125th Anniversary Scholarship in the School of Metallurgy & Materials
A new PhD scholarship for Black British Researchers in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
PhD Project: Space-based solutions for improved space sustainability
This PhD project will be based in the School of Metallurgy and Materials which is part of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
The deadline for applications closed at 23:59 (UK time) on Tuesday 30 April 2024.
About the project
We seek an enthusiastic and capable individual to join our team as a PhD researcher in the field of space-based solutions for a sustainable space future. The successful candidate will work with multi-disciplinary researchers based in the Colleges of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and Life and Environmental Sciences, working on novel space-based approaches and methods to maintain a sustainable space environment.
Our 125th anniversary scholar will:
- Investigate space-based sensor technologies for detecting space objects at sizes and in locations that cannot currently be accessed via ground-based technologies.
- Investigate low-cost techniques for accelerating de-orbit of space objects in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space and develop a novel end-of-life technology demonstrator for the enhancement of drag effects on LEOsats.
- Investigate data-sharing and open-source instrument development with those who may not have resources to develop their own satellites or access space data.
The LEO space environment is more crowded than ever before, with mega-constellations of commercially owned satellites (Starlink and OneWeb) comprising a large proportion of operational LEOsats providing services including Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. However, a large proportion of LEO residents are classed as debris and include rocket bodies, defunct satellites, and fragments of destroyed satellites. Current international guidelines state that all satellites must be removed from the LEO protected region within 25 years of end of mission, through deorbit or transfer to a graveyard orbit. Whilst this is undoubtedly a positive step, it will only limit the growth of space debris, not actively reduce it. Therefore, reliable and inexpensive methods of identifying and deorbiting space debris within a short timeframe are needed, in order to maintain the safety and accessibility of LEO orbits.
You will focus on two aspects of the LEOspace sustainability problem: space-based sensor technologies for detecting and monitoring space objects, and low-cost techniques for accelerating LEOsat de-orbit. Current techniques for surveillance and tracking of space objects are reliant on large, ground-based infrastructure, and are limited in the size range and viewing aspect of their detection capabilities. You will explore novel space-based sensor techniques for detecting space objects. Likewise, myriad de-orbit techniques have been suggested, developed, and tested; many of them have never gone beyond the technology demonstration stage as they are unfeasible to integrate onto satellites before they leave the ground, or are too costly to scale up. You will explore novel drag enhancement systems for de-orbiting end-of-life satellites. These offer a highly promising solution to space debris, utilising the small amount of atmospheric drag found in LEO. Finally, you will investigate integration of the developed sensor datasets into existing publicly accessible space data sets, the provision of drag acceleration hardware designs, and the development of training materials for users outside the global North. This will be facilitated by Prof. Pope's network of contacts in the global South.
References
- Bousiotis D, Alconcel LS, Beddows D, Harrison R, Pope F. ‘Monitoring and Apportioning Sources of Indoor Air Quality Using Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensors’. Environment International. 2023 Apr 1;174:107907. Epub 2023 Mar 31. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107907
- Alconcel L-N, Oddy T, Brown P, Carr C. ‘Sense-checking the calibration of the Cluster FGM magnetometer spin-axis offsets using mirror mode waves in the magnetosheath’. In EGU General Assembly 2023. European Geosciences Union. 2023. EGU23-10104 doi: 10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10104
- Alconcel LNS, Fox P, Brown P, Oddy TM, Lucek EL, Carr CM. ‘An initial investigation of the long-term trends in the fluxgate magnetometer (FGM) calibration parameters on the four Cluster spacecraft’. Geoscientific Instrumentation, Methods and Data Systems. 2014;3(2):95-109. doi: 10.5194/gi-3-95-2014
- Mills, S, Milsom, A, Pfrang, C, MacKenzie, AR & Pope, F 2023, 'Acoustic levitation of pollen and visualisation of hygroscopic behaviour', Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, vol. 16, no. 20, pp. 4885–4898. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4885-2023
- Mills, SA, Bousiotis, D, Maya-Manzano, JM, Tummon, F, MacKenzie, AR & Pope, FD 2023, 'Constructing a pollen proxy from low-cost Optical Particle Counter (OPC) data processed with Neural Networks and Random Forests', Science of the Total Environment, vol. 871, 161969. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161969
- Ghaffarpasand, O, Ropkins, K, Beddows, DCS & Pope, FD 2023, 'Detecting high emitting vehicle subsets using emission remote sensing systems', Science of the Total Environment, vol. 858, no. Pt 2, 159814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159814
Entry Requirements
Applicants need to have a good Honours degree (First Class or an Upper Second Class) in a subject with a mathematical grounding. This includes, but is not restricted to: physics, any flavour of engineering, environmental sciences, and computer science. Experience with programming is desirable (Python, MATLAB, R). Applicants should have excellent oral and written communication skills and strong problem-solving abilities. You may also have experience of presenting or preparing scientific manuscripts or presentations for journals or conferences, but this is not required.
