New International Consortium of Nanotechnologies offers £750k for PhD Studentships

The new International Consortium of Nanotechnologies (ICoN) – led by the University of Southampton and supported by a multimillion pound grant by Lloyd’s Register Foundation – has announced its first call for funding. Funding of up to £50k each for fifteen PhD studentship places is now on offer to academia and industry.

Launched in September this year, ICoN aims to build capacity and knowledge in the application of nanotechnologies to support safety of life and property – addressing issues outlined in Lloyds Register Foundation’s ‘Foresight Review of Nanotechnology’. The doctoral studentships offered by ICoN will explore these issues, focusing on themes such as miniaturisation of sensor technology, big data, engineered smart materials, energy storage and nanoparticles. ICoN and the doctoral scholars will work together with partners from industry on interdisciplinary projects and access world-leading facilities including the Southampton Nanofabrication Centre. The doctoral researchers will meet every year to present their findings and share ideas and concepts, becoming part of a global doctoral cohort addressing the Foundation’s safety mission.

Applications are invited now from academic supervisors and will be assessed on the basis of excellence, impact and fit to the charitable aims of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation and themes in the Foundation’s Foresight Review of Nanotechnology (2014). The closing date for application is 1200 (GMT) on Monday 3 February 2016. Full details can be found within the funding section of the new ICoN website at www.lrf-icon.com

Dr Themis Prodromakis, from the University’s Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology Group within Electronics and Computer Science, is leading the programme and looking forward to working with researchers interested in funding for high risk, high reward ideas. He said “The Lloyd’s Register Foundation International COnsortium in Nanotechnologies will assemble the world’s leading universities, research institutions and innovative companies to help them tackle many of today’s most challenging issues by recruiting talented PhD students from every continent.â€?