Civil Engineering: Fully Funded KESS II MSc by Research Scholarship: Development of an Amphibian Friendly Gully Pot
This project aims to develop a gully pot suitable for use on trunk roads that incorporates a means of prevention/escape for amphibians that have fallen through the gully grating, while maintaining adequate flow rates for the capture of surface water runoff.
Amphibian entrapment is thought to be a factor in localised population extinctions. Ecological surveys have identified that in certain areas, considerable numbers of dead amphibians have been found within gully pots. The cause of death can be from either drowning or starvation, with a higher incidence of entrapments recorded at migration points.
Since there is no suitable gully pot design currently available that meets the needs of amphibian safety, drainage capacity and ease of maintenance, this transdisciplinary project seeks to develop an integrated gully pot that satisfies these criteria.
The project will involve developing ideas for different options for gully design through consulting ecologists, drainage design engineers and highway maintenance operatives. The proposed designs will be modelled to determine hydraulic efficiency. Depending on progress, there may be the opportunity for field trials.
Scholarships are collaborative awards with external partners. The research student will be advised by Swansea University academics and industrial research partners: Atkins, an engineering firm with experience in highway construction, and SWTRA – the South Wales Trunk Road Agent, the responsible party for maintaining, managing and improving the strategic road network in South Wales.
The scholarship provides 1 year funding with a 3 month period to complete the thesis. The achievement of a postgraduate skills development award, PSDA, is compulsory for each KESS II scholar and is based on a 30 credit award.
Benefits
The studentship covers the full cost of UK/EU tuition fees, plus a stipend. The bursary will be limited to a maximum of £11,817 p.a. dependent upon the applicant's financial circumstances as assessed in section C point on the KESS II EAST Participant Proposal Form.
There will also be additional funds available for research expenses.
Please note that students receiving KESS II support are not eligible for Postgraduate Master's Degree loan.
How to Apply
Applicants are strongly advised to contact Dr Patricia Xavier (p.a.xavier@swansea.ac.uk) regarding information on the area of research.
To apply:
Please submit both application forms and supporting documentation to KESSstudentenquiries@swansea.ac.uk.
Application forms may be submitted in Welsh and any application submitted in Welsh will be treated no less favourably than an application received in English.
For any queries please contact KESSstudentenquiries@swansea.ac.uk.
The deadline for applications is 4pm 3 July 2020.
Candidates should have a 2.1 or above in their undergraduate degree in Engineering or a related subject.
They should also be eligible for UK/EU Fees.
We would normally expect the academic and English Language requirements to be met by point of application. For details on the University’s English Language entry requirements, please visit our website for more information.
For this scholarship students must also have:
*East Wales area covers: Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Newport, Monmouthshire, Powys, Wrexham and Flintshire.
For more information on eligibility criteria please refer to section C of the KESS II EAST Participant Proposal Form.
Any queries relating to Section C – Eligibility, please contact KESSstudentenquiries@swansea.ac.uk.
Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS 2) is a major pan-Wales operation supported by European Social Funds (ESF) through the Welsh Government. KESS 2 links companies and organisations with academic expertise in the Higher Education sector in Wales to undertake collaborative research projects, working towards a PhD or Research Masters qualification. Research elements are integrated with a higher-level skills training programme, leading to a Postgraduate Skills Development Award.
KESS 2 involves all universities in Wales, and is led by Bangor University. Following the highly successful KESS project between 2009 and 2014, KESS 2 is now in the second round of funding and will provide 645 scholarships over the course of six years.
The key objectives of KESS 2 are:
KESS 2 projects are unique in that they are tailored to provide exciting and innovative research whilst meeting the needs of an active business or its sector. The research undertaken through a KESS 2 project must fit with one of the Welsh Government’s four Grand Challenge Areas:
As part of the Welsh Government’s ‘Well-being of Future Generations Act (2015)’ KESS 2 is partnering with Bangor University’s Sustainability Lab to ensure that our team and all our partners are able to demonstrate that we are giving meaningful consideration to the well-being of current and future generations in all that we do.
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