Left in the wake: assessing the impact of sediment mobility in the wake of offshore wind infrastructure

This PhD scholarship is offered by the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Offshore Wind Energy Sustainability and Resilience, a partnership between the Universities of Durham, Hull, Loughborough and Sheffield. The project is sponsored by industry partner, The Turbidites Research Group (TRG). The successful applicant will undertake six-months of training with the rest of the CDT cohort at the University of Hull before continuing their PhD research at Loughborough University. The project focuses on offshore wind infrastructure and its impact on sediment mobility and marine ecosystems. It will develop novel methods and data to enable advanced predictions of the spatial and temporal distribution and turbidity of sediment plumes around offshore wind infrastructure through physical modelling experiments and computational fluid dynamics modelling using Lattice Boltzmann framework. The project has flexibility to complement the candidate's expertise in fluid and sediment dynamics, with potential to incorporate remote sensing of sediment plume distributions. Project partner TRG provides opportunities to engage with research and industry partners through biannual international workshops. The training includes an intensive six-month programme at the University of Hull, continuing professional development embedded throughout the 4-year scholarship, and opportunities for overseas placements and international conferences. The scholarship covers fees plus a stipend set at UKRI nationally agreed rates of £20,780 per annum at 2025/26 rates, increasing in line with EPSRC guidelines for subsequent years. The position is based at Loughborough University under the supervision of Dr Tim Marjoribanks.