Join our two world-leading research groups, the Process Intensification Group (PIG) at Newcastle University and the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) at the University of York, alongside our Industrial Partners, to realise Net Zero in the process industries.
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Funding opportunities for projects available for 2026 entry are listed here.
PINZ CDT PhD Studentship: Chemical Engineering for Sustainable Wastewater-to-Resource Systems
Start date: 1 October 2026
Duration: 4 years
Application closing date: 28 November 2025
Award summary: 100% fees (UK Home only), a minimum tax-free annual living allowance at the 2026/27 UKRI rate) (note that the 2025/26 rate is £20,780), and a research training support grant of £20,000.
Further information, including eligibility and how to apply:
PINZ CDT PhD Studentship: Algae-omics
Start date: 1 October 2026
Duration: 4 years
Application closing date: 1 December 2025
Award summary: 100% fees (UK Home only), a minimum tax-free annual living allowance at the 2026/27 UKRI rate) (note that the 2025/26 rate is £20,780), and a research training support grant of £20,000.
Further information, including eligibility and how to apply:
Research for Technology Transfer
Your work will be based on real world problems and will therefore lead to impact in the real world and will open the door to industrial careers. This will be ensured through the development of enduring, supportive networks
Research findings and technology development in terms of IP, increased technology readiness level, commercialisation, and uptake will be maximised by the breadth of experience and expertise at Newcastle, York, and our Industrial Partners, initial co-creation of projects with industry, and training in associated tech-transfer skills.
Working with Industry
If you are a company you can benefit from the PINZ CDT through a number of engagement options
Student: Ali Zuhair
Supervisors: Dr Jonathan McDonough & Dr Jonathan Lee
Location: Newcastle University
Industrial Partner: Durham Filtration
This project between Newcastle University and Durham Filtration will advance pulse-jet cleaning systems for flue gas treatment emissions control in waste-to-energy and biomass combustion plants. This will be achieved by exploring Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methodologies for optimising filter cleaning processes, with the goal of enhancing filtration efficiency, reducing emissions, and improving the sustainability of energy production. The results will feed directly into real-world applications by leveraging tools such as generative design, CAD/CAM and 3D printing. The research will contribute to the development of more effective and environmentally friendly waste management solutions, aligning with both partners’ commitment to tackling climate change and advancing sustainable technologies.
Student: Abdul Samad
Supervisors: Dr Mark Willis and Dr Chris O’Malley
Location: Newcastle University
Industrial Partner: BOC Linde
Linde and BOC plants make cryogenic liquid air products at various production rates. Production is subject to variable power prices and customer locations, as well as vehicle and driver availability which creates a complex optimisation / scheduling problem. Moreover, any derived schedule must be automated and continually updated to account for variations in production capacity and efficiency.
This project aims to develop, construct and apply an optimisation strategy for bulk liquid production accounting for the subsequent supply market (liquid oxygen, nitrogen, and argon to customers from UK production sites). This will be constrained by customer demands and subject to electricity spot market prices as well as process carbon intensity (net zero) objectives. Plant start-up penalties and inter-site optimisation capabilities will be incorporated into the optimisation model to emulate realistic operational flexibilities and costs.
Student: Vaishnavi Jambhorkar
Supervisors: Dr Fernando Russo Abegão and Dr Kamelia Boodhoo
Location: Newcastle University
Industrial Partner: Procter and Gamble
Fast moving consumer goods, such as fabric and home care products, have a high market volume and can contribute positively to industrial and consumer sustainability. This project, co-funded by Procter and Gamble, will focus on the development of novel renewable and biodegradable water-soluble detergent ingredients through a circular economy approach. The project will research CO2 activation and conversion techniques and exploit bio-renewable platform molecules in Newcastle University, with a specific focus on catalysis, molecular functionality creation, and production pathways development.
Student: James Meyer
Supervisors: Dr Anh Phan
Location: Newcastle University
Industrial Partner: Onunda
In the UK, approximately 53 million tonnes of untreated sludge per annum is processed at 200+ sludge treatment centres. The common treatment of sludge is anaerobic digestion (AD) (73%), followed by lime stabilisation (22%). Sludge treatment is costly, sharing up to 60% of the total running cost of wastewater treatment plants and sludge disposal accounts for up to 50% greenhouse gas emissions of a wastewater treatment plant. In collaboration with our industrial partner Onunda, The aim of the PhD project is to develop an innovative technology for sustainable energy/nutrients recovery and removal persistent pollutants from sludge. The process developed can serve as a stand-alone process or be retrofitted into existing infrastructure of the wastewater industry.
