PhD opportunities
We have a responsibility and passion to address emerging global engineering challenges. Be part of our remarkable research.
Check the Postgraduate events schedule for more information about PhD study at Sheffield.
Scroll down to view a list of available projects, or you can conduct your own new search.
Please note, funded studentships are only available to UK and EU students unless otherwise stated. Please see individual adverts for specific terms.
Explore our PhD project directory
Funding and scholarships
Home students
The main sources of support for Home research and taught course graduate students are the Research Councils. Each body covers particular disciplines and departments within the University and Mechanical Engineering is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
In general, applications are submitted by the department, on behalf of students who are already registered or have been made an offer by the department. Details of the types of award offered by the Councils, together with full application criteria, can be obtained from EPSRC website.
EU students
Students from countries in the EU may be eligible for a 'fees only' award from the EPSRC. Please see the ESPRC website for further details.
Overseas students
Overseas students will need to ensure they have secured funding before applying for a research programme.
School-funded opportunities
The school has a number of fully-funded PhD research opportunities available:
- Industrial Doctorate Centre in Machining Science
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The IDC in Machining Science at the University of Sheffield is a joint enterprise between the Faculty of Engineering (particularly Mechanical Engineering) and the multi-award-winning Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).
The IDC offers approximately seven EPSRC/industry joint funded Engineering Doctorate (EngD) studentships and three PhDs each year, with the aim of producing academic and industrial researchers with skills and expertise at the forefront of knowledge in machining science.
Our EngD students are part of a vibrant research team committed to helping UK industry develop and maintain a world-leading capability in high-value manufacturing sectors that involve machining processes.
For more information about the IDC and the PhD and EngD programme, see the IDC in Machining Science.
Current PhD and EngD Opportunities
You can search currently available four year PhD and EngD Studentships here. Please check the site from time to time as new studentships are announced as they become available from sponsors.
We also have a mailing list which you can join to receive project announcements and other news from the IDC in Machining Science. Please email idc-machining-science@sheffield.ac.uk with your details and the subject "Join IDC Mailing List."
You can also follow us on Twitter for all of the latest news at @IDCMachSci.
- 4 Year EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Resilient Decarbonised Fuel Energy Systems
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Led by The University of Nottingham in collaboration with the University of Sheffield and Cardiff University
This Centre of Doctoral Training (CDT) will involve over 50 recognised academics with expertise in energy-intensive industries to provide comprehensive supervisory capacity across the theme for around 60 doctoral students. It will provide an innovative training programme co-created with our Partners to meet their advanced skills needs.
This will provide the highly trained personnel needed to enable UK-based industry to tackle the challenges in decarbonising major industrial sectors such as power, steel and heating through innovative and inventive uses of existing energy infrastructure, making new products and transmitting energy in new ways or in new forms.
The strategic vision of the CDT is to develop a world-leading Centre focused on delivering research leaders and next-generation innovators with broad economic, societal and contextual awareness, having strong technical and/or professional skills and capable of operating in multi-disciplinary teams covering a range of knowledge transfer, deployment and policy roles.
They will be able to analyse the overall economic context of projects and be aware of their social and ethical implications. These skills will enable them to contribute to stimulating UK-based industry to develop next-generation technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and ultimately improve the UK's position globally through increased jobs and exports.
Key research themes include:
- Techniques to carbon-neutral fuels such as biomass and hydrogen to be used in systems designed for fossil fuels
- Use of CO2 as a chemical feedstock for industry and manufacture – turning a waste into a product.
- Use of biomass as a feedstock for chemical processes as a replacement for fossil fuels.
- CO2 capture technologies for a range of in industrial sectors, including power, iron, steel, cement and glass-making.
- Automation of large energy-intensive processes to improve their flexibility and emission performance.
- Engineering Doctorate Studentships
- Up to 10 Engineering Doctorate postgraduate studentships starting October 2019 are available. Students should be of high academic calibre and merit.
Students who satisfy the UK residency requirement will need either a first class or upper second class honours degree in a relevant subject such as: Chemical, Environmental or Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, Metallurgy, Physics, Sociology, Psychology or Mathematics.
The EngD training offers:
- An in-depth four year training programme
- A non-taxed stipend of up to £18,500per year; much higher than a conventional PhD
- Up to three years' extensive research time in industry
- International travel for conferences and industrial/lab visits
- Attendance at annual Winter Schools to share knowledge with researchers across the Centre and with other groups working in related areas.
- Preparation for high-level careers in the energy sector
- Industrial Involvement
Researchers will spend time working closely with one or more of our partners, and most will pursue a research project based at one of the organisations. Applications for Doctoral research are invited to work with the following partners (amongst others):
- Johnson Matthey
- GE (General Electric Company)
- WSP Group plc
- Cultivate Innovation Ltd
- Biomass Power
- Ashwell Biomass Solutions
- Glosfume Limited
- Mineral and Energy Economy Res
- Thermocore Europe Ltd
- Drax Power Limited
- Freeland Horticulture
- Biomass and Fossil Fuel Res Alliance
- EDF Energy Plc
- Tata Steel Europe
- Carbon Clean Solutions Limited
- Energy Systems Catapult
- Clean Electricity Generation
- International Flame Research Foundation
- RJM International
- Welsh Water (Dwr Cymru)
- HiETA Technologies Ltd
- Wales & West Utilities
- Promethean Particles Ltd
- CPL Industries Group Limited
- Siemens plc
- Electric Power Research Institute
- Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
- Innospec Environmental Ltd
- Doosan Babcock Power Systems
- Tarmac
Projects will match both the interests of the researcher and the partner(s) involved.
For further information please contact Professor Derek B Ingham on +44 114 215 7215 or d.ingham@sheffield.ac.uk.How to apply
To apply, send a CV with a covering letter to Professor Robin Irons, Centre Director, at robin.irons1@nottingham.ac.uk
University scholarships
The University offers a limited number of scholarships, which are open to Home and overseas research students. Further details can be found on the Research and Innovation Service's website.