Graphene NOWNANO is a recently established Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) and is a partnership between the Universities of Manchester and Lancaster. It builds on the world-leading expertise in the science and technology of graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) materials at Manchester and Lancaster to offer a broad interdisciplinary CDT. PhD students in GrapheneNOWNANO receive initial bespoke training in fundamentals of graphene/2D materials, their applications, and key techniques. This is followed by a 3½ year research project in one of 30+ top-rated research groups across 9 disciplines/university departments (Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Materials Science, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Pharmacy, Biomaterials, Medicine).

The CDT is run jointly with the doctoral training centre in nanoscience (NOWNANO, established in 2009, current cohort 65 students) providing further opportunities for sharing expertise and exchange of ideas.

In addition to scientific training, the CDT offers many extras: residential student-led conferences, secondments provided by industrial partners and/or overseas academic institutions, innovation and commercialisation training, outreach events, opportunities to take part in business start-up competitions.

Key aspects of the programme:

•  6-month training in fundamentals of 2D materials and core research techniques
• Choice of interdisciplinary experimental, theoretical and computational projects covering a wide range of topics, from fundamental science of graphene and other 2D materials to fabrication, characterisation and modelling, nanodevices based on 2D materials, 2D heterostructures (‘materials on demand’), applications of graphene and other 2D materials in electronics, photonics, electrochemistry, composites, spintronics, filtration and separation, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine.

We welcome applications from graduates with a good degree (first or high upper second) or an equivalent international qualification in science, engineering or medical disciplines. Graphene and other nanomaterials make significant contributions to clinical practice, so we welcome medics as much as physicists!

To be eligible for a studentship, you must either be a U.K. citizen or a European Union national who has been resident in the U.K. for at least 3 years prior to starting the course. A small number of funded places are also available to EU students not currently resident in the UK.

We welcome applications from good students of all nationalities, but we are only able to offer financial support to students that fulfil the above criteria.

The CDT is based in the School of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL. PhD research undertaken by the CDT students is interdisciplinary, involving research laboratories in all participating Schools/Departments (University of Manchester: Schools of Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Materials Science, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences; University of Lancaster: Department of Physics)

Applications are accepted from 1st October 2014 and we expect all places to be filled by the end of May 2015.