Internationally acclaimed research professors develop original idea to assist in the detection of blockages in sewer pipes

We have several research active academics in the School of Engineering, Design and Technology who are pursuing cutting edge research in the various disciplines of Engineering. Below is a list of some of these academics and their areas of research interests.  

Mechanical & Process Engineering

Materials / Polymer Engineering
 

 



Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering

Civil Engineering

Technology Management

Developing new methods of making co-crystals for Pharmatceutical Industry wins research group £500K funding

"It  was a great opportunity to raise awareness of our work to politicians and other academics, and to make valuable contacts at other research centres and within the government. "

Online Application

The easiest and quickest way to apply for postgraduate research courses at the University of Bradford is to use our online form.

The online application form can be found here:

http://www.bradford.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/how-to-apply/

Downloadable Forms

PDF and Word versions of our research application form are available to print out and fill in by hand to type into and email back.

The downloadable forms are available here:

http://www.bradford.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/how-to-apply/

The completed forms along with any supporting documents should be returned to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 Supporting Documents

Along with an application form the following supporting documents are normally required:

1. Degree certificates/transcripts
2. Two references clearly indicating the applicant’s academic abilities to undertake a programme of research.
3. Evidence of English language (if required)
4. A copy of your passport
5. Research Proposal (around 1000-1500 words). The proposal should consist of the following in your own words:
   • The title of your proposal
   • The Problem Statement setting out the precise nature of the problem you wish to investigate. This should include a justification for your research, why the topic requires a closer look, and how it will make an original contribution to knowledge.
   • You should describe the groundwork you have already done, and be able to show that you are familiar with the existing literature in the field, and how your work will relate to that.
6. Statement of Purpose. This document is seen by the UKBA as evidence of your intent to study and should ideally cover the following areas:
   • Why you are applying for the above programme of study
   • Why you have chosen to study in the UK and why you have selected the University of Bradford
   • What you would like to achieve after completing your studies

If you apply online there is a facility to upload these documents at the end of the process. We prefer you to submit your application form and supporting materials electronically. This will help us to process your application more rapidly.

A research degree at University of Bradford would give you the opportunity to determine and work on your own field of study.

During your studies you are supported by two academics who you will meet with regularly.  Your supervisors will help formulate your research topic and ensure you are on schedule to complete your research on time. A research degree requires an in-depth study in a specialised area. A research student undertakes a major thesis, under the guidance of the supervisors.

The following degrees are offered by the School:

Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Modes of Research:

It may be possible (with the department’s agreement) to combine two or more of these modes (listed in order of popularity):
 

Full-time Internal:

You will work alongside other students and staff in your department, and will be expected to complete the research for your PhD within three or four years.

Part-time Internal:

This mode is most suitable if you have a full-time job in a related area. You should live close enough to Bradford to maintain contact with your supervisor, and perhaps participate in research training. The minimum period for completion is four years.

Part-time External:

This mode may be available for students based overseas. You will need to visit Bradford at least once a year in order to have extensive discussions with your supervisor.

Full-time External:

This may suit people such as academics employed in institutions outside the UK. You should be able to commit an average of about 40 hours per week to your research, and be in a position to make regular use of library, computing or necessary equipment resources. You will need to meet your supervisor regularly and make at least one visit of two weeks or perhaps a month each year to Bradford to discuss the progress of your research.

Period of Study for a PhD:

Period of Study for an MPhil:

PhD Structure:

The first year of a full-time PhD is spent on an initial registration for MPhil. It may well be taken up with a review of existing literature in your proposed area, and the refining of your research proposal, combined with formal training in research skills in the Graduate School.

If you make good progress in your first year your academic supervisor will apply for your registration to be transferred from MPhil to PhD. If you opt nevertheless to submit for an MPhil then your remaining work should be accomplished in the following year.

The second year of your PhD programme may well be taken up with actual data collection. Towards the end of the year it should be possible to attempt an initial analysis of your results.

In the third year you may conduct detailed collation and analysis of your results, and organise them into a logical and persuasive thesis.

Following submission, your thesis will be read by two examiners. Your supervisor will also already have read your thesis, and may be consulted by the examiners. You will then be required to attend an oral examination, at which will be expected you to answer questions on your thesis.

Admission Criteria:

For the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD):

First or upper-second class degree of Bachelor at an approved university or institution

A higher degree at an approved university or institution

Exceptionally, candidates with lower than above but with experience and training as suitable preparation

For the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil):
 

Degree of Bachelor at an approved university or institution

Professional qualification approved by Research Degrees Committee and suitable general education and training

Exceptionally, candidates with less than above but able to give satisfactory evidence of having obtained adequate standard of knowledge may be accepted by the Research Degrees Committee

Note 1: Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy are normally initially registered for the degree of Master of Philosophy and may only be transferred to PhD registration in accordance with procedures outlined in the Regulations for Research Degrees.

