Based at the School of Chemistry, our alternative to the traditional PhD offers a unique training period designed to strengthen your research techniques and introduce new technologies and digital methods for Chemical Synthesis through lab rotations. You will benefit from developing a range of transferable skills (including presentation, teamwork and problem-solving) and broader professional skills to enhance your employability.

After successfully completing the training element, you will embark on a research project related to Chemical Synthesis. During this time, your scientific development will continue to be enhanced by entrepreneurship training and further professional and academic courses provided by our industrial partners. As a result, you will end your PhD as a well-rounded candidate for careers in both industry and academia.

We are seeking applications from students with interests covering the whole breadth of the synthetic chemistry spectrum. We encourage applications from students who would like to carry out research in areas including:

Chemical synthesis of bioactive molecules

Sustainable catalysis and biocatalysis

Synthetic methodology and mechanism

Computational modelling and analysis

Experimental and theoretical photochemistry

Synthetic organic electrochemistry

Designer ligands for catalysis

Biological chemistry and synthetic biology

Inorganic and materials chemistry

Supramolecular & systems chemistry

Modern reactor technology: automation and high throughput experimentation

Synthetic materials chemistry

Spectroscopy: structure elucidation and reaction dynamics.

Applications are welcomed from students with or expecting to gain a first or upper-second class honours MSci/MChem (or equivalent).