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PhD students in optoelectronics receive Return to Research grants

PhD students in optoelectronics receive Return to Research grants

PhD students Jamie Lake and Chawit Uswachoke have been awarded ‘Return to Research’ grants in support of their research which was hit by delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I will be using this funding for travelling and pursuing my research on designing flexible optoelectronic devices based on vertical semiconductor nanowires.

Chawit Uswachoke

The Rank Prize Optoelectronics Committee invites PhD students in the field of optoelectronics and vision science whose work has been disrupted by COVID-19 to apply for a one-off grant of up to £1,500 to help support research activities that had been negatively impacted by the pandemic. 

Jamie describes his research below:

“I study the fundamental electro-optical processes which take place inside of low-dimensional materials using terahertz radiation. Electrons behave in a peculiar way when they are dimensionally confined. This behavioural change often leads to extraordinary material properties i.e. exceptionally high carrier mobilities, modulation speeds, peculiar interactions with light. Improvements in the understanding of these processes is a crucial step toward their integration into devices. Not only devices that we use day-to-day, such as smart phones and computer processors but industrial hardware like communications and networking systems.”

“The funding provided by Rank Prize Funds has allowed me to procure electrical test and measurement equipment which is vital to the type of experiments I’m involved in, primarily Terahertz spectroscopy and Optical Pump-Terahertz Probe spectroscopy. This equipment has reduced experiment times, which is of great benefit given the reduction in laboratory access due to Covid”

Chawit describes his research below:

"My PhD project has suffered considerable delays beyond my control due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I am delighted to have been awarded with the Rank Prize Grant which will support my PhD research during this hard time. I will be using this funding for travelling and pursuing my research on designing flexible optoelectronic devices based on vertical semiconductor nanowires."

PhD students are invited to apply for a one-off grant of up to £1,500 as they return to their research. More details can be found on the Rank Prize website. COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the PhD research community. Many students have been unable to return to campus, access facilities or research materials, attend conferences, pursue professional development opportunities, network with peers or visit other facilities. This fund will support students as they return to their research.

Apply for funds to:

  • purchase research equipment/materials;
  • attend a conference (travel or registration);
  • childcare costs where related to research or attending a professional event;
  • travel to another research facility;
  • professional development or research-related training;
  • home office equipment.

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