911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ

Library Services are pleased to announce the opening of a new Group Study Space on level 4 of the Abdus Salam Library. The area features over 100 study spaces in an array of different types of furniture such as 2, 4 and 6-seater meeting pods, standing desks and moveable furniture.

Whilst the main study furniture is bespoke and brand-new, we were very happy to be able to re-use a number of reclaimed whiteboards, a printer and a table and benches in the ‘tea-point’.

The ‘tea-point’ also includes a hot water boiler and cold vending machines.

Later in the year we will be adding to this space by opening two bookable group study rooms on the same floor.

We look forward to welcoming you to the space soon and please send your feedback to library@imperial.ac.uk.

Entrepreneur Masterclass: Customer Engagement and Protecting IP, Tues 24 March

I am pleased to invite you to the first of a new series of quarterly Entrepreneur Masterclass events, showcasing the commercial journeys of successful physics-based innovators.

Speaker: Graham Woodgate

When: Tuesday 24 March, 17:30-19:30

Where: Level 8 Common Room, Blackett Laboratory, 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ, Exhibition Road, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ 

Speaker

Graham Woodgate, is a serial technology entrepreneur, prolific inventor and physicist.  He was a co-founder of Ocuity (3D) and Optovate (microLED) both pioneering companies in optical displays which were successfully sold to large corporates. The optical innovations he has co-created, protected, developed and  commercialised over the last 30+ years have shipped in tens of millions of display products, including most recently privacy screens for HP laptops.

Graham will relate his experiences on both customer engagement and the importance of protectable IP. There will be an opportunity before and after Graham's talk to network with other common-minded colleagues and to talk with the speaker.

This event will include pizza’s, beer and wine.

For more information, and to register to attend, please visit the event page.

Please note: due to limited capacity, registration is essential through the link in the event page.

For all event queries, please contact p.may@imperial.ac.uk

Grantham Institute Funded PhD Position

Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment

Department of Physics

PhD Post in Geophysics (911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ College, South Kensington campus)
Funding: Home fees only and stipend (3.3 years)
Project title: Melting Greenland’s Ice Sheet from Above and Below: Earth’s Mantle as a Ground Source
Heat Pump
Supervisor: Dr Fiona Simpson
Co-Supervisors: Dr Fred Richards, Dr Jonathan Kingslake

Description

Greenland’s ice sheet is melting at an alarming rate. This has impacts on greenhouse gas emissions
through the exposure of wetlands and sea level rise, both of which drive climate change feedback
mechanisms. Atmospheric warming of the surface of the ice sheet due to climate change is the main
factor. However, heating from Earth’s mantle by a hypothesised mantle plume ascending from the coremantle
boundary adds to the regional heat budget to which the base of the ice sheet is also exposed
and may also lead to melting at the base of the ice sheet, promoting slip.

In this PhD, we will combine complementary ground-based geophysical and satellite-based earth
observation datasets and use modelling techniques to investigate the sensitivity of the Greenland ice
sheet to the mantle heat pump by constraining the thermal state of the mantle below Greenland and
assessing the effect of basal sliding, subglacial streams and basal topography on the evolution of the
Greenland ice sheet using ice flow models.

The student will receive training in geophysical and earth observation techniques, geophysical
fieldwork, data management and science communication, areas within which the Natural
Environmental Research Council (NERC) has iden􀆟fied skills gaps. They will be expected to present their
research at national and/or international conferences. They will also engage in the associated PhD
training and activities of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and Environment and the
Department of Physics or Department of Earth Science and Engineering.

Requirements:
- First-class or very strong 2:1 degree (or international equivalent) in geophysics, physics or
applied mathematics.
- A strong grounding in numerical modelling.
- Good English writing and verbal communication skills.
- Experience with scientific programming and data analysis.
- Excellent organisational and time management skills.
- High degree of self-motivation and interest in geophysics and glaciology.
- Curiosity driven with ability to think independently and critically.
- Willingness to contribute to geophysical fieldwork.
- Clean driving licence.

Funding: The studentship will provide funding for tuition fees at the level of Home (UK) students and
a tax-free stipend at the standard UKRI London rate (£22,780 pa for 2025/26). The funding can also be
used to partially support an international student, combined with private resources or scholarships.

How to apply:
Enquiries and applications should be made to Dr Fiona Simpson at f.simpson@imperial.ac.uk with the
following materials in a single PDF file (under 20 MB):
- Cover Letter explaining your motivation and suitability, including details of any prior research
activities
- CV
- Undergraduate and masters grades and class rankings (if any)
- If relevant, English testing results, i.e. IELTS or TOFEL
- Details of two academic referees (including name, affiliation, and email address).
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled

PhD project at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ:
Molecular Simulation of Nanoparticle Synthesis for Battery Materials with Artificial
Intelligence Surrogate Models

Nanoparticle synthesis is a process for manufacturing nanoparticles that can be used as
advanced materials such as battery electrodes. To be suitable for their targeted use, the
nanoparticles need to be produced with controlled particle size and morphology. In the
process we are looking at, aerosol spray pyrolysis, the precursors are injected within
droplets and the nanoparticles are formed via crystallisation as the solvent evaporates.
It has been found that, under different conditions, the particles produced have different
morphologies, which have profound impact on the particle properties. However, we do
not know the physical mechanisms that determine these morphologies. In this project,
we aim to use molecular dynamics (MD) in order to study the fundamental
physicochemical processes that take place within the droplet while the solvent
evaporates and find a mechanistic explanation for the experimental observations based
on what happens at the molecular level.
MD simulations capable of resolving crystallisation and morphology evolution require
system sizes and timescales that become computationally prohibitive with conventional
force fields or direct quantum mechanical calculations. To overcome this, the project
will develop and deploy machine-learned interatomic potentials, which are artificial
intelligence (AI) surrogate models trained on quantum mechanical data that retain near
ab initio accuracy while enabling simulations orders of magnitude faster. The objective
is to establish a predictive framework linking molecular-level dynamics to
experimentally observed nanoparticle morphologies.
The project offers full funding for a home student and is supported by the Centre for
Doctoral Training (CDT) in Aerosol Science. The CDT offers also a comprehensive
programme of training courses in various aspects of aerosol science, an industry
placement, a 3-month sabbatical at another research group and several workshops and
other activities for interaction with academic and industrial partners. You can find out
more here:
The student will enrol at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ for the PhD degree.

Please contact the principal supervisor, Dr Stelios Rigopoulos (s.rigopoulos@imperial.ac.uk), for more information, while applications are handled via the CDT link above. The project is co-supervised by Prof. Greg Offer (911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ College
Electrochemical Science and Engineering Group) and Prof. Simone Hochgreb (University
of Cambridge). Other collaborators include Prof. Kai Luo (University College London) and
CPERI (Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece).

 FindAPhD Advert - Quantum Sensing Theory for Cosmology

Dr Sebastian Ellis at King's College is advertising a PhD position to work on  quantum sensing protocols for the detection of dark matter and gravitational waves from October 2026. The link to the job is here: . 

Fire evacuation assembly points for Blackett & Huxley

Dear all,

Thank you for the feedback provided following the triggering of the fire alarm in the Blackett Building last Tuesday. Please see below for the assembly points that should be used when evacuating from Blackett (points A or B) and Huxley (points A or C). You must use the nearest escape route which may not be the same route you normally use. For example, in Blackett there are the east and west stairwells which connect floors 0-7, in addition to the main stairwell which connects all floors. Always use the break glass to release exit doors and keep roads clear in case emergency vehicles need access.

Further information on fire safety can be found here: /estates-facilities/health-and-safety/fire-safety/