Postgraduate Opportunities

PhDs required in particular in zeolite catalysis and synthesis, hydrogen storage and polymer recycling.

Although no funding is currently available in Professor Garforth's group, it is worth registering your interest directly with the School as awards are frequently offered through national schemes.

Research Group(s)

• Energy
• Molecular Systems and Biomaterials
• Nanomaterials and Interfaces

I joined the University of Manchester in 1998 and was promoted to SL in 2004. After which I took on the role of Director of UG Studies in the School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science (CEAS) from 2004 - 2009. Winner of the Royal Society Brian Mercer Award in 2008 for innovative research on the hydrocracking of mixed polymer waste (https://royalsociety.org/news/2009/tomorrows-world/) and as luck would have it, in the same year, I was also awarded an ExxonMobil (RAEng) Excellence in Teaching Gold Medal. 

My most substantive departmental role to date came when I was given the role of Director of Teaching and Learning in 2011 which I carried out until the summer of 2019. I have also held a Faculty T&L position 2010 – 2015 developing and implementing policy as well as chairing a number of Faculty Peer Review Audits. For CEAS, I have successful led the professional body IChemE accreditation visits in 2008, 2013 and 2018. 

I became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2014 and was promoted to Professor of Catalysis in 2019. In addition, I have also been an Associate Member of the IChemE since 2012 with particular interest in the Education sub-group.

My research in the Catalysis Group is structured around three themes: 1) Oil & Gas Heterogeneous Catalysis, 2) Fabrication and testing of structured catalysts and 3) Environmental Sustainability. Since 2003, I have been fortunate to help graduate 27 PhDs as principal supervisor and been awarded grant income of over £2M. Notable recent awards include a KTP award with B&M Longworth, Blackburn; and two UKRI awards as  co-I; EP/S025200/1 RE3 - Rethinking Resources and Recycling, and, EP/R027129/1 Hub 'Science' 3: Catalysis for the Circular Economy and Sustainable Manufacturing.

I have held a number of industrial and industrially-linked posts; Manager of Centre for Thermal Studies, University of Huddersfield (1998), Manager of the Centre for Microporous Materials, UMIST (1991-1997); Laboratories Manager, SGS Redwood, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire (1987-1991) and worked with BP funded as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Chemistry, UMIST (1984-87).