PhD Studentship: Flexible Triboelectric Energy Nanogenerators for Sustainability
Be among the first applicants.
UK Energy Research Centre
Birmingham
GBP 15,000 - 20,000
Be among the first applicants.
4 days ago
PhD Studentship: Flexible Triboelectric Energy Nanogenerators for Sustainability
Qualification Type: PhD
Location: Birmingham
Funding for: UK Students, EU Students, International Students
Hours: Full Time
Placed On:
Closes:
The Intelli-Ingest Doctoral Network is an EU-funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) initiative, bringing together leading academic, clinical, and industrial partners to train a new generation of experts in ingestible medical technologies. These minimally invasive, orally delivered devices are designed to traverse the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, enabling diagnostics, therapy, sampling, or intervention using electronic, mechanical, or smart material systems.
This PhD studentship, based at the School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, focuses on developing a microfabricated triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) to sustainably power ingestible medical devices. The goal is to harness mechanical energy from natural intestinal peristalsis to enable battery-free operation of autonomous systems inside the body. The TENG will be fully self-contained, biocompatible, and designed for safe excretion. This research addresses a key challenge in the field: reliable energy sources for miniaturized devices, and has the potential to advance long-duration in-body diagnostics and therapeutic monitoring.
The doctoral candidate will lead the design, fabrication, and characterization of the TENG, and integrate it with energy storage and low-power electronics. The system’s performance will be validated in physiologically relevant in-vitro environments. Throughout the project, the candidate will receive structured training in microengineering, energy harvesting, tribology, and biomedical device design. They will also benefit from cross-network collaboration, secondments to industrial and clinical partners, and participation in international training events.
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