Nuclear Engineering Doctorate Programme Prospectus

Nuclear Engineering Doctorate Programme Prospectus

Enhance your career opportunities through postgraduate training - undertaken in close collaboration with companies - equipping you to take up leading roles within industry. In addition to obtaining a high quality doctoral qualification, you will gain experience of industrial research and development, a Diploma in Enterprise Management and benefit from a focused Personal Development Programme. Contact details: Dr Andy Clarke Nuclear Engineering Doctorate Centre Manager Dalton Nuclear Institute Rm 4.07 Schuster Building University of Manchester Brunswick Street Manchester M13 9PL T 0161 275 4338 F 0161 275 4372 E andrew.clarke@manchester.ac.uk W www.manchester.ac.uk/engd Prospectus Rev 02 Feb 11 2

NEW ENGINEERING DOCTORATE IN NUCLEAR ENGINEERING A consortium of UK universities, led by the University of Manchester in partnership with Imperial College London, is offering a fully funded EngD Programme in Nuclear Engineering. The Programme has been running since September 2006, and is growing year on year. Introduction Current research and development programmes in Nuclear Decommissioning and Clean-Up, Plant Life Extension, and Reactor Design including Generation IV are underway at a time when there is a mounting concern about the loss of key skills across a broad technical base within the nuclear sector. A consortium of UK universities is offering an Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Nuclear Engineering. The EngD combines the academic strengths of a conventional PhD with the practical benefits of linking the research to the specific needs of a collaborating company. The primary objective of the Nuclear EngD is to provide outstanding young nuclear Research Engineers with intensive, broadly based training in collaboration with industrial companies so that they are equipped to take up senior roles within the nuclear industry. In addition to obtaining a high quality qualification the Research Engineers will gain experience of working in an industrial research and development environment. This four year programme involves the Research Engineer being based within an industrial company in the UK. The Research Engineer receives a standard EPSRC doctoral stipend enhanced by a contribution from the sponsoring company. Programme Structure The programme comprises four elements: 1 A Doctoral level research project or portfolio of projects 2 A Diploma in Enterprise Management 3 Taught technical modules 4 A Professional Development Programme The Consortium To maximise the effectiveness of the EngD programme, a consortium of six universities has been formed which will be led by the Dalton Nuclear Institute at the University of Manchester in partnership with Imperial College London. The consortium members have been selected on the basis of their capabilities and recognised track record in the research themes being offered. These are: Reactor Technology Waste Management Decommissioning Materials Socio-economic aspects Safety Systems Research Engineers will register at the university offering the particular project, which will provide the academic supervision of the research project. The professional development and supporting studies will be organised by the EngD Centre at Manchester so that the Research Engineers come together as a cohort and benefit from continuing interaction throughout the programme. Prospectus Rev 02 Feb 11 3

The consortium members are: The University of Manchester Manchester is a UK leader in the area of nuclear education and research. It has six active research groups in the nuclear field including the Radiochemistry and Materials Performance Centres which are already internationally established centres of academic excellence. Further centres are being planned in reactor technology, engineering decommissioning, and radiation sciences. Imperial College London Imperial College has a strong and expanding commitment to Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology. This is fostered by the open forum Nuclear Energy Research Group which operates through the newly formed Energy Futures Laboratory. Imperial hosts an established and successful EngD programme in NDE and is also leading the EPSRC KNOO research programme. University of Birmingham Birmingham has strong research programmes in waste management and storage with groups working on geosphere characterisation, the use of microorganisms in remediation of contaminated streams and waste filtering systems. The University has made important contributions to the study of materials in the context of nuclear reactors and extending their lifetime. There is a programme of development of detection systems for waste assay and radiation monitoring applications. Lancaster University Lancaster University has a diverse research interest in Nuclear Engineering and related topics, including Control and Instrumentation, Nuclear Chemistry, Environmental Science and Software Dependability. It offers industry-based Masters courses in Safety Engineering and Decommissioning & Environmental Clean-up, and an MEng scheme in Nuclear Engineering. Lancaster is host to the Lloyd's Register Educational Trust Centre in Nuclear Engineering and Decommissioning and the Sir John Fisher Masters Scholarships programme. University of Leeds Nexia Solutions-Leeds University Research Alliance (URA) in Particle Science and Technology tackles common research interests relating to the nuclear fuel cycle. The centre is involved in developing novel strategies for short/medium/long term storage, processing and transportation of nuclear waste. University of Sheffield The Immobilisation Science Laboratory (ISL) is a University Research Alliance funded by NDA through Nexia Solutions, specifically set up to provide training and research solutions for the nuclear industry in the complex field of nuclear waste management. Research topics include waste conditioning, cementation, vitrification and ceramic wasteforms. University of Strathclyde Strathclyde has strong existing research capability and activity in socio-economic aspects. Much of the work is directly focussed on nuclear research challenges but complementary work is underway addressing relevant issues in the electricity generation /supply industry e.g. market & scenario modelling and risk management. University of Surrey The University of Surrey Physics Department houses the Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics which brings together research expertise in both pure and applied nuclear structure and reaction physics, detector physics and medical imaging. Areas of ongoing research interest include measurement and characterization of radioactivity levels in environmental samples through high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy; theoretical modeling of nuclear structure and nuclear reaction systematics; evaluations of nuclear decay data and decay heat following production of new radioactive isotopes; and the development of novel radiation detector materials. Prospectus Rev 02 Feb 11 4

