I am a polymer chemist by qualification and materials scientist by training. My research activities span the disciplines of Biorefining, Biomaterials, Green Chemistry, Composites, Manufacturing, Nanomaterials, Polymers, and all aspects of Advanced and Sustainable Materials. 

My group's current research efforts focus on the design, synthesis, characterization and applications of monomers/ polymers from biorenewable resources; biomaterials;  environmental remediation; utilization of waste materials; biofuels and biobased products; recycling; smart materials;  functional surface coatings; polymer aerogel/hydrogel, photocatalysis, sensing, nanotechnology and nanomaterials.

My roles are:

• Lead the Biorefining and Advanced Materials Research Centre  
• Lead research into biorefining, sustainable and advanced materials to understand how the synthesis, composition and macromolecular design affects the overall properties with an eye towards engineering effective and affordable next-generation materials for agriculture, biomedical, automotive and aerospace towards a sustainable bioeconomy.
• Supervision of staff, students and visitors; teaching and external examinations
• Expert committee member for external bodies

Currently Co-Supervising Seven PhD students at Cranfield University where I was a faculty member before joining SRUC  https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/people/dr-vijay-kumar-thakur-15369067

Visiting Researchers, Postdocs, PhD and Master Students with Self Funding/ Funding from their Home Countries are most welcome to join our vibrant multicultural research team @SRUC. We particularly welcome hardworking; independent;  self-motivated, and team players who enjoy hands-on experimental work with excellent analytical, communication, learning and writing skills.

Fellowship Opportunities :

I am always open to support strong candidates for various Fellowships. Information about some of the appropriate fellowships, the application procedure and closing dates, can be found via the following links:

BBSRC Fellowships: https://bbsrc.ukri.org/skills/leadership/how-fellowships/
EPSRC Fellowships: https://epsrc.ukri.org/skills/fellows/
Ernest Rutherford Fellowships: https://stfc.ukri.org/funding/fellowships/ernest-rutherford-fellowship/
Marie Curie Fellowships: https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/
NERC Fellowships: https://nerc.ukri.org/funding/available/fellowships/
Newton International Fellowships: https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/newton-international/
Royal Society University Research Fellowships: https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/university-research/
Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships: https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/dorothy-hodgkin-fellowship/
Royal Academy of Engineering Fellowships: https://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-prizes/grants/support-for-research/raeng-research-fellowship
STFC Fellowships: https://stfc.ukri.org/funding/fellowships/
Scottish Enterprise/Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) Enterprise Fellowships: https://www.rse.org.uk/awards/enterprise-fellowships/
The Leverhulme Trust Fellowships: https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/research-fellowships

Current:

2020-2024: EPSRC (EP/T024607/1) “Intelligent engineering coatings for in-manufacture and in-service monitoring of critical safety products (CoatIN)” (Co-I)

2019-2021: Royal Academy of Engineering (IAPP18-19\295) “Indo-UK led Curriculum Development Through Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing for the Future (Co-I)

2018-2021: UKIERI (DST/INT/UK/P-164/2017) “4D Micro- Stereolithography Printing of Scaffolds using Plant Oil Polymers and Graphene for Various Functional Biomedical Applications” (Co-I)

Previously held positions as:

Research Lecturer @ School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, UK

Staff Scientist @ School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, USA 

Research Scientist, Temasek Laboratories @ NTU, Research Techno Plaza, Nanyang Technological University – Singapore

Postdoctoral Research Associate @ Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Iowa State University, USA

Visiting Research Fellow @ Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering - LHU – Taiwan

Editorship and Editorial Board (Selected Only)

Editor (Book Series): Materials Horizons: From Nature to Nanomaterials (Springer)

Editorial Advisory Board:  Industrial Crops and Products