The University of Bath is advertising a competitive PhD on perovskite oxygen carriers for biomass-enhanced hydrogen production. UK and international applicants may compete for funding. The deadline is 29 November 2026. The expected start is 4 October 2027. Applicants should consider the research fit and financial conditions together before deciding whether to apply.
Research Focus
The project investigates oxygen-storage materials for chemical looping. It combines reactor and process simulation with synthesis and laboratory testing. The proposed application connects hydrogen production and carbon-dioxide utilisation. Read the project description as a starting point for identifying a question that interests you, rather than assuming that every possible method will appear in the eventual thesis.
Location and Academic Team
The university base is Bath, United Kingdom. The research concerns low-emission energy technologies. Chemical Engineering hosts the opportunity. It belongs to the faculty’s studentship competition. Dr Chris de Leeuwe, Professor Steve Parker and Dr Antonio Jose Exposito are named supervisors. Informal enquiries are encouraged.
Who Can Apply
Applicants need a first or good upper-second-class honours degree or equivalent in chemical engineering or a closely associated discipline; a master’s is advantageous. Non-UK applicants not currently studying in the UK must meet the English requirement before the deadline. Check the current programme requirements for the precise qualifications and supporting documents needed. A relevant subject or an eligible nationality does not by itself guarantee admission or an award.
Funding and International Conditions
Competitive funding covers tuition, £1,000 annual training support and a stipend listed at £21,805 for 2026/27. Overseas awards are capped, and visa and Immigration Health Surcharge expenses must be met personally. The stated stipend does not confirm the 2027/28 rate. Review the written award terms before making financial commitments.
Exploring the Research Problem
For optional preparation, imagine a material that performs well in an initial test but has not yet been assessed as part of a wider process. Ask which additional information would be needed before drawing a conclusion about the usefulness of that process. Consider how a change in one part of the system could affect the interpretation of another measurement. This is a hypothetical research-thinking exercise, not a specified experiment, a practical production instruction or an advertised admissions task.
You could extend the example by comparing a promising laboratory observation with a prediction from a process model. Explain what agreement between them would establish and what aspects of a real application would remain outside that comparison. Identify which assumptions matter most and what evidence would make you revise an initial conclusion. A careful account of those limits can show interest in energy research without presenting a proposed technology as a guaranteed environmental or economic success.
Presenting Evidence of Preparation
If you have completed a chemical engineering, materials or modelling project, describe the question, your individual contribution, the method and the checks behind the result. Explain how you connected a measured or calculated quantity with the engineering question it was intended to answer. Distinguish experience in synthesis, testing, data interpretation and simulation instead of implying that practising one establishes expertise in all four. Connect the strengths you can support to the advertised topic and identify a realistic area for further learning.
If supporting materials are requested, make your individual contribution clear when discussing work completed with other people. Distinguish a class exercise, an unpublished report and a peer-reviewed research output instead of presenting them as equivalent achievements. Explain what your evidence can establish and what remained unresolved, including any limitation that would matter to the conclusion. Adapt these preparation suggestions to the actual application questions, since optional advice does not add requirements to the programme’s document checklist or guarantee a particular assessment outcome.
How to Apply
Use the current programme instructions to establish the submission route and complete supporting-document checklist. Review the exact project title and academic contacts wherever the form asks you to identify your research preference. An informal academic conversation can clarify fit, but it does not replace a formal application or constitute an admission or funding offer.
- View scholarship details and follow the linked institutional application instructions.
- Select the Chemical Engineering PhD and University of Bath URSA funding.
- Identify the exact project and supervisor, observing the maximum of two project choices, and submit by 29 November 2026.
Before Submitting
Information was checked on 23 October 2026. Reconfirm the deadline and current terms before submission, particularly where your ability to enrol depends on receiving an international award. Keep a copy of the final form and any written clarification that materially affects your eligibility, financial expectations or decision to accept an offer.