Who can apply?
These scholarships are designed to create opportunities and address the underrepresentation of talented Black or Black mixed heritage students in academia. Applicants who meet all of the following criteria are eligible to apply:
- UK nationals and eligible for registration as Home students
- Members of one of the following ethnic groups:
- Black African
- Black Caribbean
- Black Other
- Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
- Mixed – White and Black African
- Other mixed background (to include Black African, Black Caribbean or Black Other)
- Not already enrolled on a PhD programme at the University of Birmingham
What does the scholarship provide?
- Financial Support: Recipients of these scholarships will receive substantial financial support, including a stipend at UKRI rates, which is set at £18,622 per year. This support covers tuition fees, living expenses, and research-related costs, including bench fees. This support is designed to alleviate the financial burden often associated with pursuing a doctoral degree.
- Mentorship and Guidance: Scholarship recipients will benefit from mentorship opportunities and guidance from accomplished faculty members who are dedicated to helping them succeed in their academic and research endeavours.
- Research Opportunities: We are committed to providing an exceptional research environment. Students will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge resources, and a vibrant scholarly community.
- Community Building: A key component of the scholarship programme is the creation of a supportive community of Black British researchers pursuing PhDs. This network will foster collaboration and peer support among scholars.
- Research Training Support Grant: In addition to financial support, scholarship recipients will receive a research training support grant. This grant is intended to support conference attendance, fieldwork, and other essential activities that enhance their research and academic growth.
- Commitment to Inclusivity: We are dedicated to building an inclusive academic environment that values diversity and ensures equitable access to education.
Contact the lead supervisor
Once applicants have familiarised themselves with the above project details, they are encouraged to contact the lead PhD supervisor to discuss the project and the applicant's suitability for the project. This is recommended before you submit an application to the PhD project.
Dr Alconcel's expertise is in sensor and payload instrument development for space environment monitoring and ground-based applications.[1-3] She works on the full life cycle of space missions, from concept and design through to end-of-life. Leah is the College Race Equality Lead and has extensive experience of advocacy and strategic direction of initiatives to support underrepresented groups in UK and other national contexts.
Dr Pope's expertise is around sensor systems for particle detection. The Pope group combines sensor with source apportionment techniques including AI to understand the importance of different sources for indoor and outdoor environments.
How to apply
After applicants have made contact with the lead PhD supervisor, you will then need to apply to the PhD project using our online application portal: you should select '125th Anniversary Scholarships (EPS)'. You will need to create an account for the online application portal and you will be prompted to sign-in upon your return to the portal.
You do not need to complete your application in one session; you can save your application at each stage and return to the portal at any stage before submission, particularly if you do not have all of the necessary documents when you begin your application.
As this is an 'advertised PhD', in which you will studying the above project that has already been provided by the academic supervisor(s), you do not need to submit a research proposal. Your personal statement will suffice for determining your suitability for the PhD project as well as your previous academic, professional and personal experiences.
The deadline for applications closed at 23:59 (UK time) on Tuesday 30 April 2024.
For your application you will need to submit the following documents:
Personal Statement
Personal Statement
You will need a personal statement of approximately 5,000 characters, explaining why you are interested in researching the above PhD project. This can be uploaded to the personal statement section in a PDF or Microsoft Word format. Alternatively, you can type this within the application portal.