Student: Sam Bury
Supervisors: Dr Seishi Shimizu and Dr James Sherwood
Location: University of York
Industrial Partner: Reckitt
The task of replacing harmful solvents with greener and safer alternatives has been made difficult by the limitations of the theoretical models we use to understand solubility. Although the Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSP) for instance can narrow down the candidates for solvent replacement quickly, 1 they cannot describe solvation structure around a solute, and hence cannot be compared to any insights from molecular simulation or scattering measurements. The quantum chemistry COSMO-RS model 2 can describe intermolecular electrostatic interactions, yet its foundation, the lattice theory of solutions, cannot capture solvation structure. Thus, our understanding of solutions has long lacked a theory that can explain solubility (or mixing) by the solvation structure around the solute.
The difficulties surrounding solvation comes from the fact that it is driven not only by specific and stoichiometric interactions, but also weak, non-specific, fluctuating interactions. This problem has been overcome recently at a theoretical level. The statistical thermodynamic fluctuation theory, while being rigorous, can explain (i) solubilization by hydrotropes and micelles,3 (ii) solubility in mixed solvents,4 (iii) polymer conformational stabilities,5 (iv) particle dispersion,6 and (v) sorption isotherms.7 Based on the aforementioned achievements, this PhD project aims to modernize the practice of green solution chemistry by applying the theory to the practice of solvent substitution.
Student: Salome Raymond
Supervisors: Dr Terry Dillon
Location: University of York
Industrial Partner: Thomas Swan
As most solvents are still derived from fossil fuels, The net-zero agenda is motivating research in York and elsewhere to find sustainable replacement solvents. These new “green” compounds need to perform well with regard to metrics such as aquatic impact, toxicity, flammability, explosivity and solvent performance.
Ethyl lactate is a bioderived solvent with several promising features. Ranked “green” by the GSK solvent guide it is water miscible and has a boiling point of 154 °C, similar to many undesirable reprotoxic solvents, e.g. DMF (153 °C). Little is known of the fate of ethyl lactate upon release to the atmosphere. Based in the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE), this project will look at solvent benchmarking experiments across a range of applications, green synthetic chemistry and simulations using Hansen Solubility Parameters in Practice and Kamlett-Taft parameters.
Student: Beatrice Williams
Supervisors: Dr Jonathan Lee and Dr Gary Caldwell
Location: Newcastle University
Industrial Partner: Northumbrian Water Ltd
A process co-developed by Newcastle University and Northumbrian Water Ltd (NWL) and installed at the Bran Sands treatment works on Teesside, uses an ammonophilic microalga (Chlorococcum sp.) originally isolated from Bran Sands to remediate ammonium from the site’s anaerobic digesters. The process is stable, well characterised, and is being implemented at scale. It is central to NWL’s nutrient neutrality and net zero ambitions. However, the alga’s biology remains a black box.
This project will use minion nanopore sequencing of the alga’s genome to define the alga’s transcriptome (following RNA-Seq) when grown under a range of ammonium levels. Understanding the genetic operational limits of the alga will enable further optimisation of the bioremediation process and offers the potential to provide the underpinning data to metabolically engineer the organism in the future. This ‘omics approach will also enable the prediction of other pollutants that this organism can remediate in addition to any valuable biochemicals that may be extracted from the biomass.
Student: Alex Bradley
Supervisors: Professor Ian Fairlamb
Location: University of York
Industrial Partner: Johnson Matthey
Despite its potential, HTE faces challenges in reproducibility and scalability. This project directly addresses these issues by focusing on industrially relevant Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling (SMCC) and Buchwald-Hartwig amination (BHA) reactions. This project will investigate the entire HTE workflow, from reagent characterisation to advanced data analysis, ensuring seamless translation from small-scale screening to practical applications. Bio-based solvents, reagents, additives and ligands will be explored in the HTE workflows to enable a robust and reliable comparison to be made with petroleum-based counterparts.
A key aspect of this research will involve understanding and mitigating the impact of impurities, in common metal pre-catalysts, crucial for minimising toxic side-products. The potential of more sustainable earth-abundant metal catalysts like Ni and Fe in cross-coupling reactions will also be explored.
