Current research degree projects
Explore our current postgraduate research degree and PhD opportunities.
Search PhD projects
242 research degree projects
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Engineering
Air lubrication for drag reduction over non-flat surfaces
Injecting air beneath a ship’s hull offers significant drag reduction and fuel savings, but current systems perform best on flat geometries. This project addresses the open question of how hull curvature influences air-layer dynamics and stability. This is a crucial step toward extending air lubrication to a wider range of vessel designs and realistic flow conditions. -
Engineering
Multiphysics modeling of degradation in next-generation thermal barrier coatings
This project investigates the failure mechanics of next-generation thermal barrier coatings produced by suspension plasma spray and solution precursor plasma spray, an area where computational modelling remains largely unexplored. It will develop multiphysics models of degradation under extreme thermal and chemical conditions to guide high-performance coating design for aerospace and energy. -
Electronics and Computer Science | Photonics and optoelectronics
Harnessing Topological Light through Metasurfaces for Intelligent 3D Endoscopy
This PhD project will develop metasurface-enabled intelligent optical sensing for rapid, accurate identification of miniature features in endoscopy. Building on recent funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Leverhulme Trust, this PhD combines advanced nanofabrication, machine-learning-driven optical design, and close collaboration with University Hospital Southampton, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). -
Electronics and Computer Science | Chemistry and Chemical Engineering | Engineering | Physics and astronomy
Ferroelectric diodes with 2D semiconductors for future AI hardware
Artificial intelligence demands faster, more efficient hardware. This PhD project addresses the energy and latency bottlenecks of modern computing hardware by bringing memory and computation together. Join us in developing neuromorphic devices using foundry-compatible ferroelectric diodes with two-dimensional materials for future computing hardware. -
Engineering | Electronics and Computer Science
AI-driven solar-laser hybrid sintering for lunar regolith metamaterials
This project investigates the microstructural evolution and mechanical behaviour of laser-sintered lunar regolith. Combining advanced microscopy, nano-/micro-mechanical testing, and graph neural network modelling, the research will uncover how glass formation and pore topology control strength, enabling predictive design of next-generation regolith-based building materials. -
Engineering
Quantum technologies for early detection of dementia
This project aims to investigate how quantum technologies can transform MRI based dementia research, laying foundations for novel diagnostics. You'll work at the intersection of quantum engineering, neuroscience, and clinical analysis, and lead an interdisciplinary project with the potential to shape future dementia care and beyond. -
Engineering
Developing cold plasma sterilisation system for lumened medical devises and complex space instruments
This project tackles the critical challenge of sterilising narrow channels in medical and space instruments. We will develop a novel hybrid cold plasma system, combining RF plasma with a DBD plasma, for deep channel penetration. Supported by industry expert Aurora, this research adapts space-derived technology to deliver a validated, safer sterilisation process for both space and medical domains. -
Engineering | Mathematical sciences
Controlling extreme events in fluid dynamics using modern optimization
Extreme bursts in fluid flows are hard to predict and control. This project develops modern optimisation and dynamical-systems tools to understand and limit these events using low-dimensional models. -
Physics and astronomy
Excitons in hybrid semiconductor quantum dots for tunable emitters
Perovskite quantum dots show great potential for tunable light emitters. They are also promising candidates for single-photon emitters, which are key building blocks for quantum communication networks. This project will study the fundamental photophysics behind photon emission of perovskite semiconductor nanoparticles and develop new platforms for quantum technologies. -
Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Investigation of fluorinated prolines by NMR spectroscopy
Some nasty peptides (conotoxins in carnivorous snails, neurotransmitter mimetics in snake venoms) contain uncommon conformers of the proline amino acid. This project is about controlling and measuring proline’s unusual dihedral angles, and improve nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods to gather structural and dynamics information, using fluorinated prolines (FPro) as natural prolines' proxies.