Waste Utilisation for Sustainable Resource Recovery and Carbon Capture

About the Project

This project will involve the development of a novel approach that combines waste utilization and carbon capture technologies to address pressing environmental concerns and promote sustainable resource management. By examining various waste streams from different sources, the potential for extracting valuable cementitious materials from waste sources will be identified.

One primary focus will be the integration of carbon capture technologies into the treatment of selected waste sources. This approach will involve capturing and storing carbon dioxide within cementitious materials, thereby contributing to efforts aimed at mitigating climate change. The combination of waste utilization and carbon capture is expected to yield synergistic benefits, leading to both environmental and economic gains.

Interested candidates must have a good understanding of alternative cement binder systems, concrete sample preparation and testing, and analyses involving reaction mechanisms, mechanical performance and microstructural development.

The successful candidate will join the Manchester CREATES (Concrete Materials, Resource Efficiency and Advanced TEchnology for Sustainability) team. For more details on research team activities, please visit www.manchestercreates.com

Eligibility

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.

Funding

This 3.5-year PhD is for self-funded students. Exceptional candidates will be considered for Faculty funding (this will include an annual tax-free stipend of £20,780 and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year).

At The University of Manchester, we offer a range of scholarships, studentships and awards at university, faculty and department level, to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers.

The start date is October 2026.

We recommend that you apply early as the advert will be removed once the position has been filled.

Before you apply

We strongly recommend that you contact the supervisor for this project before you apply. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

How to apply

Apply online through our website: https://uom.link/pgr-apply-2425

When applying, you’ll need to specify the full name of this project, the name of your supervisor, if you already having funding or if you wish to be considered for available funding through the university, details of your previous study, and names and contact details of two referees.

Your application will not be processed without all of the required documents submitted at the time of application, and we cannot accept responsibility for late or missed deadlines. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

After you have applied you will be asked to upload the following supporting documents:

• Final Transcript and certificates of all awarded university level qualifications
• Interim Transcript of any university level qualifications in progress
• CV
• Supporting statement: A one or two page statement outlining your motivation to pursue postgraduate research and why you want to undertake postgraduate research at Manchester, any relevant research or work experience, the key findings of your previous research experience, and techniques and skills you’ve developed. (This is mandatory for all applicants and the application will be put on hold without it).
• Contact details for two referees (please make sure that the contact email you provide is an official university/work email address as we may need to verify the reference)
• English Language certificate (if applicable)

If you have any questions about making an application, please contact our admissions team by emailing FSE.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk.