Environment, Energy & Sustainability

This proposed research will explore how multinational enterprises (MNEs) navigate a rise in populist political ideology as they devise strategic growth objectives. As populist ideology grows, this causes uncertainty and risk for MNEs due to political uncertainty affecting decision-making from an unpredictable business environment.

This research aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the potential adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles in Nigeria. It will explore the techno-economic feasibility, assess risks, policy, evaluate environmental impacts, and gauge public perception to determine if CNG is a sustainable transportation solution for the country.

This project will develop a multi-layered security framework that leverages advanced machine learning algorithms with the state-of-the-art cryptographic algorithms, and adaptive threat detection systems to enhance the overall grid security.

The conventional drug delivery vehicle is expensive and shows poor toxicological profile including the biosafety and biodistribution. A novel, green and bio-based drug delivery carrier is proposed in this project where terminilia arjuna bark (TAB) assisted selenium compound ensures a novel drug delivery vehicle in controlling obesity and associated diseases.

The aim of this project is to is to develop robust defence mechanisms against adversarial attacks on image vision systems in autonomous vehicles. This involves creating and implementing algorithms that can detect and mitigate adversarial alterations in real-time, ensuring the AI systems accurately classify objects and maintain safe driving behaviours.

This research could include treatment of freshwater in situ or in treatment plants using advanced oxidative techniques.

This is an opportunity to join our internationally renowned research team who work on water quality, advanced analysis, novel water treatment and biotechnology.

This research aims to advance in energy system modelling to support scalable, resilient hydrogen infrastructure in Scotland by developing predictive analytics, enhanced scenario planning, and optimisation capabilities tailored to hydrogen production, storage, and grid integration requirements.

This research explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be applied to software vulnerability mitigation while ensuring compliance with data privacy laws and ethical standards. The study focuses on building AI-driven security techniques that are technically robust, resistant to adversarial attacks and compliant with legal frameworks like GDPR to preserve end users’ security.

Health and the city are strongly integrated issues. The under-developed, derelict pathogenic conditions and lack of people-centred urban design lead to an unhealthy city to live in for all ages.

As the Built Environment contributes a significant amount to the UK total carbon emissions (approximately 40%), in order to meet the zero carbon agenda, the construction sector is under pressure to create sustainable buildings, communities and cities.

Artists lead through practice, establish and lead organisations, and lead in civic contexts. Building on The Artist as Leader (Douglas and Fremantle 2009), The Discourse of Cultural Leadership (Price 2016), and recent work (Fremantle 2021, Naismith 2019, 2021) in the contexts of health & wellbeing and #netcarbonzero.

This research investigates the restorative benefits of natural environments by comparing real-world nature experiences with simulated ones using immersive spaces and VR headsets. By analysing participants' psychological responses, it aims to identify key environmental features that promote calm and mental recovery, offering insights into the potential of virtual nature for enhancing well-being.

This project will develop an AI enabled autonomous subsea robotic system for inspection and maintenance of subsea infrastructure.

Construction delays are expensive, time-consuming, prevalent worldwide and a leading and persistent cause of disputes in the sector. They affect end users in all countries across the world in more than one way. For example, delays to public projects are funded by taxpayers. This is problematic as they are unnecessary and avoidable.

Net-zero targets demand low-carbon transport; transitions from Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) are a core element of low-carbon automobility.

This research explores enhancing Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) using high-resolution LiDAR data from RGU and Scotland-wide surveys. It evaluates the impact of data resolution on usability and assesses how visualisation platforms-immersive displays, interactive theatres, and VR headsets- affect perception and interpretation of landscape features, aiming to improve LCA tools and applications.

The analysis of designers’ engagement with digital tools is fascinating and complex, this project aims to help solve a few issues around the extension of the mind into the digital realm.

There are a number of technological innovations - such as Building Information Modelling and the use of smart contracts - which could revolutionise construction practice.

