Durham University Postdoc in Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage 2026: Salary and How to Apply

Durham University is hiring a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage. This Durham University postdoc job pays £39,560 to £46,970 a year (Grade 7), is full time and fixed term, starts as soon as possible and ends on 31 March 2028. The closing date is 17 November 2026. The post-holder reports to Professor Tony Roskilly and works on research funded by the UK Clean Maritime Research Hub, with support from the Department for Transport and EPSRC.

The project is policy-focused: it looks at the life cycle greenhouse gas intensity of marine fuels. Durham welcomes applicants with experience in onboard carbon capture and storage, life cycle assessment, carbon accounting and the circular economy. This guide covers the role, the funding behind it, the salary, the visa question, and how to write an application for a project-based postdoc like this one.

Durham University carbon capture postdoc at a glance

What the UK Clean Maritime Research Hub is

The UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub (UK-MaRes Hub) was announced on 14 September 2023 during London International Shipping Week. Durham’s news release from that day gives the basics:

• Total value of £21.3 million: £7.4 million from EPSRC and the Department for Transport, plus £13.9 million in cash and in-kind match funding from partners.
• Led by Durham, with twelve other universities: Aston, Birmingham, Brighton, City, Cranfield, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Solent, St Andrews and Ulster.
• More than 70 industrial, civic and international partners, including shipping companies, ports, fuel producers and equipment suppliers.
• Research themes covering sustainable marine fuels, low-carbon power and propulsion, port decarbonisation and vessel efficiency.

The hub also has a Clean Maritime Policy Unit for advice and briefings to government. That explains the wording of this advert: the job is producing evidence on fuel emissions for policy makers.

What the postdoc does

The advert describes the work this way:

• Supporting policy-driven research on the life cycle greenhouse gas intensity of marine fuels.
• Completing assigned tasks on time, within budget and in line with project objectives.
• Working closely with the project team to deliver research outputs.
• Developing your own ideas and research protocols within the project.

Durham is clear that this is not an independent research post. The project is led by another colleague and you help deliver it. You still contribute ideas, and that is the kind of postdoc where you can learn a lot quickly, because the questions and the policy audience are already set.

Who you would work with

Professor Tony Roskilly is Chair of Energy Systems in Durham’s Department of Engineering. His staff profile lists work on hydrogen energy systems, thermal energy storage, industrial carbon capture and energy systems integration. Durham’s 2023 announcement named him as the lead of the Clean Maritime Hub, and he previously held the Chair of Marine Engineering at Newcastle University. The advert itself does not name the department, but his profile places him in Engineering.

Requirements

The THE listing does not publish the essential and desirable criteria. Durham usually attaches a full person specification to the advert on its own careers site, so read that before you write anything. From the listing, the experience Durham wants is:

• Onboard carbon capture and storage.
• Life cycle assessment (LCA).
• Carbon accounting.
• Circular economy.

A PhD (or one near completion) is the normal entry point for a Grade 7 postdoctoral research associate in the UK, but confirm the exact wording in Durham’s person specification.

Which background fits best

You do not need all four areas. An LCA specialist who has modelled fuel pathways, or a chemical engineer who has worked on carbon capture systems and can do emissions accounting, both fit. If your LCA work is in another sector, such as buildings or aviation, show the method transfers to marine fuels. “Well-to-wake” emissions, the full fuel cycle from production to use on the ship, is the concept the project is built on.

Salary and what it means in practice

Unlike many listings, this one states the pay: £39,560 to £46,970 a year on Durham’s Grade 7. New postdocs usually start at or near the bottom of the grade and move up through annual increments. If you have several years of postdoctoral experience, you can ask for a higher starting point.

Durham is a small city, and living costs there are lower than in London or the big southern cities. Rent is still the largest cost, so look at private rentals early if you are moving from abroad.

Visa sponsorship

The THE listing does not say whether Durham will sponsor a visa for this post. If you are not a UK or Irish citizen and do not already have the right to work in the UK, you would normally need a Skilled Worker visa sponsored by the employer. Check Durham’s own advert for a sponsorship statement, and if there is none, ask HR before you apply. Remember the timing: the contract ends on 31 March 2028, so a slow visa process eats into a short post.

