Defence and Security PhD Call 2017
Responsive Materials for Detection of Deposited Organic Solids

Dstl seeks to fund a single PhD studentship (3 years) to develop future, innovative sensing technology for ‘Deposited Organic Solids ’. Options are to be considered for point-of-use future detection technologies that can rapidly disclose the presence of deposited organic solids (e.g. solid pharmaceutical compounds, including opioid-based compounds). Disclosure (or sensing) can be through colorimetric, fluorescent, optical, electrochemical or other appropriate means, but options must demonstrate the future potential for miniaturisation (hand-held or smaller), minimal logistic burden, and produce an easily understood sensing response.

This Expression of Interest (EOI) seeks to identify researchers with expertise in some or all of the following areas:

•Chemical-stimuli responsive materials such as polymers, microcapsules, nanoparticles, organic dyes, gels, or related materials

•The incorporation of responsive components into (a) bulk materials such as polymers or paper, (b) into secondary responsive materials (e.g. responsive dyes into microcapsules)

•Solvation and partitioning behavior of solid organic materials into traditional and non-traditional solvent environments (e.g. gels, ionic liquids)

•Development of miniaturized electrochemical sensors and fabrication of innovative electrode materials

•Understanding of selective sensing approaches for organic analytes

What we want

•Highly innovative approaches that are significantly different from existing/commercially available technologies

•Innovative approaches that seek to combine appropriate responsive components and materials

What we do not want

Work that will not be considered under this call includes:

•Approachesthat rely on swabbing and subsequent down-stream laboratory analysis

•Approaches that are focused solely on the development of new dyes. Development of dyes will be acceptable if part of a wider systems-based approach to sensing options

Method of Application and Closing dates

Application is via a two-stage selection process. The deadline for electronic EOI applications is at 9.00am on Monday 16 October, 2017. Please send pdfs of the completed EOI form ating “Responsive Materials for Detection of Organic Solids” in the subject box. Those invited to submit full proposals will be informed by e-mail on Monday 23 October, 2017and will complete the application later in 2017.If you do not hear from us within this period then you should assume that, unfortunately, on this occasion you have been unsuccessful.

Assessment Criteria for Expression of Interest

All EOIs will be evaluated for technical relevance and quality.

Assessment Area / Assessment criteria used to evaluate the proposal
Scientific quality and innovation / The EOI will be evaluated on the following:
  • The novelty of the proposed work in relation to the stated context
  • Whether the proposed work is ambitious, adventurous, and transformative

Academic research group / The EOI will be evaluated on the following:
  • Evidence of recently funded work in scientific areas relevant to this EOI calling notice
  • Evidence of research outputs published in internationally recognised peer-reviewed journals that are relevant to the technical areas listed in this EOI calling notice