EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/L015315/1
Title: EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Diamond Science and Technology
Principal Investigator: Newton, Professor ME
Other Investigators:
May, Professor PW Smith, Professor JM Goss, Dr JP
Kemp, Professor AJ French, Professor P Evans, Professor AA
MacPherson, Professor J Williams, Professor OA
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
AIST (Nat Inst of Adv Ind Sci & Tech) Argonne National Laboratory BAE Systems
Bruker Defence Science & Tech Lab DSTL Diamond Light Source
DTC Research Centre Element Six Fraunhofer Institut (Multiple, Grouped)
Gemological Institute of America Inc. Hasselt University High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult
Jaguar Land Rover Limited M Squared Lasers Ltd Oxford Lasers Ltd
Process Instruments Qioptiq Limited Renishaw
University of Stuttgart
Department: Chemistry
Organisation: University of Warwick
Scheme: Centre for Doctoral Training
Starts: 01 April 2014 Ends: 31 August 2023 Value (£): 4,602,145
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Characterisation Materials Synthesis & Growth
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Manufacturing Electronics
Healthcare Energy
Water
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
23 Oct 2013 EPSRC CDT 2013 Interviews Panel P Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Diamond is the epitome of an extreme material, with un-rivalled multi-functional properties ranging from the thermal and mechanical, through the electrical to the optical. World leading UK research on the synthesis, processing and defect engineering of diamond has reached a pivotal and critical threshold: the promise of diamond enabled innovative technologies is now ripe and for the taking, leading to tremendous technological possibilities. For example, specific placement of defects in diamond paves the way for next-generation quantum computers. Defect engineered nanoparticles results in biocompatible light-emitting particles that can be tracked in the body using powerful microscopes. Interfacing and integrating diamond into electronic devices can solve the biggest problem in electronics today, effective cooling for faster and more reliable device. In photonics too, diamond holds the key to both lasers that are simultaneously more powerful and compact and to single photon sources for secure data transmission. As materials become more advanced, processing must keep pace so we can machine faster with tools that last longer. Only engineered diamond can provide the solution. Training a student to a standard to tackle anyone of these projects, results in a highly multi-disciplinary skilled graduate equipped not just for DST but a wide variety of high performance material applications.

Innovation on a timescale suitable to realise commercial opportunities, requires a new breed of graduate, one that can work across disciplines with a skill-set that enables the multi-disciplinary research challenges to be tackled head on. Failure to do so can be expected to lead to slow decline as the innovation is increasingly outsourced and the UK's technological lead eroded. For this reason the academic and industrial community seek to establish a flagship graduate training programme that provides a powerbase for DST training and research activities in the UK, bringing together academics from eight partner universities, with industrial input embedded throughout. Graduates will emerge, trained with expertise across disciplines covering synthesis, material science, modelling, characterisation, engineering, device integration and material processing, photonics, quantum, entrepreneurship etc in addition to transferable skills.

Partnership with industry is essential to the vitality of our vision. We have established an Industry Partnership Network (IPN) to help foster and nurture collaborations of mutual interest, and have already secured strategic alliances with sixteen companies and the UK national synchrotron facility, discussions with more are on-going. Our partners have provided funds to support up to twenty three studentships to tackle innovative challenges of interest centred this CDT, demonstrating DST is not a niche area. Their commitment to the CDT, and desire to engage, is motivated by (at least) two factors: (i) their ability to access graduates with the wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary skill sets required to enable the technological opportunities offered by DST, and (ii) their realisation of the tremendous potential impact of high performance materials on societal and technological challenges. This is further confirmed by their readiness to provide presentations on career opportunities showcase facilities and provide research lectures.

Essential to the success of the centre is provision of a supportive, interactive, cross-community and cross-disciplinary environment to enable the most effective lines of communications, most efficient training experience and rewarding research projects. The IPN will operate to ensure successful interactions between industry and the CDT and to help develop strategic industry-industry interactions e.g. from the diamond growers to the end users. Cohort integrity during the PhD projects will be maintained via regular online discussion meetings, team building activities and student led conferences.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.warwick.ac.uk