10+ PhD Studentships available in Digital and Automated Materials Chemistry

10+ PhD Studentships available in Digital and Automated Materials Chemistry

The global need for researchers with capabilities in materials chemistry, digital intelligence and automation is intensifying because of the growing challenge posed by Net Zero and the need for high-performance materials across multiple sectors. The disruptive nature of recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and emerging quantum computing offers timely and exciting opportunities for PhD graduates with these skills to make a transformative impact on both R&D and society more broadly.

The University of Liverpool EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital and Automated Materials Chemistry is therefore offering multiple studentships for students from backgrounds spanning the physical and computer sciences to start in October 2025. These students will develop core expertise in robotic, digital, chemical and physical thinking, which they will apply in their domain-specific research in materials design, discovery and processing. By working with each other and benefiting from a tailored training programme they will become both leaders and fully participating team players, aware of the best practices in inclusive and diverse R&D environments.

This training is based on our decade-long development of shared language and student supervision between the physical, engineering and computer sciences, and takes place in the Materials Innovation Factory (MIF), the largest industry-academia colocation in UK physical science. The training content has been co-developed with 35 industrial partners and is designed to generate flexible, employable, enterprising researchers who can communicate across domains.

We therefore seek motivated and enthusiastic applicants for 48-month PhD studentships in 10+ research projects. Links to full project information and contact details are available on our website.

• Computational Identification of Catalytic Covalent Organic Frameworks.
• Digital Discovery of Polymeric Materials. Digital Exploration and Structural Modelling of Hybrid Glass Formers.
• Digitally led Discovery of Solid Electrolyte Materials for Net Zero Applications.
• Explaining Structure-Property Relations in the Materials Space.
• Guaranteed Structure Prediction with Machine Learning.
• High-Throughput First-Principle Simulations of Charge Transport in Organic Semiconductors.
• Optimisation Algorithms for Flow Chemistry. Polarised Rheo-Microscopy and Dynamic Coarse-Grained Modelling of Hydrogels R3L4AMD.
• Machine Learning for Material Performance Predictions Across Climates.

Application Process

Applicants are advised to apply as soon as possible no later than 17 February 2025. The CDT will hold two rounds of applications assessment:

• Assessment Round 1: for all applications received between 11 December 2024 – 15 January 2025.
• Assessment Round 2: for all applications received between 16 January 2025 – 17 February 2025.

Applicants who wish to be considered in Assessment Round 1 must apply by 15 January 2025.

Projects will be closed when suitable candidates have been identified (this could be before the 17 February 2025 deadline).

Applicant Eligibility

Applicants will have, or be due to obtain, a Master’s Degree or equivalent related to Physical Science, Engineering or Computational Science. Exceptional applicants with a First-Class Bachelor’s Degree in an appropriate field will also be considered.

Funding

The EPSRC funded Studentship will cover full tuition fees of £4,786 pa. and pay a maintenance grant for 4 years, starting at the UKRI minimum of £19,237 pa. for academic year 2024-2025 (rates for 2025-2026 TBC). The Studentship also comes with a Research Training Support Grant to fund consumables, conference attendance, etc.

EPSRC Studentships are available to any prospective student wishing to apply including both home and international students. While EPSRC funding will not cover international fees, a limited number of scholarships to meet the fee difference will be available to support outstanding international students.