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PhD opportunities: Chemical Physics

Compare 11 doctoral research opportunities connected with Chemical Physics, including project summaries, funding and application deadlines.

Chemical Physics

PhD - EPSRC - Topological and Other Types of Photonics Devices for Sensing, Modulation and Other Applications

The University of Manchester

About the Project Topological or meta-structured surfaces are known to achieve remarkable sensing and resonances such as super-blackbody, extraordinary point and bound in continuum. However their material to light interaction and material to light to other types of molecules are not well understood.

Location
Manchester, United Kingdom
Deadline
31 January 2027
Funding
UK Students; £21,805 - please see advert

Chemical Physics

CFD Study of Fires in Mechanically Ventilated Nuclear Compartments

Kingston University

About the Project Fire remains a major risk in nuclear power plants (NPPs). Fire safety research therefore plays an important role in developing fire simulation tools for risk assessments in nuclear facilities. Most of the fire research literature is mainly concerned with (1) under-ventilated compartment fires (typical of normal houses and buildings where the availability of air controls the fire dynamics) and (2) well-ventilated fires found in outdoor accidental scenarios.

Location
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Chemical Physics

Computational Physics PhD: Switchable 2D Metal-Organic Frameworks for Quantum Technologies

University College Dublin

About the Project 4-year PhD Position in Computational Quantum Materials Research - January 2027 Start Are you interested in using state-of-the-art computational methods to design next-generation quantum materials at the atomic scale? Applications are invited for a fully funded 4-year PhD position in the School of Physics at University College Dublin (UCD), within the Computational Materials Research group led by Asst. Prof. Nuala Caffrey.

Location
Dublin, Ireland, Ireland
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

Chemical Physics

Extreme Conditions Chemistry of Lanthanide and Actinide Metals and Oxides

University of Edinburgh

About the Project About the Project Lanthanide and actinide materials play a central role in nuclear science and technology, underpinning nuclear fuels, structural materials, and long-term waste forms. Their oxides and hydrides are particularly important, controlling fuel performance, hydrogen uptake, and chemical stability under extreme conditions.

Location
Edinburgh, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

Chemical Physics

How can DNA condensate despite its negative charge? Implications in genome regulation, antibiotic resistance and gene therapy

University of York

About the Project DNA molecules, being highly negatively charged, naturally repel each other. However, in the presence of multivalent ions or specific proteins, they can overcome this repulsion and condense into compact structures. Remarkably, DNA strands with similar (homologous) sequences tend to aggregate even more strongly — a phenomenon whose molecular basis remains poorly understood.

Location
York, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Chemical Physics

ML-Accelerated Excited-State Simulations of Perovskite Optoelectronics

University of Birmingham

About the Project Halide perovskites are a fascinating class of materials with a wide range of applications in (spin)optoelectronics. Their outstanding optoelectronic properties are strongly influenced by coupling between excited electronic states and the wildly vibrating atoms in these “soft semiconductors”.

Location
Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Chemical Physics

Molecular Dynamic Simulation for modelling the corrosion inhibition mechanisms of film forming amine

The University of Manchester

About the Project FFA (Film Forming Amines) have been used for decades as corrosion inhibitors in water/steam circuits. More recently, they have also raised the interest of nuclear utilities mostly for corrosion protection of the secondary circuit components.[1] FFA are molecules with a hydrophobic tail (carbon chain) and a hydrophilic head (usually a NH2 group).

Location
Manchester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Chemical Physics

Molecular Quantum Dynamics of Isomerising molecules

University of Aberdeen

About the Project These projects are open to students worldwide, but have no funding attached. Therefore, the successful applicant will be expected to fund tuition fees at the relevant level (home or international) and any applicable additional research costs. Please consider this before applying.

Location
Aberdeen, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Chemical Physics

Novel photonic sensing for marine environment monitoring

University of Strathclyde

About the Project Light is a key driver for several fundamentally important processes in the ocean including ocean warming, photosynthesis and animal behavior. Together, these processes play vital roles in establishing the contribution of the ocean to climate change and how ocean biology will respond to a warming planet. The oceans present an extremely harsh environment that limits our ability to adequately monitor these processes.

Location
Glasgow, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Chemical Physics

SHARP-ID – Shape and Rigidity Profiling via Density-Induced Banding of Red Blood Cells

University of Bristol

About the Project SHARP-ID – Shape and Rigidity Profiling via Density-Induced Banding of Red Blood Cells Research Project Centrifugation of Red Blood Cells (RBCs) in continuous density gradient has recently been suggested for detecting pathological alterations [1]. Interestingly, band patterns form along the gradient. This project builds on recent findings showing these patterns result from a balance between buoyancy and aggregation forces [2].

Location
Bristol, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Chemical Physics

Use and development of time-resolved direct electron detectors for imaging and spectroscopy of functional materials

University of Glasgow

About the Project Start date: 01/10/2026 Are you interested in materials physics, data science, or computational physics? Could a PhD working with next-generation cutting edge detectors for electron microscopy be for you? If so, please read on! Over the past decade, new electron detectors have revolutionised transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Such detectors offer higher speed and sensitivity with noise-less readout.

Location
Glasgow, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)