It is common with many university buildings that energy consumption is not monitored. There is a significant lack of framework and tools implemented to: identify where energy is being consumed, detect faults, or determine where energy saving measures could be implemented to greatest effect.

Mastering data analysis and interpretation is crucial for Biomedical Scientists. In this interdisciplinary project, students will develop methods to create synthetic flow cytometry datasets. These innovative methods will be used to build a comprehensive data library complete with engaging case studies. These tools will be rigorously evaluated as transformative educational resources.

Charities are increasingly under scrutiny to demonstrate genuine public benefit, yet existing definitions and regulatory frameworks often lag behind modern expectations. This research aims to reconceptualise "public benefit" in charity law by investigating governance practices that enhance transparency and accountability, particularly around purposes like religion, social welfare and health.

This project will develop data-driven tools and techniques to control complex networks and interconnected systems where precise modelling of the dynamics, and their interconnection becomes challenging. This problem will be studied in the context of robotics, autonomous and multi-agent systems, power distribution and other complex networks.

SMEs adopting Nature-based solutions to address climate and environmental concerns are emerging in response to #netcarbonzero agendas.

This research seeks to develop a typology of Climate Action Hubs across Scotland, categorizing them by operational models, focus areas, and community engagement strategies. It aims to identify challenges and opportunities, particularly between urban and rural hubs, to provide insights and best practices for enhancing grassroots climate action

This project will focus on development of smart material based soft robotic systems and mechanisms.

Anthracycline derivatives have been previously synthesised and tested for their binding properties at RGU. The synthesis of new, more selective derivatives is subject to the development of more environmentally benign procedures employing synthetic electrochemistry.

Climate change is the most significant threat that modern society has ever faced. This project aims to explore how environmental sustainability may be effectively weaved into clinical and non-clinical healthcare curricula, to prepare the future workforce to apply environmentally sustainable practices in their employment.

Environmental and climate change can undermine livelihoods, which fuels grievances and increases the likelihood of violent conflict.

We invite research proposals exploring transdisciplinary approaches to fieldwork, engaging embodied, sensory, and material knowledge within contemporary art and allied disciplines.

The transition of energy systems to clean and low-carbon systems is a global challenge requiring an understanding of the interaction of clean technology and society.

Contract law underpins large parts of construction law. As more questions are asked about improving project delivery, dispute avoidance and dispute resolution, it is worth asking whether the concepts underpinning contract law generally can help in the search for solutions.

The CAMELS model/rating system is widely used by regulatory banking authorities to rank/group financial institutions.

This research aims to develop novel 4D printing techniques to fabricate self-assembling metal/polymer composites for aerospace and automotive applications, addressing critical challenges in efficient, adaptable, and sustainable manufacturing processes.

As offshore wind energy development expands, conflicts with other marine users and critical ecological areas important to the marine environment are becoming more frequent. This PhD aims to address these challenges by using Evolutionary-Computing inspired methods of offshore wind farm layout design that balance energy production with ecological and marine user needs.

This project aims to investigate the fundamental processes that determine the environmental fate and biological effects of emerging contaminants such as per and poly‐fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

We invite PhD proposals examining how memory and material transitions shape and transform cultural and physical landscapes, past, present, and future.

Climate change poses two types of risk for the corporate sector: physical and transition risks.

Solid oxide steam electrolysers (SOSE) are a promising type of technology of hydrogen production with the potential to be a part of the sustainable future of the energy sector. The research proposes to improve the efficiency of SOSE by modelling, manufacturing and testing the electrolysis cell using a tubular design.

The goal of this project is to develop an effective in-silico model for dynamic social networks, aimed at simulating interactions and dependencies within social groups and individuals. This model will help identify role-risk relationships and highlight key individuals and communities, particularly in the context of Netizens' security.