Note 2: We will check the approved University and degree award (where you have indicated at an approved university) with the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC). NARIC is the National Agency, managed on behalf of the UK Government, and provides the only official source of information on international qualifications to organisations recruiting from overseas and to individuals wishing to work or study in the UK. You are free to contact NARIC at http://www.naric.org.uk who will be pleased to confirm your degree in comparison to a UK qualification. Please note there will be a charge for this service.

Language requirements:

For students whose first language is not English the University sets a minimum standard entry requirement of 6.0 IELTS with no subtest less than 5.5 or TOEFL language requirement is 84 with no sub-tests below; listening 17, reading 18, speaking 20, writing 17.

 

Fees:

Tuition Fees and Information can be found at:
http://www.brad.ac.uk/hub/TuitionFeesInformation/ 

Group Leader: Professor I.M. Mujtaba
 

Mechanical & Process Engineering (MPE) Research Group focuses on fundamental and applied research in the area of Mechanical, Chemical and Process Engineering. Academic staff in this research group is organized into sub-research groups that reflect their specific areas of research interest and activity. The members work collaboratively with colleagues across the sub-groups, the school and the University. At the applied level research the group (and sub-groups) works closely with industrial partners. Expertise in the group informs teaching for the different taught programmes where the students are taught in a research-led environment.
 

Automotive and Competitive Design  

The group works closely with industry on a range of projects including competitive development of many complex devices, such as turbochargers, active filtration systems and control devices that are used in modern high-tech production.
 

Members: Professor AJ Day, Professor AS Wood, Professor F. Campean, Dr. P. Olley, Dr. H. Qi, Dr. Jian-Ping Li, Dr. K. Hussain 

Computer Aided Process Engineering is a leading-edge research topic in chemical engineering. We strongly encourage national and international collaboration on short and long term projects on the development and use of computational tools in all aspects of process engineering activities. Our current research focuses on modelling, optimisation & control of processes such as desalination, refinery (hydrotreating &, heat exchanger network), distillation, chemical reactor, solvent extraction, and polymerisation.

Members: Professor IM Mujtaba, Professor AS Wood, Professor M Ebrahimi, Dr. CS Wright, Dr. C. Kara-Zaitri, Dr. Jian-Ping Li  

 

Dynamics and Control

Dynamics and control of powertrains and drivelines of mechatronic systems with specialization in mathematical modelling, identification and validation using short distance telemetry and condition monitoring for energy recovery. Current activities include: Turbocharger blade tip timing, powertrain testing and calibration, model based electric vehicle control.

Members: Professor M Ebrahimi, Dr. Jian-Ping Li, Dr. B. Mason 

Manufacturing & Materials

Manufacturing and Materials group is researching into the broad system’s aspect of manufacturing: strategy, planning, control, maintenance, supply chain, process improvement and scheduling through the use of AI tools (Knowledge-Based systems, Expert Systems, Artificial Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms), with particular emphasis in the automotive manufacturing environment. The materials aspect of the research group focuses on powder metallurgy processing of ferrous-based materials with specific interests in optimising material compositions to enhance processibility, microstructure and end-use properties.

Members: Dr.M.K. Khan, Dr. J.E. Munive, Dr. C.S. Wright, Dr. H. Qi, Mr. J.D. Philby 

Risk and Reliability Modelling

This research sub-group explores new methods for modeling complex risk and reliability applications in large installations in the Nuclear, Military and Aerospace industries. New models are being developed to determine Minimal Cut Sets of complex Fault Trees and extended further to handle advanced Markov Modeling with particular application to Protective Systems - to properly account for different failure, repair and testing regimes. The research has already yielded a hardware-oriented solution (as opposed to software-oriented solution), using Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) and Programmable Logic Device (PLD) simulation software to store and analyse the failure logic of large and complex systems.
 

Members: Dr. C. Kara-Zaitri, Professor IM Mujtaba, Dr. S.M.R. Jones, Dr. J.M.  Noras 

Advanced Engineering Systems Optimisation

The aim of this group is to improve the design process and designed products by effectively exploiting the combination of computational modelling and optimisation algorithms and tools to support and enhance the creativity and decision-making of engineering designers.

 

Members: Professor AS Wood, Professor F. Campean, Dr. Jian-Ping Li, Professor IM Mujtaba



   

New Collaboration Between Bradford and Yola, Nigeria 

Medical Engineering PhD Students research into new treatments for degenerative disorders, cartilage repair, arthritis and bone cancer

Each year we recruit approximately 50 postgraduate research students from around the world. We are very keen on research that is at the cutting edge of industry and technology, as well as science.