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Colleges

PhD topics for research students

Find below a list of currently available self-funded PhD topics.

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Check out fees and funding

We encourage all students to contact the supervisor or the alternative contact person for more information and an informal chat to discuss the process of applying and preparing your research statement. For more information on how to apply click here.

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Description
Supervisor
Funding
Development of an Optical Shape Sensing Method Using Optoelectronic Sensors for Soft Flexible Robotic Manipulators in Minimally Invasive Surgery
Over the last two decades, many soft continuum manipulators have been developed by many academic institutions and industries for MIS (minimally invasive surgery), endoscopy, and colonoscopy because th...
Yohan Noh
Self Funded
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production from Biomass and Waste using a Biorefinery Approach
Aviation fuel is conventionally supplied from kerosene produced from crude oil. The aviation industry accounts for nearly 2% of global CO2 emissions. There is hence a pressing need worldwide to improv...
Kok Siew Ng
Self Funded
A systems approach to plastic waste valorisation
The inherent limitations of conventional mechanical recycling technologies in dealing with highly contaminated plastic waste streams and the economic barriers for new chemical recycling technologies a...
Kok Siew Ng
Self Funded
Steel bolted connections subjected to cyclic and monotonic loads
Steel moment frames are structural systems heavily used in different types of buildings around the world. In this type of structures, the beams and columns are joined by moment connections; therefore,...
Self Funded
Sustainable products & processes - help industry ditch the plastic and toxic chemicals!
This project offers the right candidate a £5000 bursary contribution in the first year only. Please contact the supervisor for more detail. Material and energy used for making products can have signif...
Gera Troisi
Partially Funded
Antimicrobial resistance in marine mammals (seals) from polluted waters
This project offers the right candidate a £5000 bursary contribution in the first year only. Please contact the supervisor for more detail. This project addresses an urgent Global Challenge – the grow...
Gera Troisi
Ashley Houlden
Partially Funded
Automatic computational fluid-dynamics
Computational fluid-dynamics (CFD) is undergoing a revolution from steady to high-fidelity unsteady methods.  A key time limitation to running CFD is in setting up a case to be run and processing data...
James Tyacke
Self Funded
Optimisation of geothermal energy extraction
Geothermal energy offers a huge amount of near zero emission energy, with a small ground footprint at extraction. This can be used for power production, heating, drying and energy storage. Existing oi...
James Tyacke
Self Funded
Study of stray current induced corrosion in railway construction
Railway electrification represents an important carbon strategy in the UK. It is estimated that an electric train consumes at least 20% less power (per passenger per mile) compared to a diesel-powered...
Kangkang Tang
Self Funded
A linear peristaltic pump for biological media
Established methods used to transport biological media such as axial, centrifugal and peristaltic pumps can cause damage to micro organisms due to shear stress, crushing and high velocity movement. An...
Self Funded