Programme Elements 1 The Research Project The first element will be a well-defined, doctoral level research project or portfolio of projects established in collaboration with an industrial partner and will run continuously throughout the duration of the course. Academic supervision of the project will be provided by the university with which the student registers. The commercial and academic objectives of the project, and the role of the Research Engineer within the industrial organisation will be clearly defined. The project will represent a significant achievement in addressing challenging engineering issues of practical importance to the nuclear industry. The Research Engineer will spend a significant amount of time (around 75% of the total) working in the company. A typical project will cover the following issues: a challenging industrial issue of high technical merit requiring multi-disciplinary collaboration a study of the relationship of the work to corporate strategy and its environmental impact project management and budget control, leadership and teamwork skills professional development towards full membership of an appropriate professional body. For a list of current projects available please visit www.manchester.ac.uk/engd. Prospectus Rev 02 Feb 11 5

2 Diploma in Enterprise Management The Diploma in Enterprise Management consists of eight modules delivered at the Manchester Enterprise Centre. Four courses are undertaken during each of the first two years of the Research Engineer s study period. Research Engineers must gain a satisfactory mark in each module in order to proceed to the next year of the EngD programme. The eight courses that will comprise the Diploma are provided below: New Product Innovation Marketing External Opportunities and Threats Business Operations Financial Planning and Monitoring Human Resource Management Effective Production Improving Quality The Diploma will be delivered in a short course format, minimising the time the student spends away from the industrial organisation. Each module will involve a core week of full-time teaching augmented by pre and post module work undertaken off campus. 3 Taught Technical Modules The third element of the programme will be the provision of technical taught modules to meet the requirements of the research project. The Research Engineer will undertake three modules during the first two years, taken from either the Nuclear Technology Education Consortium (NTEC) MSc in Nuclear Science and Technology portfolio or from programmes of a comparable standard. Full details of the NTEC programme can be found at www.ntec.ac.uk. As with the Management Diploma the technical modules will be delivered in a short course format and will minimise the time the students spends away from their industrial base. The modules are delivered at a number of sites around the UK depending on the topic selected. 4 Professional Development Programme The Professional Development Programme is designed to promote self awareness and develop interpersonal skills. It is also intended to develop a sense of common purpose and fellowship amongst the Research Engineers. The Professional Development programme is not formally examined but Research Engineers are expected to attend and contribute purposefully. The components of the Professional Development Programme are as follows. Introductory Residential Weekend Introduction to Research ( Speed EngD ) Leadership and Team Development Effective Report Writing Presentation Skills Management of Projects Effective Communication Skills Negotiating Skills Effective Engineering Design Industrial Law Managing Meetings Thesis Writing/Exit Strategy Prospectus Rev 02 Feb 11 6

EngD Programme Model Timetable YEAR Project & Reports Technical Lectures Diploma in Enterprise Management Personal/Professional Development ONE TWO THREE RESEARCH PROJECT Induction in Company Background Study and the Development of a Project Research Strategy First Year Presentations First Year Progression Report Summary Report Project Presentations Summary Report Second Year Progression Report Project Presentations Summary Report 3 rd Year Progression Report Attend at least one technical lecture per year to match needs of Doctoral Research project New Product Innovation Marketing External Opportunities and Threats Business Operations Human Resource Management Financial Planning and Monitoring Effective Production Improving Quality Introductory Weekend (residential) Introduction to Research for EngD ( Speed EngD ) Leadership and Team Development (residential) MPDS individual mentoring Report Writing and Presentation Skills (residential) Project Management Effective Communication Skills MPDS individual mentoring Negotiating Skills Managing Meetings (tbc) Effective Engineering Design (tbc) Industrial Law MPDS individual mentoring FOUR Project Presentations Prepare and Submit Thesis VIVA examination Thesis Writing/Exit Strategy MPDS individual mentoring (may include preparation for CEng) Prospectus Rev 02 Feb 11 7

Research Engineer Responsibilities Each Research Engineer will be expected to pursue the EngD Programme with a positive commitment and take full advantage of the resources offered by the university and the sponsoring company. In particular the Research Engineer will: discuss with the Academic Supervisors and Industrial Supervisor the type of guidance believed to be most helpful and agree project plans and a schedule of meetings maintain the progress of the work in accordance with the project plan agree with the Academic Supervisor and Industrial Supervisor a personal programme of professional development. The programme of professional development is expected to prepare the Research Engineer for full membership of the appropriate professional body provide formal progress reports for assessment according to the published timetable and procedures. The report at the end of the first year will be a substantial report. Reports at the end of subsequent years should adequately describe the progress made during the preceding year and contain a project plan for the future management of the project Supervision Academic Supervisor Each Research Engineer will have an Academic Supervisor, based in the university with which the student has registered, and whose responsibilities include: coordination of academic support for the research project collaboration with the Industrial Supervisor and the Research Engineer to ensure the project is carried out in a professional manner the provision of professional development support in collaboration with the Industrial Supervisor and the EngD Centre s Professional Development Coordinator Industrial Supervisor Each Research Engineer will have an Industrial Supervisor, based in the industrial organisation in which the student is embedded, whose responsibilities include: the provision of technical and administrative support for the research project collaboration with the Academic Supervisors and the Research Engineer to ensure that the project is conducted in a professional manner Programme Supervision Overall supervision of the students, and coordination of their activities, will be undertaken by the Engineering Doctorate Centre in the Dalton Nuclear Institute at the University of Manchester. Eligibility Requirements Fee Awards and Maintenance Stipends are open to UK and EU students with appropriate academic qualifications, who satisfy the necessary residential requirements. For further information please visit www.epsrc.ac.uk. The EngD programme welcomes international students; however international students would only be eligible for financial support from the sponsoring organisation. For further details please contact the Nuclear Engineering Doctorate Centre. Prospectus Rev 02 Feb 11 8