This research investigates the push toward standardisation in international contracts, examining the roles of the CISG, AfCFTA, and other emerging trade frameworks. It explores how these international agreements, alongside the efforts of non-governmental organisations, attempt to harmonise contract standards to improve enforceability, dispute resolution, and trust in cross-border transactions.

This research investigates the evolving role of NGOs within global governance frameworks, focusing on how digitalisation and shifting global priorities impact their influence and accountability.

This project will investigate optimization techniques using mathematical graph theory and computational methods to model transport networks across the UK. Combining urban planning data, business intelligence, and vehicle tracking with spatio-temporal modelling and metaheuristic optimization, it aims to enhance both urban mobility and commercial transport efficiency through evidence-based solutions

This project will develop a passive cooling technique to mitigate against heat stress in climate change impacted vulnerable communities through modelling and experimentation.

The proposed research aims to develop innovative catalyst materials and photoelectrochemical (PEC) system for CO2 conversion into practical fuels and value-added chemical commodities production using sunlight. This project will directly address the UN SDGs: 7 Affordable and Clean Energy, 13 Climate Action and 3 Good Health and Well-Being.

We welcome specific ideas from applicants for a potential research degree topic. The University offers several potential self-funded topics in each School which you could consider developing your research project around.

Accumulation of post-consumed plastic and synthetic waste in the Earth is becoming one of the big threats to the wildlife, nature, and humans’ living environment.

National identity and sense of place are important features of fashion and can be influential across all stages of the lifecycle - in terms of design, production, communication and retail. We welcome proposals that seek to explore fashion within particular geographic contexts or in relation to specific aspects or initiatives.

Children are future urban managers. Sustainability inevitably means fair resource allocation so that the future generation would not encounter resource depletion due to improper urban management and decisions.

Emission free transportation is a promising technology to revolutionise the mobility sectors worldwide. Hydrogen is a sustainable solution to replace fossil-fuel driven transport. However, utilising hydrogen is limited based on the issues involved in hydrogen storage security. The research proposes to improve the security in utilising hydrogen in transportation sector.

Sustainability is a complex and vast topic; one which small businesses may struggle to find time and resource to comprehend.

Vehicle pollution is a growing environmental threat. Most research has focused on exhaust emissions. However, emissions form tyres have largely been overlooked and now pose the greatest pollution burden from vehicles. Therefore, there is an urgent need to address the impacts of tyre pollution to protect the environment.

This project will be looking to expand the library of liquid crystal compounds that exhibit known ferroelectric mesophases as well as to find materials which possess polar variants of other known non-polar liquid crystal phases.

Many developing countries have major infrastructure development deficit.

Research evaluation is not peculiar to the UK Higher Education Institution (HEI) climate. There are similar assessment frameworks to the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF), including but not limited to Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) in New Zealand, and Research quality evaluation in Sweden – FOKUS.

This project will focus on enhancing threat correlation, response, and mitigation workflows in Security Operations Management by introducing a novel knowledge graph-based solution aimed at optimizing decision-making processes.

The food and drink manufacturing and processing industry has an important part to play in reducing food waste and transitioning to a circular economy paradigm where by-products are processed in an effective and sustainable way; generating greater socio-economic value, and tackling climate change.

This research aims to enhance autonomous underwater navigation by integrating vision-based sensor fusion and AI control. Focusing on complex marine environments, it will develop high-resolution environmental models using camera and sonar data, ultimately promoting efficient and sustainable exploration of underwater ecosystems through improved navigation and data collection methods.

Our research focuses on the development of novel Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) farm for extracting greater wind energy.

The fashion industry is facing increasing pressure to implement practices to improve sustainability performance. The global nature of fashion supply chains makes transparency difficult to achieve, however, due to practices including outsourcing and limited disclosure of information. The proposed research will examine sustainability in the context of fashion supply chains.

Hemp could be a key to #netcarbonzero in Scotland’s agronomic industries providing carbon sequestration, contributing to a greater biodiversity, land recovery and remediation.