Harnessing adaptation in natural materials for better engineered products

The Faculty of Science Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a new initiative by the University of Nottingham to train future researchers and leaders to address the most pressing challenges of the 21st Century, through foundational and applied AI research on a cohort basis. The DTC training and supervision will be delivered by a team of outstanding scholars from different disciplines cutting across arts, engineering, medicine and health sciences, science, and social sciences. 

Project overview

Start date: 1 October 2026 for 3.5 years (42 months)

The natural world contains an astounding variety of organisms well-suited to their environments. From the micron-scale cellular structure of lightweight bird bones to the gradated meter-scale structure of the most resilient trees, natural materials have evolved to solve a range of challenges exceedingly well. These challenges are present in engineering too, but we are not able yet to fully exploit the solutions offered by nature. This project seizes on this opportunity with a combination of high-resolution 3D scanning, machine learning and digital manufacturing. We will employ a generative deep-learning method developed by our team in a prior project, alongside additive manufacturing methods uniquely capable of reproducing the inner structure of natural materials. The primary goal of the project will be the acquisition of a high quality data set of 3D models of natural materials using X-ray CT, focussing first on bone tissue. This will be used to train a generative AI model to create new structures with tailorable internal topology and mechanical properties. Finally, the project will demonstrate the manufacturability of the new bone architectures via additive manufacturing.

Supervisors

• Professor Catrin Rutland - School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
• Dr Ian Maskery - Faculty of Engineering
• Professor Craig Sturrock - School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
• Professor Victoria James - School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
• Professor Ender Ozcan - School of Computer Science
  

Candidate requirements

Candidates should hold a degree in computer science or the physical sciences (minimum of a 2:1 bachelor's degree), have good programming skills (Python/C++) and would ideally have knowledge and/or experience of the use of AI in scientific research. 

Read our application guide for full guidance on residency, qualifications and English language requirements.

Funding and eligibility

This studentship is open to UK/home applicants only. 

Annual tax-free stipend based on the UKRI rate (£21,805 for 2026/27), home tuition fee, and a £3,000 p.a. Research Training Support Grant.  

How to apply

Application deadline: Sunday 19 April 2026. You must have completed and submitted your application to the NottinghamHub system by this date. 

Read our application guide for full guidance on how to apply. The application process has two steps.

Email Professor Catrin Rutland (School of Veterinary Medicine and Science) for further details and to arrange an interview.