Applicants should have undergraduate GPA > 3.6 in Chemical Engineering or a closely related field. Direct entry to the Ph.D. will be considered for applicants with undergraduate GPA > 3.8 in Chemical Engineering. Applicants who are eligible for and have applied for NSERC graduate scholarships are especially encouraged to apply. CV and personal statement of interest to reghandothill@mcgcilldotca.

EXTERNAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POST-DOCS

Please pay careful attention to internal deadlines and any GPA requirements.

NSERC Postgraduate programs (Masters, Ph.D. and post-doctoral)

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program (Note, the internal McGill deadline is typically in May or June)

Richard H. Tomlinson Fellowships

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Quebec Merit Scholarship

Departmental Entrance Awards for Canadian citizens

International students

NANOPARTICLE INTERACTIONS WITH SWOLLEN POLYMER NETWORKS (awarded 2020-2025) “Hydrogels are soft polymer networks that take on striking amounts of water, making them highly porous to molecules—similarly to liquid water—but with solid­ like mechanical properties. They are used in a vast range of domestic and industrial applications, including food, cosmetics, medicine, agriculture, and enhanced oil recovery. While hydrogel properties are often tailored to specific applications via polymer chemistry, another approach is to modify the microstructure using nanoparticles, thus forming “hydrogel­ nano­composites”. The motivation may be to reduce costs, particularly for large­ scale industrial applications, or to achieve very specific properties for niche applications. However, nanoparticle doping brings with it a plethora of new practical and fundamental scientific challenges. These arise from the complicated and poorly understood manner in which nanoparticles interact with cross-­linked polymer networks. The proposed research seeks to address several fundamental scientific challenges—using theoretical, computational, and experimental methodologies—that also address important industrial and societal questions arising from nanoparticle use in hydrogel technologies. The research will be structured in synthesis, characterization and performance themes by integrating (i) experimental model systems, (ii) novel applications of elactro­acoustic, dielectric and rheological spectroscopy, (iii) particle­ scale simulations, and (iv) continuum­scale theory. The program will support Canada’s advanced materials and bio­technology industries, provide scientific input on nanoparticle release and safety, and train young engineers for industrial and academic leadership.”

DYNAMIC AND STATIC LIGHT­ SCATTERING GONIOMETER FOR SOFT NANO-COMPOSITES (awarded 2020) `` […] a state­ of ­the ­art dynamic­ and static light­ scattering goniometer for studying soft condensed matter, particularly polymer solutions, colloidal dispersions, nano­emulsions, and hydrogels. The instrument detects the light scattered from these materials, furnishing fundamental quantitative measures of their nano­scale dynamics and structure. These data will be used to (i) test synthetic protocols, providing the size of polymers and nanoparticles in solution; (ii) assess material performance and function, such as the degree to which nanoparticle motion in influenced by polymer networks; (iii) test theories of material performance; (iv) interpret novel diagnostic tools for nanomaterials research, including the application of electroacoustic spectroscopy and dielectric spectroscopy for hydrogel nanocomposites and nanoemulsions. The instrument will be the first of its kind in Canada, directly supporting a research program that is developing hydrogel­ nanocomposites for Canada’s advanced ­materials sector, including health, environmental, and energy applications. Training of highly­ qualified ­personnel will bring expertise in nanoscience and state ­of­ the ­art light ­scattering technology to Canada’s industrial and academic research laboratories. Fundamental knowledge on the dynamics of nanoparticles in hydrogels will also provide scientific guidance for industrial and governmental regulatory bodies on nanoparticle release and toxicity.”