Establishing an Isotope Toolkit for Saline Groundwaters (IT4SG)

About the Project

Project background

The UK is currently considering where to locate an underground Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) offshore the UK mainland for its’ nuclear waste inventory (see figure). All the sites being considered contain saline aquifers. Determining the age, origin, mixing and interaction histories of the various groundwater components will be crucial to establishing a hydrogeological model of the GDF, and critical for evaluating how well it will retain radionuclides and other contaminants on appropriate timescales.

The project aim is to use of a range of chemical and isotopic techniques to characterise the source and determine the age of saline groundwaters from onshore sites close to the planned UK nuclear waste repository. With an experienced supervisor team the student will use groundwater chemistry and O-H isotopes, and develop techniques for stable chlorine isotopes (37Cl/35Cl) and the short-lived radionuclide 36Cl in the laboratories at SUERC. The data will be used to test models of the large-scale hydrodynamics of deep saline groundwater systems.

The student will primarily be based on the SUERC campus of University of Glasgow. Supervision will be provided by Professor Finlay Stuart and an experienced laboratory team, groundwater specialist David Banks from the University of Glasgow and a senior advisor from Nuclear Waste Services. The project is predicated on laboratory chemistry and mass spectrometry, and there will be opportunities to gain experience at other laboratories in Europe as well field sampling campaigns. The student will be enrolled in the University of Glasgow College of Science and Engineering Graduate School and will benefit from the wide-ranging development programme and engaging with industry partners via training and placements.

Before you apply

We recommend that you contact the supervisor team before you apply. Please email Prof. Fin Stuart (fin.stuart@glasgow.ac.uk) with informal enquiries.

We expect start around September 2026.

Eligibility

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 Honours degree or a Masters (or international equivalent) in a relevant science, including chemistry, Earth/environmental science, physics or similar with a strong quantitative background. Experience of working in a laboratory environment (e.g. environmental or analytical chemistry) would be advantageous.

Funding

The NWS studentship will provide funding for 4 years including tuition fees (at the UK home level) and a tax-free stipend at the standard UKRI rate for 2025/2026. Research costs and conference expenses are included in the award. An international fee waiver might be possible for exceptional candidates.

Application process

Please refer to this website for details of how to apply:

https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/environmentalresearch/#tab=apply