PhD Studentship: Developing New Decision-Making Materials

Project Summary:
This is a fully funded 4-year PhD position with the aim of developing new materials that can make decisions about their own movement in response to stimuli. Many biological materials are capable of autonomously making decisions about how to move in response to changes in the environment, e.g. plants turn to follow the sun over a day to maximise photosynthesis. We aim to introduce decision making into artificial materials for applications in areas such as soft robotics and MedTech. This project is supported by a European Research Council Starting Grant awarded to Dr. Oliver Maguire.

Training and Mentoring:
You will learn a multidisciplinary set of practical skills including reaction kinetics, enzymatic chemistry, analytical techniques (e.g. NMR / fluorescence / UVVis spectroscopy and HPLC), organic synthesis, electrochemistry, hydrogel soft matter and modelling. You will be mentored by Dr. Maguire and will learn how to design and manage projects, how to conduct research, how to give impactful presentations, how to write scientific papers and how to effectively collaborate with others to deliver ambitious goals. The generous support of the European Research Council you will attend international and national conferences to present your work and network with other scientists from across the globe. At the end of your PhD, you will be an accomplished and highly-capable scientist and ready to confidently take the next step forward in your career, be that in academia, industry or the public sector.

Who we are looking for:
We are looking for candidates who are passionate about chemistry and in developing their skills. Candidates should have or expect to receive a first or upper second (2.1) Master's degree (or equivalent) in chemistry or a related discipline. A successful applicant will have an independent and diligent work ethic with a keen interest in the project. Familiarity with areas such as reaction kinetics, enzyme/protein chemistry, electrochemistry, hydrogels and organic synthesis would be an advantage (note, you are not expected to be familiar with all areas).

The Maguire Research Group (Maguire-Research-Group.com):
We work in the field of Systems Chemistry and we construct life-like systems from the bottom-up. We aim to enrich artificial materials with new life-like behaviour. We are based in the School of Chemistry’s new Molecular Sciences Building at the University of Birmingham. The School is a vibrant community of researchers whose interests span a range of chemical disciplines.

Application process:
Interested candidates can contact Dr. Maguire (o.r.maguire@bham.ac.uk) for informal enquires at o.r.maguire@bham.ac.uk. Please include a CV and a covering letter outlining your research interests in your application. There is no closing date but please apply ASAP as the position will be filled when the right candidate is found. The School of Chemistry is keen to achieve a gender and diversity balance across the School and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. The School holds an Athena SWAN Bronze Award, which recognises its work in promoting women’s careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and medicine in higher education.

Funding notes:
Fully funded for 4-years and includes a tax-free annual stipend at UKRI level and includes a budget for conference attendance. Due to funding restrictions, only those with UK home status may apply.

References:
[1] Ghosh, Huck et al. Chem. Rev. 2024, 124, 2553.
[2] ter Harmsel, Maguire, Huck, Harutyunyan et al. Nature 2023, 621, 87.
[3] Maguire, Huck et al. Chem. Commun. 2020, 56, 3725.
[4] Ashkenasy et al. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2017, 46, 2543.

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