Defence and Security PhD call 2015
Synthetic Biology to Produce Novel Materials
for Defence and Security
To date, the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD’s) Defence and Security PhD scheme has funded
over 100 PhDs across a number of themes. The focus of the current call for PhD level
research, commencing in October 2015, is Synthetic Biology to Produce Novel Materials
for Defence and Security. Our intention is to fund up to 20 PhDs. We encourage
applications from UK universities with leading academics, research groups or research
centres in the subject areas identified below.
Where appropriate we intend to cluster the funding of PhDs in order to maximise our
engagement by theme, or with either a leading academic, research group or research
centre. The programme seeks to fully fund PhD projects (a maximum of 5 per university)
where applicants can demonstrate how they are leading the thinking in the areas of interest.
Evidence of the international standing of the research of the academic groups identified in
the proposal should be provided which includes evidence of significant research income and
their contribution to the UK and international research landscape. The benefit that MOD
would obtain through funding research at their particular university should also be described.
We also intend to build upon the investment in world class expertise by the research
councils within the specified areas; significant alignment with, or contribution from, other
sources of studentship support from the host university (eg from research councils,
institutional funds, other funding sources) is highly desirable. Applicants need to refer to the
scoring criteria so that they fully understand how a proposal’s quality, relevance and value to
MOD will be reviewed.
Key Dates:
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Expression of Interest (EOI) by 11 January 2015
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Date of PhD Calling Conference 28 January 2015
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Closing date for applications 31 March 2015
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Funding decision by the end of May 2015
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The projects will need to commence in October 2015
Synthetic biology is an emerging, multidisciplinary research area at the intersection of
engineering, bioscience, chemistry and information technology. Commonly accepted
definitions of synthetic biology have been evolving and currently there appears to be
convergence and consensus around the following:
Synthetic biology aims to design and engineer novel biologically-based parts, devices and
systems, as well as redesign existing natural biological systems for useful purposes. It
incorporates the principles of engineering eg modularity, abstraction and orthogonality into
classical biotechnology.
In common with most emerging technologies, the potential applications of synthetic biology
approaches are broad. It has the potential to address some of the more intractable problems
facing the defence and security of the UK, and opens new avenues in protecting the armed
forces and civilian populations.
Technology challenge
The purpose of this call is for highly innovative, high risk research proposals employing
synthetic biology approaches to produce Functional Materials with properties relevant to
defence and security. It is envisaged that this will involve cutting edge, multidisciplinary
research through the application of existing synthetic biology tools and techniques using
novel research approaches and the discovery of new knowledge.
Functional materials in this context are those that perform more than a structural role in the
resultant physical form of an entity or object. For example, protective coatings, witness
materials (that indicate the occurrence of a particular event) and metamaterials are all
different types of functional materials as are those that can provide electrical, magnetic or
optical effects. Functional materials in this context may also include smart materials; these
are materials that can sense a stimulus from their environment and react to it in a useful,
reliable, reproducible and usually reversible manner. Materials that exhibit smart behaviour
are categorised as those that have one or more properties that can be significantly changed
in a controlled fashion by external chemical, thermal, acoustic, light, pressure change,
electrical or magnetic stimuli.
Functional materials, structures and technologies represent a diverse and multidisciplinary
area which offers significant opportunities for the UK’s security across both short and long
term timescales. Technical advancements in the ability to engineer micro- and nanomaterials and structures, including through synthetic biology approaches, mean it is
becoming increasingly possible to model, design and construct materials with unique
properties. Functional materials offer huge potential, but exploitation can be limited by the
availability of materials.
We are seeking multidisciplinary applications with the aim of using synthetic biology to either
develop novel materials or to produce existing materials to overcome availability limitations.
The proof-of-concept would necessitate production of sufficient material to demonstrate the
desired functionality. The approach must include a synthetic biology component, but does
not have to be exclusively delivered by synthetic biology.
We are seeking initial concepts of promise for a range of uses, examples of which are given
below. A desired outcome is to support and enhance MOD’s strategic awareness of the
importance of environmentally and functionally responsive (smart) materials, coatings and
structures. Proposals should include a clear statement of their potential relevance to defence
capabilities and provide opportunities for exploitation.
Proposals must indicate how they will deliver significant improvements over current
capabilities and need to describe how they could:
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enable enhanced performance and new functionality
support platform availability and life extension
future proof military capability against evolving needs and threats.
As an indication of our interest, the following technical areas are discussed further. This
should not be considered an exhaustive list.
Novel manufacturing approaches for functional materials
Defence applications are subject to constraints in the use of materials through legislative
control. Articles such as the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
and Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) ban or
limit the use of many materials that have been used for years in defence equipment; these
include the use of materials such as cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, mercury and
polybrominated diphenyl ether. There is, therefore, a need to identify alternative ways to
achieve the same function as these materials but through approaches that are less harmful
to either the environment or the individual. Synthetic biology offer approaches that could
provide effective alternatives to the use of these materials; for example by creating
corrosion-protection coatings that are not dependent on cadmium, yet offer the same level of
protection?
The ability to exploit the potential benefits of functional materials is often limited by their
availability or cost. Synthetic biology has the potential to address some of these supply
aspects. For example, are there synthetic biology approaches that enable large-scale
implementation of coatings for marine vessels to resist bio-fouling, or to improve
hydrodynamic or aerodynamic efficiency?
