unconfined. As a potential extension, the continuum-scale model may be complemented by targeted pore-scale simulations to investigate microscale flow processes and phase behaviour, with results upscaled and incorporated into the reservoir-scale framework.

This project will be in collaboration with industry. The project aligns directly with the ReNU⁺ CDT by addressing sustainable resource extraction for geothermal heating. The outcomes will support improved prediction, design, and performance assessment of geothermal systems, contributing to risk reduction and more efficient deployment of low-carbon heat technologies. The project contributes to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Number of awards

1

Start date 

1st October 2026

Award duration

4 years

Application closing date

27th April 2026

Sponsor

EPSRC

Name of supervisor/s

Francesco Zonta

Mark Ireland

Eligibility Criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project (e.g. Applied Mathematics, Physics, Mechanical or Chemical Engineering). Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements. 

This studentship is open to those who qualify for Home tuition fees only. If you are not sure if you qualify, please contact pgadmissions@newcastle.ac.uk. 

How to apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal 

Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.  

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:  

• search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8208F
• leave the ‘Research Area’ field blank
• select ‘PhD Energy Materials' as the programme of study 

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:  

• a ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) - upload a document or write a statement directly in to the application form  
• the studentship code ReNU26_3 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field  
• when prompted for how you are providing your research proposal - select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.
• upload an up to date CV and a completed competency assessment form as ‘Supporting Documentation’.

You must submit one application per studentship, you cannot apply for multiple studentships on one application. You are welcome to apply to other studentships at the same time, as long as you cite the relevant code on each application (e.g. ReNU26_3 for this studentship).

Contact Details

Francesco.Zonta@newcastle.ac.uk 

Why do a PhD?

Learn more about completing a PhD by listening to our academics, students and industry partners discuss the benefits of a PhD qualification via some short videos on our Programmes page.

What our ReNU⁺ CDT Director, Professor Neil Beattie says:

We need a supply of talented next-generation leaders who will drive getting towards Net Zero. Programs like ReNU and ReNU Plus really focus on making sure those people understand the wider context for energy, not just their individual research project, but also things like the energy system, energy policy, and also finance and economics associated with getting towards Net Zero.

What our current ReNU CDT students say:

Why did you choose to pursue a PhD?

"I'm a PhD scholar in Northumbria University funded by ReNU. I chose to pursue my PhD because of my passion in material science and engineering and to contribute towards the digital sustainable technologies. "

"I decided to pursue a PhD was because I really enjoyed my master's project and I realized that doing more research would probably be very interesting to me. The long answer is that I've always thought of research as one of the things I wanted to do so it made sense in terms of my future path."

Why did you choose to apply for the ReNU program specifically? 

"I chose to apply in the ReNU program specifically because it focuses on the interdisciplinary research and the renewable energy. ReNU is actually part of three universities that is Northumbria, Newcastle and Durham University. So this gives us more support from various experts in the field and the state of art that we are working on."

"The ReNU training program brings in a lot of support so there's to begin with very wide lectures on what kind of problems we're facing in terms of reaching net zero or just the energy problem. There's also a lot of help with careers advice and stuff like progression."

What would you say are the benefits of being part of a cohort of students?

"The benefits for being part of the cohort of students is that it creates a collaborative environment for everyone and we all can interact with each other and this creates a good support network and exchange of ideas and research which actually helps us in our research. And secondly, with the help of this, we can have access to various labs, be it Northumbria University, be it Durham University or Newcastle University, for example, in my research I need TEM for morphological studies of the films. And it's not in Northumbria University and I'm planning to use the one that is in Durham. So it actually helps to overcome the barriers."

"Being part of a cohort is really motivating for me because I can talk about what I'm facing and find someone with similar problems or find solace in the fact that we're all stuck in the same problems but also it's more than that it's sharing experiences and ways to deal with certain problems that a normal PhD student might not be able to have."

In terms of the ReNU Plus program specifically, what would your advice be to future students who might be interested in that?

"I would highly recommend that they join the ReNU Plus program. They're going to find access to a lot of different resources within the program spanning from biology, physics, electrical engineering and chemistry and they're going to have crossovers with industry partners to find job opportunities as they go further afield."

A key objective for ReNU⁺ CDT is to recruit more diverse and inclusive cohorts of Doctoral Carbon Champions (DCCs).

ReNU⁺ welcomes and encourages applications from candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences such as: 

• candidates from ethnic minorities  
• those from a disadvantaged socio-economic and alternative backgrounds, first generation in their family to go to university  
• those with caring responsibilities 
• those with disabilities (physical, neurodivergent etc…) 

Find out further information at the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion page.

Programme Duration: 4 years (Full Time). Studentships are also available for applicants who wish to study on a part-time basis (please check individual adverts for further details).   

Funding: Each studentship supports a full stipend, paid for four years at UKRI rates (for 2026/27 full-time study this is £21,805 per year) and full tuition fees and a Research Training Support Grant (for travel, consumables, and further training). Applications are open only to candidates eligible for Home fees. If you are unsure of your fee status, please refer to this UKCISA webpage to find out your fee status.

Please see individual adverts for details on entry requirements as these vary between university and project. 

If you do not hold the entry requirements but you feel you have evidence of relevant skills and expertise that is equivalent, please get in touch with both the project contact and relevant institution director.    

Please note: to be classed as a Home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or
• have settled status, or
• have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
• have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student. Applicants will need to be in the UK and fully enrolled before stipend payments can commence, and be aware of the following additional costs that may be incurred, as these are not covered by the studentship.

Immigration Health Surcharge https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application

If you need to apply for a Student Visa to enter the UK, please refer to the information on https://www.gov.uk/student-visa. It is important that you read this information very carefully as it is your responsibility to ensure that you hold the correct funds required for your visa application otherwise your visa may be refused.

Costs associated with English Language requirements which may be required for students not having completed a first degree in English, will not be borne by the university. Please see individual adverts for further details of the English Language requirements for the university you are applying to.

Further guidance on how to apply can be found via our Application Resources webpage.

Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.