Energy Futures DTC

We propose an Energy Futures Doctoral Training Centre that provides depth and breadth in PhD training in energy and its role in climate change mitigation. This will integrate with other energy DTCs recently awarded by EPSRC, but will not offer the full 12 month training programme associated with other fully funded DTCs. Our DTC will focus on future energy generation and distribution, aimed in particular on the role of the energy sector in achieving the UK's ambitious mitigation goals required to meet the challenge of climate change. It will accept 10 of the very best science and engineering graduates annually, funded by a strategic investment from Imperial College, and supported by industry. Breadth will be provided by our existing energy-wide training experience at MSc level, and established links between the Energy Futures Lab and the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College, and by the inter-department and inter-faculty research linkages forged through existing and future interdisciplinary research projects. Depth is provided by our energy research networks and the research teams behind them, which we link by collectively addressing critical and cross-cutting research questions, such as how can we improve the energy efficiency of cities of the future , and how can we decarbonise energy generation . We will further develop this integrating approach within our Energy Futures DTC to link students across our energy themes, and ensure that students are given exposure to the broad energy, climate change and sustainability context.

The programme will educate 50 new PhD students in whole energy system research, of benefit to industry, government and academia.