PhD Studentship - Driving circular outcomes in the infrastructure sector (055917)

Driving circular outcomes in the infrastructure sector

The University of Surrey, in collaboration with Costain Group Plc, is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to join the Practitioner Doctorate in Sustainability programme. Hosted by the internationally acclaimed Centre for Environment and Sustainability, the Practitioner Doctorate in Sustainability programme is the first of its kind, offering talented and ambitious researchers a unique experience in collaborative research spanning industry and academia. As a researcher on this programme (“Doctoral Practitioner” or “DP”), you will be primarily based with your industrial sponsor (“Partnering Organisation” or “PO”), Costain, for the majority of your time on the programme, which will give you valuable industry experience that you could not otherwise gain from a “traditional” PhD. You will benefit from a personalised programme of skills training and academic modules; input from academic and industrial supervisors; a generous living stipend; flexible options for the length of study and the type of qualification you complete (ie. PhD or EngD). No other doctoral programme will offer you this level of flexibility and control over your studies. By completing a doctoral programme that is tailored to meet your specific needs, you will become best-equipped to fulfil your future ambitions as a sustainability leader, be it in academia or in industry.

Applications are invited from self-motivated and enthusiastic candidates who should have completed a Masters or Bachelors’ degree in a relevant subject.  Any prior working experience will be helpful. The candidate must be able to display a strong capacity for independent thought, as well as a pragmatic attitude to working within industry.  Having considered the Project Brief, candidates will be expected to clearly outline the relevance of their prior experiences and motivation for applying in their covering letter.

 

Background and Description

Costain’s goal is to develop innovative- engineering based solutions across the UK’s energy, water and transportation infrastructures. This project would contribute to Costain’s mission through the creation of a framework for the circular economy by looking for sustainable and innovative solutions that will help meet critical national needs whilst reducing environmental and cost impacts for Costain and their customers.

Circular economy has the potential to transform our industry through use of revolutionary material, business models and technologies. The focus of this project will be to identify key areas for Costain’s industry to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy and to develop trials to put these theories into practice. This will involve research on alternative materials, use of waste as resource, developing new business models and testing the power of accelerating & enabling technologies.

Person specification

Degree in Engineering Passionate about innovation, sustainability and the environment Previous experience (work or education) within the circular economy English proficiency Expertise in computer science and/or engineering Inquisitive nature Ability to work independently Technical skills needed – such as computer programming skills in Office Strong communication skills are necessary and evidence of stakeholder engagement at all levels is required. The candidate must be able to display a capacity for independent thought, as well as a pragmatic attitude to working within industry

 

How to Apply

To apply for this project, please contact d.richardson@surrey.ac.uk Apply to the same e-mail address for an information pack which will include:

A Project Brief; Information about the Centre for Environment and Sustainability; Details of the Practitioner Doctorate in Sustainability programme.

Key Dates and Information

This project is due to begin no later than 2ndOctober 2017. The successful candidate will be based in Maidenhead, UK.  The candidate will spend an initial 12 weeks in Guildford, UK undertaking intensive sustainability and personal development training.

The programme will run for a four years.

The successful candidate will receive a generous stipend of £18,000 per annum throughout this time (with potential to increase to c. £20,000 per annum after two years). Stipends are usually tax-free and DPs will also benefit from an additional £500 p.a. allowance for attendance at conferences etc. In addition to this, full-time tuition fees will be covered at the current Home/EU rate for the duration of the programme.

The deadline for applications is Monday 14thAugust andInterviews for this post will take place in London on Tuesday 29thAugust 2017.

Closing Date: 14 Aug 2017
Category: PhD Studentships