How to apply for the Durham University postdoc job

1. Open the advert: use “Apply on website” on the Times Higher Education listing, which takes you to Durham’s careers site.
2. Read the job pack: download the person specification and note every essential criterion.
3. Write your CV: put LCA, carbon accounting and carbon capture work at the top, with publications and any software (for example openLCA or SimaPro) you have used.
4. Write the covering letter or supporting statement: answer each criterion with evidence.
5. Add referees: usually two or three, including your PhD supervisor or a recent line manager.
6. Submit by 17 November 2026: the listing’s metadata shows 23:59, but check the exact time on Durham’s site.

About Durham University

Durham is a collegiate university in the north-east of England and a member of the Russell Group. Its recent positions:

For a postdoc, the more useful fact is that Durham leads a national research hub. You would be working with 13 universities and dozens of industry partners, which is a good network to build for a later fellowship.

How to write the application

The supporting statement

Go criterion by criterion, in the order of the person specification. For each one, give a specific example and its result. A clear structure:

1. Opening: your PhD topic and why this project fits.
2. Technical criteria: LCA, carbon capture, carbon accounting, with real projects.
3. Delivery: evidence that you finish work on time, since the advert stresses deadlines and budgets.
4. Policy: any work for government, regulators or industry bodies.
5. Teamwork and ideas: how you have added ideas to a project someone else led.

A sample opening, for illustration only: “My PhD built a well-to-wake life cycle model for ammonia and methanol in short-sea shipping, and I would like to apply that work to onboard carbon capture in the Clean Maritime Research Hub.”

Your CV

Keep it to two or three pages. List publications, conference talks, tools and datasets. If you have written a policy brief or responded to a consultation, add it, because this project feeds into policy.

What the selection process looks like

Durham shortlists against the essential criteria first. If you are shortlisted, expect an interview with a panel that will likely include Professor Roskilly, sometimes with a short presentation on a topic set in advance. Interviews for UK postdocs are often held online for overseas candidates. Because the start date is “as soon as possible”, the process may move quickly after 17 November.

What comes after March 2028

A contract of about 16 months is short, so plan your next step from the first week. The hub’s 2023 announcement lists a Responsive Research Fund for early career researchers, which is worth asking about once you are in post. A postdoc that produces a published life cycle study on marine fuels, and puts your name in front of government and industry partners, is good preparation for UK fellowship schemes or an industry role in shipping decarbonisation. Ask at interview whether the team expects further funding beyond 2028 and how past postdocs on the hub have moved on.

Common mistakes

• Writing a general letter that doesn’t address each criterion in the person specification.
• Presenting yourself as an independent researcher with your own agenda. The post supports a project led by someone else.
• Ignoring the policy angle. The project is about evidence for policy on marine fuels.
• Leaving out the methods and tools you used for LCA or carbon accounting.
• Not checking visa sponsorship before applying.

Who should apply and who shouldn’t

Apply if you have (or are about to have) a PhD with work in life cycle assessment, carbon accounting, carbon capture or circular economy, and you would like to work on shipping decarbonisation with a policy focus. Early-career researchers who want a strong network for later fellowships will get a lot from this hub.

I would not apply if you want full research independence, or if you only want to do experimental lab work on capture materials. This post is about life cycle emissions and policy evidence.

Similar postdoc and research jobs to compare

If you are still before your PhD and want to study in the UK, our guide to the Chevening Scholarship covers the UK government’s master’s award.

Durham carbon capture postdoc: FAQs

What is the salary for the Durham carbon capture postdoc?

£39,560 to £46,970 a year on Grade 7, full time.

When is the deadline for the Durham University postdoc?

The closing date is 17 November 2026. Check the exact closing time on Durham’s careers site.

Does Durham University sponsor visas for this postdoc?

The THE listing does not say. Check Durham’s own advert or ask HR before you apply, since non-UK applicants usually need a Skilled Worker visa.

How long is the Durham onboard carbon capture postdoc contract?

It starts as soon as possible and ends on 31 March 2028.

Sources and updates

Checked on 29 October 2026 against the Times Higher Education Unijobs listing (job 416967) and the same advert on Inside Higher Ed, Durham University’s news release Durham to lead new £21.3m research hub to decarbonise UK maritime sector (14 September 2023), Professor Tony Roskilly’s staff profile, Durham’s QS World University Rankings 2027 news (18 June 2026) and its league tables page. We will update this page if Durham changes the closing date.

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