PhD Studentships - Process Industries: Net Zero Centre for Doctoral Training - Chemical Engineering for Sustainable Wastewater-to-Resource Systems

Award summary

100% fees (UK Home only), a minimum tax-free annual living allowance at the 2026/27 UKRI rate) (note that the 2025/26 rate is £20,780), and a research training support grant of £20,000.

Overview

This PhD project targets a key challenge in sustainable process engineering: translating microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) technology from lab-scale innovation to robust, industrial deployment.

The research will sit at the interface of reaction engineering, process systems engineering, and industrial deployment.

You will develop and optimise scalable MEC systems for real industrial wastewater, focusing on process intensification, dynamic operation, and resource recovery. The project combines modelling, pilot-scale experimentation, and techno-economic assessment to establish MECs as viable unit operations within next-generation wastewater treatment plants.

You will contribute to technology being developed for real-world deployment with water utilities and food & beverage manufacturers, working closely with the spinout company METzero Technologies.

Research Objectives

1. Process Intensification & Scale-Up
   • Design and evaluate scalable MEC configurations
   • Apply computational fluid dynamics and transport modelling to resolve flow distribution, mass transfer limitations, and electrode performance.
   • Validate models using lab and pilot-scale systems, linking hydrodynamics to electrochemical performance
2. Energy Integration & Process Optimisation
   • Develop rigorous energy balances and dynamic process models for MEC operation
   • Investigate integration with plant-wide energy systems and existing infrastructure
   • Quantify performance using industry-relevant metrics, supporting scale-up decisions and economic viability.
3. Resource Recovery & Process Control
   • Optimise operating conditions for selective recovery of hydrogen, ammonia, and high-value nutrients.
   • Conduct techno-economic and systems-level analysis for implementation in various sectors

Number of awards: 1

Start date: 1st October 2026

Award duration: 4 years

Sponsor: EPSRC

Supervisors

Dr Richard Law

Dr Elizabeth Heidrich

Eligibility criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project. We’re looking for motivated candidates with a background in chemical engineering, bioelectrochemical engineering, environmental engineering, or related disciplines. Interest in sustainability, circular economy, and process innovation is essential. Good organisational and communication skills, and the ability to work independently and in a team are essential.

Home students are welcome to apply and if successful will receive a full studentship.

How to apply

You must apply through the University's Apply to Newcastle Portal. Once registered, select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:

• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8856F
• Leave the ‘Research Area’ blank
• Select ‘PhD in Process Industries; Net Zero (PINZ)’ as the programme of study

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:

• A ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) - upload a document or write a statement directly into the application form
• The studentship code PINZ01-26 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field
• ‘Research Proposal’ - when prompted for how you are providing your research proposal – select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.

You must submit one application per studentship. You cannot apply for multiple studentships on one application.

Contact details: pinz.cdt@ncl.ac.uk