Student: Ben Chapman
Supervisors: Prof Ian Fairlamb
Location: University of York
Industrial Partner: Johnson Matthey
Johnson-Matthey are interested in the design, synthesis and catalytic activity of palladium pre-catalysts for application in industrially-critical cross-coupling reactions (such as Suzuki-Miyaura and Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reactions). The mechanisms of activation of palladium pre-catalysts depends on many reaction parameters and exogenous chemical triggers. The primary focus of the project is to improve efficiency and sustainability in industrial processes that are dependent on the use of homogeneous precious palladium pre-catalysts. Mechanistic studies will be used to elucidate pre-catalyst activations pathways, with the global aim to contribute towards the development of greener and more efficient cross-coupling methodologies that can contribute positively to net-Zero targets.
Student: Louise Amor-Seabrooke
Supervisors: Dr. Sharon Velasquez-Orta and Prof Adam Harvey
Location: Newcastle University
Industrial Partner: Biofuel Evolution Ltd and CPI
To effectively address the climate crisis, we must transition towards a net-zero future and embrace a circular economy framework. The process industries play a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions, making it crucial for them to adopt sustainable practices. This includes utilising renewable fuels, materials, and resources to decarbonize operations and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Through collaboration between Biofuel Evolution Ltd, the PINZ CDT team, and CPI, this project will investigate the biological conversion of captured carbon dioxide and waste-derived feedstocks into renewable products.
Data analytics to map the composition of waste-derived feedstocks across domestic and global geographic regions will help us examine how seasonality (in particular weather conditions) might affect their fundamental characteristics and how waste streams will differ geographically. By understanding this, we can then design, evolve and optimise highly characterised biocatalysts, microorganisms, and microbial consortia to convert waste-based feedstocks into new products. Finally, using CPI’s pilot plant facilities, the project will assess the scalability and usability of the processes and technologies that have demonstrated in a laboratory environment, expanding on the breakthroughs and key learnings discovered.
Student: Abubakar Kuburi
Supervisors: Dr Richard Law and Prof Adam Harvey
Location: Newcastle University
Industrial Partner: Northumbrian Water Ltd
The recent energy crisis is placing strain on the waste-water sector to treat sewage in a cost-effective, energy-efficient manner. Additionally, increasingly stringent environmental legislation relating to total nitrogen content will impose an additional thermal energy burden on the treatment of sludge in the coming years. As a result, Northumbrian Water Ltd are investing significant sums on the development of novel processes to reduce the energy burden on-site.
This project will investigate the feasibility of recovering low-grade waste heat in the waste-water sector via a comprehensive modelling and optimisation study. Key milestones will include: (1) comprehensive auditing to ascertain the amount and grade of waste heat available, and potential uses, (2) modelling and optimisation of suitable recovery strategies, including the consideration of novel means of heat upgrade, (3) extrapolation of results to the wider waste-water sector, developing a framework for waste heat recovery and management across the UK, (4) the potential to design “real” systems which will be installed at Northumbrian Water Ltd sites, possibly within the timeframe of this project.
The initial focus of the study will be on two local case studies: Howdon and Bran Sands sewage works.
Student: Max Atkinson
Supervisors: Professor Ian Fairlamb
Location: University of York
Industrial Partner: Labman Automation
Fluorine-containing molecules are essential in a wide range of applications, including in many pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. This collaborative project will develop novel metal-free catalysis for the preparation of functional fluorinated molecules. Perfluoroarenes/heteroarenes will be upcycled and the fluoride liberated by this process will be recycled through tandem C-F bond formation reactions.
The project will build on recent work in our groups to develop novel, non-metal catalysts, for the sustainable manipulation of fluorine atoms. We will take perfluoroarenes/heteroarenes as starting materials, which are readily available, but in the current push to eliminate perfluorinated molecules will benefit from partial defluorination. These will be upcycled to more valuable building blocks by C-F bond functionalisation, developing catalysis based on simple phosphines reported by Slattery and Lynam.1
C-F activation liberates an equivalent of fluoride and this will be captured and utilised in tandem, enantioselective C-F bond formation processes. This will make use of recent advances by Gouverneur, using chiral ureas as hydrogen bonding phase-transfer catalysts.2 The project will involve synthesis, catalyst development and mechanistic studies and will leverage the complementary expertise in York and Oxford to provide broad training.
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🌱 Exciting News! 🌍 We are thrilled to announce the launch of Process Industries Net Zero (PINZ), a groundbreaking centre for doctoral training at Newcastle University focused on revolutionising production processes for a sustainable future.