PhD Studentship: Including Environmental Effects in Simulation of Actinide X-ray Spectroscopy

Application deadline: 06/03/2026
Research theme: Computational Chemistry

UK only

This 3.5 year PhD project is fully funded and home students, and EU students with settled status, are eligible to apply. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26) and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year. The start date is October 2026.

We recommend that you apply early as the advert may be removed before the deadline.

Nuclear energy delivers reliable, carbon-free energy and in recent years, the UK Government has committed to nuclear both for energy security and net zero drivers. Critical challenges in the nuclear fuel cycle remain, in particular in managing nuclear waste (cost over £120bn), including complex decommissioning and disposal challenges which require fundamental, environmental radiochemistry research. X-ray spectroscopy is a highly sensitive technique for studying materials, solution-phase chemistry, and the electronic structure of complexes, all of which are key areas for progress in the nuclear fuel cycle. Interpreting actinide X-ray spectra, however, is extremely challenging due to presence of multiplet and spin-orbit effects, and is further complicated by environmental effects, such as those present in contaminated water and land. This PhD studentship, developed in collaboration with X-ray spectroscopists and environmental radiochemists, will implement advanced computational models of environmental speciation with correlated quantum chemistry methods for i) solid-state materials and ii) solution phase speciation of actinides. By directly comparing simulations with spectra of environmental samples, this project will reveal insight to actinide behaviour under conditions relevant to the nuclear fuel cycle and establish a new, integrated framework with experimentalists to advance understanding of actinide environmental chemistry.

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.

To apply, please contact the main supervisor, Dr Meagan Oakley - meagan.oakley@manchester.ac.uk. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience in CV format and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

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