ÇéÉ«ÁùÔÂÌì

PhD Studentship

Sustainable Soil Management Approaches in Sugar Beet Production

Supervisory Team: Dr Iain Gould, Dr Shaun Coutts, Dr Georgina Barratt (Industry Supervisor, BBRO)

We are offering a full 4-year PhD studentship funded by the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO). The successful candidate will join the team at the Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology (LIAT) at the ÇéÉ«ÁùÔÂÌì, based on our Riseholme Campus, working in close collaboration with BBRO, an organisation driving research and knowledge exchange to support the sugar beet industry in the UK.

Project Background

Healthy soils underpin not only our food production, but also a wealth of ecosystem services, such as greenhouse gas cycling, water regulation, and a functioning biological habitat. Soil management in sugar beet systems faces its own unique challenges in comparison to other typical UK crops: on one hand, sugar beet photosynthesises for long periods of time, potentially sequestering lots of carbon in the process. On the other hand, seedbed conditioning and spring establishment faces its own challenges, and winter lifting can cause damage to soils. This PhD will explore soil management techniques in sugar beet systems, with a particular focus on how we can grow a healthy crop whilst also benefitting some of the ecosystem services our soils provide.

Research Aims

This research will focus on three key areas of sugar beet management:

• Rooting Properties: How much root mass remains after a sugar beet crop, and will tillage management impact on this?
• Rotational Impacts: Will changes in long term crop rotation have an impact on soil quality in sugar beet systems?
• Top Management: How can we best manage sugar beet aboveground ‘Tops’ biomass to return more organic matter to the soil?

Across these themes, the successful student will implement a range of field sampling and in situ soil measurements, alongside soil physical, chemical, and biological analysis. The project experimental approach will range from small scale pot trials up to large field trials. Work will be supported by the supervisory and technical teams within LIAT and BBRO.

Person Specification and Requirements

The successful candidate will be given the opportunity to work across disciplines and engage with colleagues from the ÇéÉ«ÁùÔÂÌì and stakeholders from the agricultural industry. They will benefit from the opportunity to present work at BBRO stakeholder events and both industry and academic conferences. The candidate will join an existing cohort of PhD students in agriculture and agri-food technology within Lincoln, alongside BBRO’s strong PhD student cohort from five partner universities. Working across both of these institutes will offer the candidate a fantastic range of training and networking opportunities in both academic and industry setting.

Applicants should possess a good honours degree in agriculture, biology, environmental sciences, soil science, or an associated subject. Experience of soil and plant analysis is desirable, particularly analysis of soil physical properties, root analysis, or experience in soil carbon analysis.

Field work experience will be essential to the role, as applicants must be willing to travel and work in outdoor agricultural settings. The successful candidate will be working closely with industry collaborators and will need to demonstrate excellent communication skills. Past work experience in an industry setting, or working with multiple stakeholders is desirable.

Funding

A fully-funded studentship including tuition fees and stipend is available for home applicants for up to four years, as well as funding for research consumables, travel, and participation in conferences.

How to Apply

To apply for this studentship, please send your CV and personal statement to Dr Iain Gould at igould@lincoln.ac.uk with the subject as “PhD Studentship Application”.

The personal statement should outline your interest in the project and also explain how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements (one page). Please include contact details for at least two academic references. Selected candidates may be invited to interview (online or in person).

Application Deadline: 5 November 2023

For further information, please contact Dr Iain Gould at igould@lincoln.ac.uk at the ÇéÉ«ÁùÔÂÌì, or Dr Georgina Barratt georgina.barratt@bbro.co.uk at BBRO.

PhD Studentship 1

Development of Next-generation Multivalent Metal-sulphur Batteries with High Energy Density

Supervisory Team: Dr Filipe Marques Mota, ÇéÉ«ÁùÔÂÌì and Dr Julien Ramier, SLB Cambridge Limited (SRC)

Applications are invited for outstanding candidates to join our PhD programme (3.5 years) between the ÇéÉ«ÁùÔÂÌì's School of Chemistry and SLB Cambridge Research Limited (SCR). The PhD programme will have a balanced industry-academic focus on the development of next-generation electrochemical energy storage. Candidates are expected to start their position on January 1^st 2024, or as soon as possible after the intended date.

