EPSRC Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award (IDLA)

The EPSRC Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award (IDLA) is a fully-funded 4-year PhD research studentship in partnership with QinetiQ, focusing on 'Integrated Levitated Sensor Arrays as Compact Inertial Sensing Units'. This project explores the use of levitated microparticles as a new technology for inertial navigation, combining fundamental physics, analysis, and device development. The research is lab and simulation-based, utilizing expertise in the levitation, control and tracking of levitated particles to develop technology for navigation systems. The award includes a 6-month research placement at QinetiQ where the lab-based sensor will be compared to commercial units. Students will become expert in lab work, experimental design, data processing and technology impact evaluation, with opportunities to present at international conferences. The research addresses critical navigation challenges for infrastructure where GPS is unreliable or unusable, from aeroplanes to autonomous cars and submarines.