A new £16 million doctoral training centre at the University of Bath will embed sustainability into the core of chemistry and chemical engineering research and training. The centre, funded by EPSRC, the university, and industry partners, addresses a critical shortage of scientists and engineers who can design chemical processes and products that are both effective and environmentally responsible. Currently, many industrial chemical processes generate significant waste, consume large amounts of energy, or rely on non-renewable feedstocks. This centre will train a new generation of researchers to tackle those problems directly. Students will work on projects spanning renewable resources, clean energy, cleaner manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and reducing the environmental impact of products across their entire life cycle. The programme includes foundation training, specialist courses in sustainable technologies, and placements with international partners in the US and Germany. If successful, the centre will produce highly skilled graduates who can reshape the chemical industry—making everything from plastics to medicines to fuel production less wasteful and more sustainable.
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The Departments of Chemistry (Chem) and Chemical Engineering (Chem Eng) at the University of Bath propose a Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) in Sustainable Chemical Technologies. The 6.9m requested from the EPSRC will be supplemented by 6.0m from the University and a 3.0m industrial contribution to fund a DTC operating at the interface of Chem and Chem Eng. The DTC will place fundamental concepts of sustainability at the core of a broad spectrum of research and training in applied chemical sciences. A dynamic, multidisciplinary research and training environment (the combined current EPSRC portfolio for the two departments is 19.9m) will underpin transformative research and training in Sustainable Chemical Technologies. This will respond to a national and global need for highly skilled and talented scientists and engineers in the area. All students will receive foundation training to supplement their undergraduate knowledge, as well as training in Sustainable Chemical Technologies and transferable skills. They will all conduct high quality and challenging research within the Sustainable Chemical Technologies theme directed by joint Chem and Chem Eng supervisors. The broad research themes encompass the areas of; Renewable Resources, Clean Energy, Clean Processes, Pharmaceuticals and Wellbeing, and Life Cycle Impact Reduction. Participation from key industry partners will address stakeholder needs, and partner institutions in the USA and Germany will provide world-leading international input, along with exciting opportunities for student placements. Detailed management plans have been developed in order to facilitate the smooth running of the centre and to enable excellence in the training and research aspects of the proposal. The Doctoral Training Centre will be supported by the creation of physical and virtual laboratories for the students.This 16m initiative has attracted strong and influential support: I strongly support the objectives you describe...the center is the right idea at the right time. Good luck! (Prof. George Whitesides, Harvard); The proposed initiative...should enable significant impacts to be made in this vital area. (joint letter signed by six Chief Executives of key stakeholders, including David Brown, IChemE and Richard Pike, RSC).
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