PhD Studentship in Polymer Chemistry: Design and Synthesis of Novel Polymers for the Additive Manufacturing of Biomedical Devices

Project Overview

This [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] funded studentship targets the discovery of dynamic biocompatible supramolecular polymer networks for deposition via additive manufacturing techniques to create new biomedical devices. The project will provide excellent training in the field of polymeric materials – it will involve organic and polymer synthesis, characterisation of the new materials (using techniques such as NMR, IR, UV spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis (DSC, TGA) in the University’s Chemical Analysis Facility) plus GPC analysis (available in the Hayes group research laboratory) in addition to physical assessment of the polymeric materials via rheology and tensiometry (these instruments are available in the Hayes research laboratory). The project will involve collaboration with research groups from the Centre for Additive Manufacturing and the School of Pharmacy at the [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] to study the 3D printing of the novel supramolecular polymers and their biocompatibility. In addition to gaining invaluable scientific technical skills, this project will also develop the ability of the postgraduate student to conduct independent research by providing training on the use of databases (such as Web of Knowledge, Scifinder Scholar, Reaxsys), presentation skills and writing reports.

Eligibility

• Applicants should hold or expect to gain a minimum of a 2:1 bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Chemistry or Chemistry-related subject
• Due to restrictions on the funding this studentship is open to UK applicants.

Funding Details

• Starts 1st October 2026
• 3-year award
• Funding covers full tuition fees plus UKRI stipend (£21,805 for 2026/27)

How to Apply

To apply click the 'Apply' button and create your account and use the link sent by email to start the application process. During the application process please select PhD in Chemistry (or PhD in Polymer Chemistry).

Important notes:

• Please quote the reference ‘DRC26-039’ in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box which appears within the Funding Section of your on-line application.
• When you are prompted by the online application system to upload a research proposal, please omit this step as the project is already defined.

Further Enquiries

For further details please contact [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]