Scholarships to nurture future talent in the UK’s burgeoning offshore wind sector are now on offer at the University of Hull.
The six fully funded places are to be run in partnership with the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.
Starting in September, they include a year’s postgraduate diploma training, followed by three years of PhD research, which will address highly technical sector challenges.
Prof Dan Parsons, lead at the Aura Centre for Doctoral Training, part of the university’s Energy and Environment Institute, said: “The offshore wind sector must play a crucial role in the UK’s ambition to become net-zero carbon by 2050.
“In the Humber region, we are at the forefront of this low-carbon transition, continually pushing boundaries and attracting world-class research and talent.
“The Humber’s offshore wind sector has quite rightly been recognised as a world-leader, with global companies and SMEs alike coming together to tackle the climate change challenge.
(Image: Siemens Gamesa / University of Hull)
“These scholarships give participants the chance to study and learn at the heart of the UK’s Energy Estuary. There really is no better place you could be.”
The Aura Centre for Doctoral Training operates alongside academic partners Durham, Newcastle and Sheffield universities, and more than 20 industry partners, with whom the scholarships have been developed.
Ben George, general manager for the Humber region at ORE Catapult, said: “Having the right skills to call upon here in the UK is vital if we are to meet our ambitious offshore wind growth and net-zero targets and to kick-start the green economic recovery.
“These offshore wind scholarships will link world-class academic research to real industry need, helping to increase the productivity of our offshore wind farms, improve health and safety and continue to drive down costs.”
Students who undertake the new industry scholarships, open to applications now, will complete their postgraduate diploma alongside other Aura CDT students, before progressing onto a two to four year PhD research project, supported by their industry sponsor.
Chris Briggs, regional innovation manager at Siemens Gamesa, said: “Research and development is the foundation for SGRE’s technological advancements, and we value the contributions from postgraduate research made by our trusted university partners.
“In this case, the proximity of our blade factory in Hull, and the relationship we have developed with the university, makes the Aura CDT an obvious partner for this field of research.”
The scholarship is the latest element of a successful partnership between the University of Hull and the renewable energy leader.
Last year they launched an MSc Masters Degree Apprenticeship in Offshore Wind Energy Engineering.