Details
This PhD scholarship is offered by the EPSRC CDT in Offshore Wind Energy Sustainability and Resilience; a partnership between the Universities of Durham, Hull, Loughborough and Sheffield. The successful applicant will undertake six months of training with the rest of the CDT cohort at the University of Hull before continuing their PhD research at the University of Sheffield.
Are you passionate about solving the critical material challenges facing sustainable energy? We are seeking an exceptional PhD candidate for a project at the intersection of materials discovery and engineering design.
High-performance magnets, such as Nd₂Fe₁₄B and SmCo₅, are the heart of modern wind turbines, but their reliance on costly and environmentally sensitive rare-earth elements (REEs) creates significant global challenges. This project tackles this problem with an innovative, dual-pronged approach.
This project will use a high-throughput computational search for entirely new magnetic materials. Using ab-initio simulations (e.g. density functional theory), you will rapidly screen novel, multi-component, and REE-free alloy compositions to identify candidates with ideal magnetic properties, such as high anisotropy and magnetisation.
Second, you will challenge conventional design by asking: what if we could engineer the perfect magnet from the ground up? You will explore revolutionary “combinatorial magnets,” strategically combining different materials. Working with others in the group, you will be able to then simulate your materials using finite element analysis to determine the performance of these composite magnets within virtual 2D and 3D generators.
This research will directly aid the discovery and development of next-generation magnetic materials, reducing our dependence on critical elements. As part of a dynamic research cluster with strong industrial sponsorship from our partners Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, one of the largest manufacturers of wind turbine original equipment in the world, your work will have a direct path to real-world impact.
Training & Development
Your training will begin with an intensive six-month programme at the University of Hull, drawing on the expertise and facilities of all four academic partners. It is supplemented by Continuing Professional Development (CPD), which is embedded throughout your 4-year research scholarship giving you a broad understanding of the breadth and depth of current and emerging offshore wind sector needs.
You will be given training in the use of the atomic scale software packages. The technical aspects of the generator design and performance will be supported through the SGRE R&D engineering team who are also assisting in supervising the project.
Entry Requirements
If you have received a First-class Honours degree, or a 2:1 Honours degree and a Masters, or a Distinction at Masters level with any undergraduate degree (or international equivalents) in Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Science, Engineering, Physics, or Mathematics and Statistics, we would like to hear from you.
If you have not previously been educated in English, you will be required to provide evidence of your English language ability. We require an IELTS (or equivalent) score of 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.0 in each skill.
Guaranteed Interview Scheme
We offer a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for home fee status candidates who identify as Black or Black mixed or Asian or Asian mixed if they meet the programme entry requirements. This positive action is to support recruitment of under-represented ethnic groups to our programme and is an opt-in process.
How to Apply
Please familiarise yourself with the AURA CDT website before you apply. The Frequently asked questions page and Candidate resources page are essential reading.
As part of the recruitment process, please submit a short 5-minute film of you delivering a presentation on “How do your experiences and qualities provide a background to contribute to research and innovation for the project you have applied for”.
You will be assessed on the content of your presentation, not your film editing skills, but please film in an appropriate, quiet location. The presentation could be a slide presentation with voice over, or you may wish to present simply talking to the camera, use the method you are most comfortable with. Please use tools and technology that are accessible to you e.g. your mobile phone, Keynote or Powerpoint.
You may only apply for ONE project offered through the CDT, via this page. After filling in your personal details, please select ‘Doctoral Training Course’ as the qualification you are applying for, and ‘AURA II CDT’ for the specific doctoral training course.
Please upload the following to your application:
· Complete transcripts and degree certificates (where possible). The documents should be provided in English and the original language.
· Your CV.
· A completed Supplementary Application Form. This includes space for you to provide a link where the shortlisting panel may view your film.
Save the supplementary application form as a pdf, labelled: Last name_first name PhD application form, and upload it when asked to add your Supporting Statement. Do not send your form directly to the CDT.
Interviews
First-round interviews will be held online during early to mid-February 2026. The interview panel will comprise the project supervisors and a CDT representative. Where the project involves external or industry supervisors then they may form part of the interview panel and your application documents will be shared with them.
If you are successful, you will progress to a second interview towards the end of February 2026. This will be with key academics from the CDT from across our four partner institutions (Durham, Hull, Loughborough, Sheffield) and your application documents will be shared with them.
Documents shared with external staff will have the guaranteed interview scheme section removed from your supplementary application form.
Interested?
Queries should be directed to Dr Colin Freeman (c.l.freeman@sheffield.ac.uk) or the CDT (auracdt@hull.ac.uk)
Funding Notes
The AURA CDT is funded by EPSRC, allowing us to provide scholarships that cover fees plus a stipend set at the UKRI nationally agreed rates. These are currently £20,780 per annum at 2025/26 rates and will increase in line with the EPSRC guidelines for the subsequent years (subject to progress).
Our CDT scholarships are available to Home (UK) students. To be considered a Home student, you must have no restrictions on how long you can stay in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the scholarship.