PhD Studentship Integrated Constructed Wetlands to Treat Domestic Wastewater

PhD Studentship Integrated Constructed Wetlands to Treat Domestic Wastewater

*Institute for Infrastructure and Environment in collaboration with Monaghan County Council (Ireland) and the Integrated Constructed Wetland Initiative*

A full PhD scholarship is available for a very good candidate (UK, EU or Overseas) with a background in civil and environmental engineering, environmental science, applied microbiology, ecology or equivalent, interested in carrying out experimental research of physical, biological and chemical processes occurring in wetlands treating domestic wastewater, and undertaking subsequently corresponding statistical data analysis and computer modelling studies. Work experience in academia, relevant industries and/or local authorities would be beneficial.

*Research Project Outline*
Integrated constructed wetlands (ICW) have been designed successfully to treat farmyard runoff following best management practice. They are popular because of their low capital and operational costs, high treatment efficiency, optimal integration into the landscape, and ecosystem and biodiversity enhancement benefits, and excellent compliance with socio-economic and sustainable needs. However, the application of ICW as the main treatment unit for large-scale domestic wastewater treatment plants is novel, and concerns need to be addressed that these ICW do not pollute groundwater and receiving watercourses.

Treatment wetland systems are currently designed based on past empirical observations. There is a clear need for a decision support tool for the design and operation of ICW treating domestic wastewater incorporating standard engineering and microbiological variables. This can be achieved by incorporating microbiological parameter into novel engineering decision support methodologies.

A comprehensive statistical data analysis will be performed before predictive modelling. A neuro-fuzzy modelling approach is likely to be used to gain insight into the processes within ICW in space and time, and will be applied to assess the overall system performance.

*Study Location*
The candidate is expected to work predominantly at two locations: Monaghan County Council, Monaghan, Ireland; The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

*Candidate and Supervision*
The successful candidate will have a 1st or 2.1 honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject and will ideally have a proven commitment to working in field and laboratory environments. The candidate will receive supervision and guidance from an experienced urban water and wetland research team. The lead academic supervisor will be Dr Miklas Scholz (The University of Edinburgh), and the external supervisor will be Dr Rory Harrington (Irish Department of the Environment Heritage and Local Government). The student will also report to a representative from Monaghan
County Council.

*Application Procedure*
Monaghan County Council will fund one full PhD scholarship covering student maintenance, project consumables and equipment, travel costs, and bench and postgraduate registration fees available to UK, EU and international students. *The exact amount (between £58 and £85k)* of the scholarship will be subject to the fee status and needs of the candidate.

The PhD studentship will be awarded for three years. No deadline for applications has been set. The search for a suitable candidate will continue as long as necessary. However, *it is anticipated that the official start date is likely to be around 1 March 2008, but an early start will be encouraged*.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a full application to the School of Engineering and Electronics at http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/. The application should include the following documents: comprehensive cover letter, full application form, at least two references, English language certificates (if English is not the native language), project proposal (two pages including references; outline of the candidate's research input based on interests and skills).

Informal enquiries before submission of the full application are encouraged. Please contact Dr Miklas Scholz, Senior Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Electronics, The University of Edinburgh, William Rankine Building, The King's Buildings, EH9 3JL, Scotland, United Kingdom;
tel +44 (0)131 650 6780; fax +44 (0)131 650 6554;
e-mail m.scholz@ed.ac.uk for additional information.
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