EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Renewable Energy Northeast Universities (ReNU)

EPSRC东北大学可再生能源博士培养中心（ReNU）是由行业和市场需求驱动的，这表明到2050年可再生能源和分布式能源将出现前所未有的增长。这一增长是由全球电力需求支撑的，电力需求将超过其他能源需求增长的两倍以上（到2050年全球能源需求增长的驱动因素，2016年，麦肯锡）。这一需求的很大一部分将来自大量分布式但相互连接的设备（估计到2024年将达到400亿），服务于医疗保健（针对老龄化人口）和个人交通（减少二氧化碳排放）等行业。因此，ReNU的独特职责是专注于可持续和高度可扩展的中小型能源转换和存储技术的材料创新。ReNU将由诺森比亚大学、纽卡斯尔大学和达勒姆大学交付，这些大学在这一领域的世界领先的专业知识和与行业的良好联系，最近获得了东北能源材料中心（NECEM，奖项编号：EP/R021503/1）的认可。这项以研究为重点的方案将高度补充以培训为重点的人口流动大学方案。ReNU联盟的一个关键优势是其在能源领域的广泛专业知识，包括：薄膜和新材料；太阳能直接转换；风力、波浪和潮汐能涡轮机；压电和热电器件；水分离;二氧化碳维持价格;电池和燃料电池。ReNU团队与包括跨国公司、中小型企业和地方政府组织在内的36个合作伙伴紧密合作，设计了一个引人注目的博士培训计划，旨在培养企业家技能，推动英国地区和国家在清洁增长领域的生产力，这是英国政府最近确定的四大挑战之一工业战略。同一组合作伙伴还将以工业监督、培训博士候选人和主管以及获得设施和设备的形式向非洲大学提供大量投入。可再生能源和可持续分布式能源的成功从根本上需要一个完整的系统方法，以及对政治、社会和技术背景的理解。因此，北京师范大学的博士培养自然适合于一种队列方法，在这种方法中，知识和思想的交叉融合是必要的，也是根深蒂固的。该培训计划还旨在解决更广泛的社会面临的更广泛的挑战，包括无意识偏见培训和外联，以解决科学、技术、工程和数学学科和行业的多样性问题。此外，该大学还将寻求物理研究所、皇家化学学会和工程技术研究所的外部专业认证，从而为博士毕业生获得“特许”地位提供一个起点。结合行业驱动的博士培训计划，以满足可识别的市场需求，通过提供培训，设施和监督的强大行业承诺，机构之间建立的能源材料卓越研究平台以及包括国际化和专业认证在内的独特培训机会，创造了一个推动英国在可再生和可持续分布式能源方面创新的变革性计划。

The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Renewable Energy Northeast Universities (ReNU) is driven by industry and market needs, which indicate unprecedented growth in renewable and distributed energy to 2050. This growth is underpinned by global demand for electricity which will outstrip growth in demand for other sources by more than two to one (The drivers of global energy demand growth to 2050, 2016, McKinsey). A significant part of this demand will arise from vast numbers of distributed, but interconnected devices (estimated to reach 40 billion by 2024) serving sectors such as healthcare (for ageing populations) and personal transport (for reduced carbon dioxide emission). The distinctive remit of ReNU therefore is to focus on materials innovations for small-to-medium scale energy conversion and storage technologies that are sustainable and highly scalable. ReNU will be delivered by Northumbria, Newcastle and Durham Universities, whose world-leading expertise and excellent links with industry in this area have been recognised by the recent award of the North East Centre for Energy Materials (NECEM, award number: EP/R021503/1). This research-focused programme will be highly complementary to ReNU which is a training-focused programme. A key strength of the ReNU consortium is the breadth of expertise across the energy sector, including: thin film and new materials; direct solar energy conversion; turbines for wind, wave and tidal energy; piezoelectric and thermoelectric devices; water splitting; CO2 valorisation; batteries and fuel cells. Working closely with a balanced portfolio of 36 partners that includes multinational companies, small and medium size enterprises and local Government organisations, the ReNU team has designed a compelling doctoral training programme which aims to engender entrepreneurial skills which will drive UK regional and national productivity in the area of Clean Growth, one of four Grand Challenges identified in the UK Government's recent Industrial Strategy. The same group of partners will also provide significant input to the ReNU in the form of industrial supervision, training for doctoral candidates and supervisors, and access to facilities and equipment.Success in renewable energy and sustainable distributed energy fundamentally requires a whole systems approach as well as understanding of political, social and technical contexts. ReNU's doctoral training is thus naturally suited to a cohort approach in which cross-fertilisation of knowledge and ideas is necessary and embedded. The training programme also aims to address broader challenges facing wider society including unconscious bias training and outreach to address diversity issues in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects and industries. Furthermore, external professional accreditation will be sought for ReNU from the Institute of Physics, Royal Society of Chemistry and Institute of Engineering Technology, thus providing a starting point from which doctoral graduates will work towards "Chartered" status. The combination of an industry-driven doctoral training programme to meet identifiable market needs, strong industrial commitment through the provision of training, facilities and supervision, an established platform of research excellence in energy materials between the institutions and unique training opportunities that include internationalisation and professional accreditation, creates a transformative programme to drive forward UK innovation in renewable and sustainable distributed energy.