Newcastle University Scholarship; STREAM EngD Studentship
The Rational Management of the Risk of Failure in Wastewater Treatment
School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences
Reference Code: CI400
Closing Date: 28th August 2009
Supervisors: (Newcastle University); Rheanne Pickering (Northumbria Water)
School: School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences
Funders: EPSRC EngD Programme and
Duration: 4 years
STREAM is an EPSRC supported industrial doctorate programme seeking to develop the next generation of leaders for the UK water industry. Each EngD student is based in a sponsoring company but benefits from training and interaction with some of the UK’s leading research universities in this sector. The successful applicant for this post will undergo six months of basic training with nine other EngD students in Cranfield before joining Northumbria Water and Newcastle University.
The global water industry is facing a period of unprecedented change as it seeks to meet the demand for more water, produced to higher standards whilst at the same time, responding to the pressures to reduce the carbon footprint and energy impact of the provision of water and sanitation.
As a simple but important and challenging step towards this goal, Northumbria Water wants to more rationally manage the relationship between the resource it deploys in wastewater treatment and the reliability it achieves from its treatment plants (the aspiration is zero failures in water and wastewater treatment). This would enable resources to be better managed and enable water companies to discuss more fully the true costs of water and wastewater treatment both with the customers and environmental and economic regulators. It may also, in the future, provide a framework for the evaluation and introduction of a new generation of more sustainable water treatment technologies.
As part of this project, the EngD student will blend state of the art risk management strategies with Northumbria Water data and the latest tools for the evaluation treatment processes to determine diagnose, and manage the risk of failure on a company wide basis. Working with academic and industrial colleagues the student will be asked to demonstrate the feasibility of this strategy by managing the risk of failure in specific plants.
Person Specification
You should have an upper-second-class Honours degree, or higher, in a relevant scientific or engineering subject. We particularly welcome applications from people with training in chemical, environmental or civil engineering.
The project involves visiting some locations that are not easily accessible by public transport. Therefore, you should have a driving licence or access to alternative transport arrangements that would enable you to reach these locations.
Value of the Award and Eligibility
Due to funding criteria, this award is only available to UK and EU students. UK and EU students may receive a full award (covers tuition fees and an annual, tax-free stipend of £13,290) or a partial award (covers tuition fees only). Please contact Professor Curtis for more information (see details below).
How to Apply
To apply for the studentship please complete the University’s online , quoting the reference number CI400 and selecting ‘PhD School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences (full time) – Civil Engineering (Water Resources)’ as the programme of study. (Please note that although you are choosing a PhD as a programme of study, this funding is for an EngD).
Further Information
For more details, please contact Professor Tom Curtis, Tom.Curtis@newcastle.ac.uk, +44 (0) 191 222 6690
