Partners
The Low Carbon DTC is a member of a network of 13 Energy DTCs across the UK that are funded by the EPSRC (starting October 2009) as part of the RCUK Energy Programme.
The Energy Programme is led by the EPSRC, but brings together the work of the EPSRC, the Economic and Social Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
Network
The 13 Energy DTCs have formed a network of centres to bring together at least 500 PhD students and associated research groups working in the area of low carbon technologies and the move to a low carbon future. Full details can be found on the UKERC Energy DTC website.
Network Staff
The network has 2 dedicated members of staff. They are the Network Operational Manager, Donna Palmer and Network Public Engagement Manager, Nicola Smith. They are based at 'home' institutions but work equally with all 13 members of the Energy CDT Network. The DTC in Low Carbon Technologies hosts network public engagement manager Nicola Smith.
Nicola's duties include:
- promoting the Network of Energy Centres for Doctoral Training, both to the general public and to industry.
- supporting researchers in their public engagement work and providing training.
- providing network centres with support to run public and industry events.
The 13 Centres represent a major investment of ca. £70m and collectively this puts the UK in a strong position internationally in having an innovative and coordinated programme to provide the highly trained personnel to drive the low carbon economy.
Aims of the network:
- Provide effective coordination of training activities across the CDTs through a number of measures including common training and summer schools.
- Maximise the impact of local, school and public engagement activities already planned or delivered by the CDTs through the sharing of best practice, quality materials and through collaboration at high profile events.
- Coordination of CDT directors, providing a forum to shape grand challenges in energy and to discuss key issues such as the development of future energy research leaders and the progress of the CDTs.
- Maximise the impact and value of existing industrial engagement in the energy CDTs, ensuring that UK industry understands the CDT model, knowledge exchange, and the international programme for the promotion of the CDTs model.
Associated Doctoral Training Centres:
- Wind Energy Systems (Strathclyde)
- Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and their Applications (Birmingham/Loughborough/Nottingham)
- Interdisciplinary Energy Research – E-Futures (Sheffield)
- Technologies for a Low Carbon Future (Leeds)
- Efficient Fossil Energy Technologies (Birmingham/Loughborough/Nottingham)
- Nuclear Fission Research, Science and Technology DTC - Nuclear FiRST (Manchester/Sheffield/Leeds)
- IDC in Nuclear Engineering (Manchester)
- Energy Demand Reduction and Built Environment (UCL/Loughborough)
- Energy Futures Lab (Imperial)
- Fusion Doctoral Training Network (Durham/Liverpool/Manchester/Oxford/York)
- Multidisciplinary Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy (Durham)
- Centre in Sustainability for Engineering and Energy (Manchester/Surrey/Birmingham/Lancaster/Leeds)
- Industrial Doctorate Centre for Offshore Renewable Energy (Edinburgh/Exeter/Strathclyde)
- Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies (Bath)
Strong links within industry
The Doctoral Training Centre ensures the dissemination of research findings into the wider community, including industry, by working with external partners as below. These partners support the centre e.g. by providing placements for DTC students:
- Universitat de Barcelona
- ALSTOM
- Argonne National Laboratory
- Auburn University
- BICAL (Biomass Renewable Solutions)
- BIFFA Waste Services Ltd
- Departement De Chimie Physique des Reaction
- State University of New Jersey (Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI)
- E.on Engineering Ltd
- Forest Research (the Research Agency of the Forestry Commission)
- Harvard School of Public Health
- Highview Enterprises Ltd
- International Innovative Technologies (IIT) Ltd
- Johnson Matthey
- Technische Universitat Dortmund
- Universidad de Alicante
- BP
- Gaz de France
- PX Limited
- AFC Energy
- Buro Happold
- Greenergy
- PACT Facilities
- Rockfield Software
- Cundall
- Arup
- Drax