Eligibility Criteria
Undergraduate, Candidates must have achieved, or be expecting to achieve, a 1st class UK undergraduate degree (or equivalent international qualification), or a 2:1 UK undergraduate degree and a Distinction in a UK master's degree (or international equivalent).
Degree Requirements
* Where applicants have multiple master's degrees, a distinction must be held in the degree that is most relevant to the intended PhD study.
* If you are currently studying for a master's level qualification with an expected award date that is later than 01/10/2026, you should hold a minimum of an upper-second-class (2:1) honours degree.
* You should be able to demonstrate a pass with a minimum grade average of at least 70% for your part‑one master's degree modules (the taught aspect of your master's course rather than a research‑focused dissertation) and submit your dissertation by no later than 30/09/2026.
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall (with a score of at least 6.5 in each individual component) or equivalent that is recognised by Swansea University.
Scholarship Details
Swansea University is pleased to offer fully‑funded Swansea University Research Excellence Scholarships (SURES) for full‑time doctoral students to its seventh cohort, commencing in October 2026. Each SURES scholarship includes tuition fees and a stipend - reviewed annually at the UKRI standard rate and a £1,000 annual training allowance to support immersive training experiences, conference attendance, engagement with industry and international collaborative opportunities.
Research Project
Nanofiltration membranes are thin filters with extremely small pores that allow water to pass through while removing unwanted salts, contaminants, and organic molecules. They are widely used in modern water treatment, but their performance is often reduced by fouling: the build‑up of material on the membrane surface and inside its pores. Fouling lowers water flow, increases energy demand, and shortens membrane lifetime. Existing cleaning methods, such as chemical washing and backwashing, are only partly effective and may also damage delicate membrane materials. This project will investigate a new, non‑destructive cleaning strategy based on applying very high frequency vibrations (MHz‑GHz) to nanofiltration membranes. Using large‑scale molecular dynamics simulations coupled with finite‑volume continuum‑based modelling, this PhD project will elucidate the interplay between vibration dynamics, hydrodynamics, and membrane‑foulant surface forces to achieve optimal cleaning efficiency. The multiscale modelling framework delivered by this project will ultimately support the design of next‑generation chemical‑free cleaning technologies for water treatment and provide a platform for future multiscale modelling and experimental validation.
Additional Notes
Please note that both the degree and language‑proficiency entry requirements for SURES are higher than the baseline standard for entry that is stipulated for most of the PhD programmes at Swansea University.
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