The personal statement is an opportunity to make yourself stand out from other applicants and demonstrate how you are the most suitable candidate. You should explain your motivations for applying to the PhD project and how the PhD will help you achieve your future goals and aspirations. You may wish to outline and explain how your previous academic experiences have prepared you for PhD study, such as a specific module, research piece or dissertation in your Bachelors or Masters degree. Similarly, you should detail the skills that you have developed in any relevant academic, professional or personal contexts that would make you a suitable PhD student for the above project.
References
References
On your application, you will have been asked for contact details of one or two references. For some courses, you will need the references before a decision to be made.
Please make sure you tell your references to expect contact from the University of Birmingham via email, requesting their reference. Please note that the contact email address of the referee must be an official email address and not a personal one (for example, gmail). We recommend that the referee sends back the reference in a PDF format as it is preferred if:
- The reference is on official headed paper with the organisation or university’s logo and address
- It includes the date, your details and the details of the referee
- A summary of how they know you and confirm your suitability for studying on the course you have applied for
- It should be signed by the referee with their official contact details.
If both your referees send back references which are not on official headed paper, you may be asked to send in additional references.
If you already have a written reference(s) and want to upload it on behalf of your referee(s), make sure the reference is a scanned copy of the original and that it is on official headed paper.
If you input your referee details, your referees will receive a reference request email from us as soon as you submit your application. When a referee provides the reference by clicking on the link in the reference request email, it will be automatically uploaded to your application.
A referee can also provide a reference by emailing it to us directly via pgadmissions@contacts.bham.ac.uk, it should be sent from their official email address and contain their full name and role. Once the email has been received, it will be sent for processing so that it can be uploaded to your application.
Your online portal will be updated when a reference has been received and processed but please allow at least 15 working days for this. If your portal has not been updated, this does not necessarily mean that the references have not been received as there can be a delay with the processing of references.
Please note that for the vast majority of our programmes, we do not require references in order for a decision to be made and your application will still be processed as usual. If an offer is made and the references are still outstanding, they will form part of the conditions of the offer.
Academic certificate and transcript(s) for all prior degrees
Academic certificate and transcript(s) for all prior degrees
If you have graduated
You will have been asked to upload a scan of your original or certified copies of your degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) on the Postgraduate Application Portal.
If you have not done so already, you can go back into the portal to upload your documents. Otherwise your application cannot be considered.
Please be prepared to send in your original or certified copies of your documents if the Admissions team requests to verify them.
If you don’t have certified copies of your documents and would prefer not to send the original, you can get copies certified by either the institution where you studied or by a notary.
If you are currently a student
You will have been asked to upload an interim transcript from your latest exams.
If you have not done so already, you can go back into the portal to upload your interim transcript. Otherwise your application cannot be considered.
Please be prepared to send in your original or certified copies of your degree certificate and final transcript upon graduation if the Admissions team requests to verify them.
If you don’t have certified copies of your documents and would prefer not to send the original, you can get copies certified by either the institution where you studied or by a notary.
Sample Work
Sample Work
If you are required to submit a piece of example work— usually a short written piece (common for programmes such as Creative Writing or English Literature); music composition or performance for those looking to study music related programmes— you will be notified by the academic tutor before they can access and make a decision on your application.
Please make sure you submit these as soon as possible and in the format requested by the academic tutor.
Application portal tips
- You don’t need to complete your application in one session. Simply save it and come back to it when you’re ready.
- Avoid delays by checking all your information is accurate and complete.
- Your application won’t be processed until you’ve completed all the relevant sections and submitted it.
- If you run into any technical issues with your application, email us at directapplicationsystem@contacts.bham.ac.uk
What happens next?
Once you’ve submitted your application, we’ll send you details on how to access your applicant portal. You’ll be able to track the progress of your application, update your personal information, view decisions and accept offers.
Your application will be ‘pending’ on your portal while we check your application.
You can add or edit some details or documents within your application after it’s been submitted through your applicant portal. Or email pgadmissions@contacts.bham.ac.uk (include your applicant ID number) and we can add or edit for you.
Find out more
For more information about the scholarship programme, including announcements of available projects and the application process, please register your interest using the form below.