Adhesives
Adhesives are an important family of materials for defence applications. We are interested in
synthetic biology approaches to enable disbondable adhesives that could help improve the
repair and maintenance of our vehicles. Joining of dissimilar materials is important for the
long term exploitation of advanced materials; what can synthetic biology offer in terms of
robust joining technologies? Adhesives are often subjected to extremes of temperature and
pressure; for example in the bonding of submarine tiles. Are self-healing adhesives possible
through synthetic biology?
Power
Synthetic biology may be able to produce structures which are difficult or uneconomic to
make by other means. A recent example is battery electrodes produced by a virus. Such
structures may or may not impart improved properties to power sources. There would be
interest in battery, capacitor or other electrochemical storage device materials produced by
synthetic biology if it can be shown that they offer advantages over traditional material
properties. It may also be possible to use synthetic biology to produce energy harvesting
devices (solar, thermoelectric, kinetic) which due to their structure have improved properties
to traditional devices.
Low observable materials
Materials that have low observable properties in the visible, infra-red and microwave ranges
are important for the survivability of people and equipment. These include camouflage
materials, metamaterials and coatings. Ultimately, tailorable materials that could be easily
adapted to protect against changing threats would have significant benefit for the military.
Synthetic biology approaches such as templating could have the potential to produce novel,
tailorable low observable materials that could be applied to large surface areas.
Tamper-evident materials
A major challenge for a range of industries is the risk of counterfeit products entering the
market. There is, therefore, an interest in materials that provide either overt or covert
markers to prevent against counterfeiting, as well as materials that have overt or covert
indicators of tampering. Synthetic biology may offer solutions to these challenges; however
any solution must also be able to be interrogated remotely.
However, we do not wish to be prescriptive under this challenge, and encourage proposals
where the defence and security applications are explored. Any materials must involve
synthetic biology at some stage of their production, but chemical modification of synthetic
biology-derived precursors is acceptable. A military application should be identified, but
identification of other commercial applications is encouraged in addition. These projects
must offer a significant benefit over existing solutions, and we would particularly welcome
interdisciplinary approaches.
What we want
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Highly innovative approaches which are significantly different from existing
technologies and which have the prospect of bringing additional operational military
benefit or increased affordability.
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Approaches which will lead to a feasible defence application. Approaches with civil
applications in addition to a defence and security application are acceptable.
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Multi- and inter-disciplinary approaches. It is important that the synthetic biology
components of the proposed work are fully integrated within the overall project. It is
likely that this will involve strong links between engineering, material sciences and
biosciences departments.
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Consideration of relevant Ethical, Social and Legal Issues which may impede
exploitation.
What we do not want
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We do not expect to be offered existing solutions or technology which have already
been tested and found to have limited utility.
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Proposals which comprise a paper study, a review or similar.
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Proposals exclusively based on theoretical and simulation approaches with no
practical validation.
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Solutions requiring the release of genetically modified organisms into the
environment.
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Proposals without a synthetic biology component in the approach.
Exploitation
Potential routes to exploitation of the successful outcomes from completed projects are to be
considered on a per project basis. Each project will be assigned a Dstl Technical Partner
who will provide the interface between the project and the defence and security community
and will, where appropriate, develop potential routes to exploitation, including exploitation
outside defence if appropriate. Potential routes that could be available include additional
research to develop or utilise the technology for MOD programmes (without commitment,
prejudice and precedence).
Although high risk approaches are sought there should be consideration that the resultant
materials and solutions will have to be affordably manufactured at an industrial scale.
During the lifetime of the successful PhD projects there will be an expectation for the
research to be presented at engagement opportunities organised by Dstl. During these
events each student would have the opportunity to present their work to the stakeholder
community.
Further Information and the Application Process
In addition to the PhD application(s) submitted by the research group/centre, the applicant
must provide details of how the group/centre can contribute to leading the thinking on the
specific theme(s) proposed and how further engagement can be fostered between the
research group/centre and the MOD.
Initially we require an expression of interest (EOI). Within this submission the research
group/centre is required to provide the following:
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The PhD topic(s) that the research group/centre can address.
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A brief description of the proposed PhD project.
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Details of how the subject matter of this call aligns with other activities undertaken
within the research group/centre (current and planned).
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Interest to attend the PhD Calling Conference on 28 January 2015 at the Radisson
Blu Hotel, Manchester Airport.
The deadline for the submission of the EOI is 11 January 2015 which is mandatory for those
universities that wish to submit a final application. The EOI is only used to gauge interest in
the PhD call, to assist in planning the PhD calling conference and future PhD application
review process. Further detail concerning the topics described above will be issued to the
university at the PhD Calling Conference which will be held on 28 January 2015.
Representatives from each university must register their interest to attend via the EOI form.
This conference will provide an opportunity for attendees to discuss technical and
commercial queries with regards to their applications. The intention is to fully fund up to 20
PhDs in 2015 (dependent upon final budget and cost of individual PhDs). The deadline for
applications following the conference is 31 March 2015. Applicants will be informed of the
results by the end of May 2015. The projects will need to commence in October 2015.