Aurpa Bhuiyan, who is currently doing her PhD under the supervision of Dr Pramod Koshy at MSE and Dr Yingjie Zhang at ANSTO, received her AINSE scholarship in June of 2022.
This prestigious scholarship supports PhD students undertaking research projects in partnership with ANSTO. Aurpa's project involves developing glass-ceramic materials containing different stable titanate ceramic phases such as pyrochlore and brannerite as a candidate host material for the immobilisation of radioactive wastes containing uranium and thorium. By incorporating various transition metals such as zirconium, niobium, and tin, Aurpa's project aims to increase the radiation tolerance of these glass-ceramic materials. Researching and subsequently developing these novel advanced materials to safely immobilise radioactive wastes will have significant benefits in overcoming current concerns related to nuclear waste disposal. So, congratulations, Aurpa Bhuiyan, for your exemplary achievement on receiving your scholarship and being an integral contributor for the future of nuclear technology.