De Montfort University PhD Scholarships

Please contact PGRscholarships@dmu.ac.uk if you have any questions.

Pulsed Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Effects Measurement and Mechanisms

The operation of electronic systems can be adversely affected by exposure to pulsed RF fields. These effects are complex, and depend on the signal, underlying circuit vulnerabilities, system architectures, as well as factors including materials, construction of the circuits and their housing. This could adversely affect the functionality of systems providing safety-related and/or mission-critical functions.

Although effects are observable at system level, understanding of the underlying failures and how these relate to the characteristics of pulsed RF signals are not well understood, making the prediction of effects extremely difficult. This project will develop methods for instrumenting circuits to measure the effects of pulsed radiofrequency (RF) fields on the operation of electronic circuits. It will optimise exploration of the pulse parameter space, use these measurements to improve understanding of the underlying effects mechanisms and root-causes at silicon, component, and sub-system level, and identify test and monitoring methods at a range of levels, from component to platform level.

The project contributes to a major Ministry of Defence (MoD) research programme. This MOD/EPSRC Energy Transfer Technology Skills and Training (S&T) Hub is intended to develop “generation after next” technologies for applications in defence and security and train the next generation of leaders in energy transfer technologies relevant for defence and other related applications. Based at DMU Leicester, this project is co-funded by HORIBA MIRA Limited. The PhD candidate will be one of a cohort of approximately 12 students per year based at various universities in the UK. The Skills and Training Hub will run online and face-to-face activities to facilitate cohort building and group learning exercises throughout the PhD programme.

The duration of the PhD is 4 years. Funding will cover tuition fees and a stipend set at the UKRI rate (£19,237 in 2024/2025), and funds will be available for conference attendance and training, for students to travel to industrial partners and for longer placements with the industrial partner. The funding is for home students. Candidates must hold a minimum of an upper second-class UK Honours degree or international equivalent in a relevant science or engineering discipline. Candidates must be UK Nationals and be willing to apply for and able to obtain Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance.

Before you apply

We strongly recommend that you contact the supervisor(s) for this project before you apply.

Lead supervisor is Professor Alistair Duffy, Professor of Electromagnetics, De Montfort University, email: apd@dmu.ac.uk.

How to apply

This is a two-stage application process.

STAGE 1: Please send the following documents to PGRscholarships@dmu.ac.uk:

A completed DMU Scholarship application form
A 2-page CV
2 academic references

Deadline: Friday, 31 May 2024.

STAGE 2: Shortlisted candidates will be contacted to undergo an interview, and successful candidates will be contacted by Friday, 14 June 2024 with a request to submit a full application through the DMU PGR Application Portal.

Deadline for full application: Friday, 28 June 2024.

The successful candidate will commence their studies on the 1 October 2024.

Midlands4Cities

The AHRC-funded Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership (M4C) brings together eight leading universities across the Midlands to support the professional and personal development of the next generation of arts and humanities doctoral researchers. M4C is a collaboration between the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, University of Warwick, Coventry University, University of Leicester, De Montfort University, Nottingham Trent University and The University of Nottingham.

Offering you cross-institutional supervision, training, mentoring and career support to ensure that you produce world-leading research and maximise your career potential. The Doctoral Training Partnerships awards IRO 80 PhD Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) studentships applicants each year.

Through the partnership we aim to deliver excellence in all aspects of research supervision and training. We will assist you in acquiring the best supervision for your field of research, you will have access to a wide range of facilities and support networks across our campuses.

See further information on the application process.

PhD Studentship: Development of Mechanistic Crystal Dissolution Model

Project description

Tablets are pre-eminent for delivering most active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to patients. Prediction of drug release from a tablet is currently based on API dissolution models, typically the Noyes-Whitney equation or its modifications, which only consider the slowest mass transfer step of diffusion of solute molecules through a stagnant boundary layer. The limitation here is that other key processes are neglected, such as solvent wetting of the crystal surfaces, breakdown of solid-state bonds, solvation, diffusion through the quiescent liquid boundary layer surrounding the particle, and convection into the bulk liquid. These models assume the spherical shape of the dissolving particles, without considering crystal morphology, and hence, the specific surface chemistry of the dissolving crystals, which is particularly important for poorly water-soluble APIs.

In this project we will develop a unique crystal dissolution modelling to predict drug release from tablet accurately. Within the project the successful PhD candidate will work with the other PDRAs and PhDs, led by Professor Mingzhong Li at De Montfort University, to develop a mechanistic crystal dissolution model.

You will be a conscientious, innovative researcher who has a strong background in engineering and/or chemistry with strong skills in programming and modelling and analysis. Experience in data analysis for complex systems is preferred. The successful candidate will have opportunity to interact with our industrial partners such as the secondment.

Funding
DMU is offering a fully-funded 3-year PhD scholarship for this work, commencing on 1 October 2024. Applications are open to Home and international students, i.e. tuition fees at Home or International level will be waived. The studentship comes with a stipend pegged at the UKRI rate, currently at £19,237 per annum.

Lead Supervisor: Professor Mingzhong Li, Professor of Crystallisation Science & Drug Delivery, Leicester School of Pharmacy
Email: mli@dmu.ac.uk

Applicants must:
- Possess a UK Honours degree with at least an upper second class (or overseas equivalent), a Masters Degree or an academic or professional qualification plus experience in their sector or industry.
- Demonstrate competence in the use of the English language. Please see section 5b of our entry criteria information for further details on meeting our English language entry criteria.
How to apply
This is a two-stage application process.

Stage one

Please send the following documents to PGRscholarships@dmu.ac.uk:
- A completed DMU Scholarship Application Form
- A two-page CV
- Two completed Academic Reference forms
Deadline: Thursday 23 May 2024

Stage two

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted to undergo an interview, and successful candidates will be contacted by Thursday, 6 June 2024 with a request to submit a full application through the DMU PGR Application Portal.

Deadline for full application: Thursday 20 June 2024.

Scholarship letters will be issued by Wednesday 27 June 2024.

Alumni discounts

De Montfort University offers alumni discounts for students that have previously studied with us at undergraduate or taught masters degree level. This discount is available to Home and International Students. This discount is only available to new starters and will be automatically applied if you are eligible.

Home alumni discount is £500 per year (full-time equivalent).

International alumni discount is £2,000 per year (full-time equivalent).