Fully-funded PhD positions on perovskite and tandem solar cell – ANU – world’s top 30 university

Employer

The Australian National University- School of Engineering 

Location: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (AU)

• Join a world-class photovoltaics research group
• Contribute to the development of the next generation of solar cells
• Opportunities for industry engagement and international collaboration

College overview

‍The Australian National University (ANU) is the world’s top 30 univeristy, among the top two per cent of universities in the world!. The College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics (CECC) is a vibrant and diverse community of more than three thousand students, staff, and visitors. Our College is comprised of three schools: the School of Engineering, the School of Computing, and the School of Cybernetics, supported by the Professional Services Group. We aim to bring together expertise in social, technical, ecological and scientific systems to build a new approach. In the College, we draw on our disciplinary foundations to find and solve problems of global importance. Our people build on our traditional world-class expertise and take it in creative, unconventional directions. Through the Reimagine investment, we have the privilege and the responsibility to build a new legacy for the University, the country, and even the world. We will deliver on our mission by building a strong community, providing transformative educational experiences, conducting high-impact research, seeking meaningful engagement, and becoming a resilient organisation post COVID-19. Join us in shaping a new intellectual agenda to reimagine engineering, computing, and the use of technology in the world.

‍The School of Engineering brings together a diverse and welcoming community that is motivated to seek “wicked problems”. We connect divergent thinkers, to explore and pose solutions, that cross the traditional interdisciplinary and global boundaries. We have evolved from our foundational strength in systems thinking, reaching beyond traditional engineering fields. This systems approach embraces our core strengths and is shaped around four focus areas: Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechatronics. Join us in our fundamental quest of discovery and passionate pursuit of knowledge that goes beyond our lived world.

Position overview

The ANU Photovoltaics research group is a large and dynamic group of over 50 people, carrying out cutting-edge research on a broad range of topics but with particular focus on silicon cells, perovskite cells, perovskite-silicon tandems and advanced characterisation and modelling techniques. Since its foundation 30 years ago, the group has a strong ethos of mutual support and collaboration, which have been central to its success. The group is a member of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, which brings together researchers from across Australia to collaborate on cutting edge research.

The perovskite solar cell team at ANU is a leading group in the perovskite and silicon/perovskite tandem fields, with exceptional research achievements, including publications in top-tier journals such as Nature, Science, Nature Review Materials, Science Advances, and numerous papers in high impact factor journals like Advanced Energy Materials and Energy & Environmental Science. Additionally, the team maintains close connections with the world’s leading photovoltaic manufacturers.

A few PhD scholarships are being offered for the student projects on perovskite single junction and tandem solar cells, under the supervision of Professor Klaus Weber, and Dr. Heping Shen. These positions will involve collaboration with other world leading research institutes and industry partners.

Your responsibilities may include:

• Development of large-area fabrication techniques for perovskite cells
• Development and fabrication of high-efficiency perovskite solar cells of various sizes
• Investigation and development of advanced encapsulation techniques
• Conducting accelerated lifetime tests and interpretation of the results
• Advanced measurements of devices and test structures using state-of-the-art equipment
• Development of implementation of strategies to improve device performance, based on experimental and simulation results
• Participation and coordination of group discussions, both within ANU and with external partners, to analyse results and plan future work
• Writing scientific and technical reports, including journal papers, conference papers, and reports for the funding bodies and project partners
• Giving presentations at group meetings, workshops and conferences
• Cultivating existing research collaborations and developing new collaborations where appropriate
• Preparing and submitting grant or fellowship applications where appropriate

‍Funding Notes

• We are offering a full scholarship for 3.5 years (PhD duration in Australia is 3-3.5 years). The scholarship is available for commencement as soon as possible in 2023.

  The scholarship fully covers the university fees and provides an additional allowance to cover living costs. 2023 rates are:

  – Living allowance: $36,652 – $40,000 per annum (one of the highest stipend in Australia)

  – Tuition fees: $ 49,330 per year, fully covered

  – Conference allowance: approximately $5,000 per international conference (to support attending a scientific international conference; at least two conferences during the PhD)

Requirements

The applications are open to domestic and international students.

Applicants must hold the equivalent of a first class Honours degree or Master’s degree in engineering, chemistry, physics or related field, and/or have relevant research experience.

‍Application Process

To express interest in applying, please the following documents directly to Dr. Heping Shen (heping.shen@anu.edu.au), and Prof. Klaus Weber (klaus.weber@anu.edu.au):

– Up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV)

– Full undergraduate and master’s academic transcript

– Copy of master’s thesis as well as links to publications (if applicable)

– List of 4-6 referees with official institutional emails