Project Background

The development of conversion-type metal–sulphur (metal–S) batteries offers extended energy density ranges and a cost-effective solution against current cathode materials. Replacing Li with abundant multivalent metal anode counterparts (e.g., calcium and magnesium) is a promising yet unexplored strategy. In light of the unique metal–S electrochemistry, the PhD student will examine the reaction mechanism and solvation of polysulfide species taking place during discharge/recharge cycles of the assembled batteries. In addition, the technical challenges of metal anodes, including the dendritic nucleation and growth during metal plating, correlated side reactions, and the stabilization of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) will be investigated.

Research Aims

In light of the unique metal–S electrochemistry, the PhD student will examine the reaction mechanism and solvation of polysulfide species taking place during discharge/recharge cycles of the assembled batteries. In addition, the technical challenges of metal anodes, including the dendritic nucleation and growth during metal plating, correlated side reactions, and the stabilization of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) will be investigated.

Person Specification and Requirements

Applicants must show excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to conduct self-motivated and high-performing research. They should have Honours or Master’s Degree in chemistry or relevant areas of research. Motivated students with a background or interest in (electro)chemistry, materials science, and engineering are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to students with hands-on research experience and a record of research published in SCIE scientific journals. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed over Teams.

About the School of Chemistry at Lincoln

Founded in 2014 with a £6.8m grant, the School will also provide me with facile access to specialist facilities including the £23m , , and the £28m Isaac Newton Building. The School has heavily invested in infrastructure to support our Advanced Functional Materials research group and, in recent years, in the existing electrochemical infrastructure for both laboratory-based and in-situ characterisation. The School provides free access to advanced vibrational spectroscopy (FT-IR and micro-Raman), X-Ray diffraction instrumentation, thermal analysis (including evolved gas analysis with MS and FT-IR), and state-of-the-art 500 MHz NMR (including multinuclear and solid-state probes). The School also facilitates access to high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM), focussed ion-beam/SEM, and (scanning) transmission electron microscopy (STEM) including dual EDX detectors and capable of BF/DF/HAADF.

About SRC

SCR is a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment with state-of-the-art research and computing facilities. SCR is part of SLB's global network of research and engineering centres. SLB, a world’s leading technology supplier to the energy industry, believes energy makes society progress. SLB explores new and better ways to drive energy storage. We invest in differentiated tech and strategic partnerships that will help power our future sustainably, reliably, and at scale.

Funding

A tax-free stipend of ca. £18,622 p.a. for 3.5 years is provided alongside the payment of all University fees. Eligibility is restricted to UK citizens only. 

How to Apply

Applications including a covering letter and CV should be directly sent to chemistry@lincoln.ac.uk with the subject title “PhD studentship Lincoln/SLB”.

For any informal enquiries and project details, please contact Dr Filipe Marques Mota at fmarquesmota@lincoln.ac.uk.

PhD Studentship

Greenland Climate Change Since AD 1600

Supervisory Team: Professor Edward Hanna (ÇéÉ«ÁùÔÂÌì), Dr Kristen Beck (ÇéÉ«ÁùÔÂÌì), Dr Leanne Wake (University of Northumbria)

Applications are welcome for a three-year funded PhD studentship held at the Department of Geography, ÇéÉ«ÁùÔÂÌì.

Summary

This research project will use a mix of instrumental and palaeoclimate data sources to improve our understanding of historical changes in Greenland climate back to AD 1600, that are crucial for evaluating ice-sheet change and the accompanying contributions to global sea-level rise. The project will complement and be supported by existing research on NERC grants on Greenland climate and ice sheet change, that are led by Professor Edward Hanna.

Person Specification and Entry Requirements

We are looking for a motivated, self-directed individual who is focused on delivering outputs (academic research papers as well as the PhD thesis). 

Applicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant area. The ideal candidate will have some climate science or meteorology background, although candidates with other relevant backgrounds in Earth or physical sciences will be considered. Candidates should have a strong interest in Greenland climate change. Skills in statistical data analysis and an interest/aptitude in computer programming would also be extremely beneficial.

Applicants should possess good report writing and English language communication skills and an ability to work independently to deadlines. The successful candidate must be enrolled full-time.

Funding

Suitably qualified candidates worldwide may apply. Home fees of £4830 per annum will be covered by the studentship but international students must self-fund the difference between the International and UK fee rate – for 2023/24 entry this difference would be £12,870.

An annual tax-free stipend of £18,622 will be paid in monthly instalments.

Fees incurred after 36 months will not be covered by these funds.

How to Apply

If you wish to apply for this position please send an email to Edward Hanna at ehanna@lincoln.ac.uk with a covering letter explaining why you want to undertake this PhD and your relevant experience, and a full CV (including the contact details of two referees).

All applications will be assessed, and we may hold interviews to aid the selection process. Once a potential candidate is chosen, they will be required to formally apply to the University for a PhD position. Please note the University’s entry requirements for a PhD, which are found here: /course/gepgeprp/.

Closing Date: 15 November 2023 

Start Date: January to April 2024 (exact date TBC)

PhD Studentship

Implementation of GPU-accelerated simulations for real time propagated excited states and applications to organometallic photochemistry

Supervisors: Professor Matt Watkins, School of Mathematics and Physics, ÇéÉ«ÁùÔÂÌì and Dr Joshua Elliott & Dr Sofia Diaz-Moreno, Department of Physical Science, Diamond Light Source Ltd.

4-year Fully Funded PhD Studentship developing real-time time-dependent density functional theory simulations of photoactive organometallic compounds.

 is the UK’s national synchrotron science facility. By accelerating electrons to near light-speed, Diamond generates brilliant beams of light from infra-red to X-rays which are used for academic and industry research and development across a range of scientific disciplines including structural biology, physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, earth and environmental sciences.

Summary

Applications are welcome for a four-year funded PhD studentship jointly held at the School of Mathematics and Physics, ÇéÉ«ÁùÔÂÌì and the Spectroscopy Group at Diamond Light Source starting October 2023. The Studentship will focus on developing GPU parallelised routines for Real-Time Propagated Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory with the Open Source CP2K software and their application to Pump and Probe spectroscopy data collected at the I18 Microfocus beamline.

Background

Understanding, on an atomic scale, how light-activated processes drive chemical reaction mechanisms, local geometric rearrangements and charge transfer reactions will be pivotal in engineering next-generation devices and overcoming our overreliance on carbon-positive technology. X-ray pump and probe spectroscopy is a critical tool for probing light-induced reaction mechanisms and photo-excited states. However, this type of experiment typically provides data of seldom observed chemical states and therefore, further analysis and characterisation can be highly challenging.

First-principles simulations can be focal in interpreting experimental spectroscopic data collected at Diamond Light Source. Real-Time Propagation Time-Dependent DFT has emerged as a powerful and viable means to investigate the time evolution of excited states subject to a time-dependent electromagnetic field.

Project Description

The studentship targets the acceleration of the RTP-TDDFT routines within the CP2K code through GPU parallelisation. RTP-TDDFT will be deployed to provide insight into the fundamental dynamical excited state properties of organo-transition metal complexes of particular interest to the facilities’ user communities. In addition, it will implement an automated framework for RTP-TDDFT simulations of more generalised materials across different High-Performance Computing facilities available to Diamond Light Source scientists and users.

Further Information

Diamond Light Source Ltd holds an Athena SWAN Bronze Award, demonstrating their commitment to provide equal opportunities and to advance the representation of women in STEM/M subjects: science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine.

How to Apply

We seek a highly motivated student interested in research software development and materials science to join our team. Interested applicants are asked to provide an up-to-date CV and a one to two page cover letter outlining their scientific background, expertise and research interests and the names ad contact details of two references to Joshua.elliott@diamond.ac.uk and MWatkins@lincoln.ac.uk. Informal enquiries are also encouraged.

The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.