Application Deadline: 22 August 2025
Details
The Birmingham Institute for Sustainability & Climate Action (BISCA) is dedicated to fostering world-leading, transdisciplinary research and driving impactful solutions for a sustainable future. Our PhD studentships are designed to develop the next generation of research leaders committed to tackling complex global challenges. We bring together expertise from across disciplines, fostering an inclusive and collaborative research environment focused on real-world impact and meaningful climate action.
Top-level summary: This project aims to generate decisive clinical, infective, and economic evidence that solar-powered ultrafiltration can significantly reduce in-hospital infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in lower- and middle-income country (LMIC) hospitals. It seeks to unlock large-scale finance for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) upgrades and advance net-zero health systems. The ultimate vision is to provide tangible evidence for policymakers to expand and implement the tools and pathways established in this project.
Project Highlights:
Generates decisive clinical, infective, and economic evidence for solar-powered ultrafiltration’s role in cutting hospital infections and AMR in LMICs.
Aims to unlock large-scale finance for WASH upgrades and advance net-zero health systems in LMIC hospitals.
Leverages collaborations with the NIHR Global Surgery Unit (GSU) and its extensive research hubs and network in 7 LMICs.
Focuses on aligning ultrafiltration systems, tracking microbiome changes, measuring impact on surgical-site infection rates, and modelling cost-effectiveness for national scale-up.
Brief Overview: Reliable energy and clean water are the cornerstone of safe healthcare and surgery. Many hospitals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) currently lack adequate access to clean water. Solar-powered ultrafiltration could offer an effective and environmentally sound solution that can cut infection, antibiotic consumption, and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR); however, there is a lack of robust evidence to support widespread adoption. This project aims to generate the decisive clinical, infective, and economic evidence that solar-powered ultrafiltration has the potential to reduce in-hospital infections significantly in key areas such as operating rooms and intensive care units, benefiting patients and improving hospital function. This would ultimately unlock large-scale finance for WASH upgrades and advance net-zero health systems.
Training and skills development: The PhD candidate will work within a transdisciplinary group hosted by the NIHR Global Surgery Unit (GSU), leveraging collaborations across the Colleges of Medical and Dental Sciences (CMH), Life and Environmental Sciences (LES), and Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS). They will gain expertise in aligning ultrafiltration systems, tracking microbiome changes using genomic sequencing, measuring impact on infection rates and patient outcomes, and modelling cost-effectiveness for national scale-up toolkits. As a BISCA PhD student, you will join a vibrant, interdisciplinary research network. You will be equipped with transdisciplinary expertise, fostering your growth as a future leader in sustainability and climate action, capable of driving meaningful change.
How to apply:
For more information and to apply for a studentship, please visit: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/birmingham-institute-for-sustainability-and-climate-action-bisca/phd-studentships
Funding Notes
These BISCA PhD Studentships provide coverage for Home tuition fees and a UKRI-rate stipend (£20,780 for 2025/26), alongside access to additional funding for training and development opportunities.
International applicants are welcome. However, international candidates will need to secure additional funding to cover the difference between Home and International tuition fees, and potentially other living costs. We strongly advise discussing your full funding requirements with your proposed supervisor as part of your application preparation.
