FSE PhD President's Doctoral Scholarship: Novel electronics for sensing electrical-cellular interactions

The University of Manchester; Manchester; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Manchester invites applications for a 4-year PhD studentship focused on electronic circuit design at the discrete component and embedded microcontroller level, with DC–1GHz operation. The project includes PCB design, fabrication and testing, and offers state-of-the-art training in quantum sensing across disciplines.

Applicants should have or be about to obtain an upper second-class honours degree in electrical and electronic engineering or a related field.

Qualifications

• Applicants must hold (or be about to obtain) a minimum upper second-class honours degree in electrical and electronic engineering or a related subject.
• Research experience in electronic design at the embedded system level (including circuit design, PCB design and firmware programming) is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Research electronic circuit design at the discrete component and embedded microcontroller levels for DC–1GHz operation.
• Includes PCB design, fabrication and testing; suitable training will be provided as required.
• Collaborate with pharmacy researchers to define system needs and test different approaches; involve in vitro and in vivo testing of electronics.

Skills

Electronic circuit design

PCB design

Firmware programming

Education

Upper second-class honours degree in electrical/electronic engineering or related subject

Job description

• This4-yearPhDstudentshipisopentobothHome(UK)andinternationalapplicants.
• Thesuccessfulcandidatewillreceive an annualstipendattheUKRIminimumrate(currently£21,805peryear)plus£1,000/annumenhancement,andaresearchtrainingsupportgrantofupto£20,000forthefull4-yearprogramme.
• £21,805 plus £1,000 per annum enhancement

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually, the projects that receives the best applicants will be successful.

ResearchwillfocusonelectroniccircuitdesignatthediscretecomponentandembeddedmicrocontrollerlevelsforDC–1GHzoperation.ThisincludesPCBdesign,fabrication,andtesting.Suitabletraininginthesetechniqueswillbeprovidedasrequired.Ideally,weaimforminiaturised,physicallyflexibleelectroniccircuits.FabricationwillexplorecommercialKaptonsubstratesbeforepotentiallymovingontoprintedelectronicsapproaches.Theidealapplicantwillhaveabackgroundinelectroniccircuitdesign,andaninterestperformingtheirownprintingtomanufacturedesigns.

Thisisacross-disciplinaryproject,andthePhDstudentwillworkcloselywithresearchersinpharmacytodefinesystemneedsandtotestdifferentapproaches.Therewillbetheopportunitytobeinvolvedwithbothin-vitroandin-vivotestingofthedevelopedelectronics.Thestudentwillbeexposedtostateoftheartapproachesinquantumsensing,andwillberesponsibleforprovidingessentialsupportingelectronicsforthissensing.

ThisprojectisexpectedtostartinSeptember2027.

Applicantsareexpectedtohold(orbeabouttoobtain)aminimumuppersecond-classundergraduatehonoursdegree(orequivalent)inelectricalandelectronicengineeringorarelatedsubject.Researchexperienceinelectronicdesignattheembeddedsystemlevel(includingcircuitdesign,PCBdesignandfirmwareprogramming)isdesirable.