PhD Studentship: Experimental Particle Physics

Application deadline: 31/01/2026
Research theme: Experimental Particle Physics

UK and overseas

This 3.5-year PhD studentship is open to Home (UK) and overseas students. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26; subject to annual uplift), and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year. 

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

The Experimental Particle Physics group at the University of Manchester is looking for excellent applicants to fill prestigious PhD positions in Experimental Particle Physics (https://www.hep.manchester.ac.uk/study/ ).

Our group (https://www.hep.manchester.ac.uk/) is one of the largest research groups in the UK with over 100 members, composed of both world-leading experimental and theory research groups.

Our experimental research takes place within large international collaborations and spans the energy frontier (ATLAS, FCC), quark flavour (LHCb, BES-III), lepton flavour (g-2, Mu2e), neutrino physics (DUNE, MicroBooNE, SBND, SuperNEMO, FASER) and the dark sector (Darkside-50, Darkside-20k, FASER). We also carry out research into new detector technologies and new data acquisition strategies for future experiments. We host one of the largest and most successful Tier-2 distributed computing centres in the UK.

We are accepting applications for various fully-funded PhD studentship schemes. Further details about each PhD scholarship can be found at https://www.hep.manchester.ac.uk/study/. Candidates who are eligible for multiple schemes do not need to submit separate applications for each: it is however useful to indicate in your application the schemes you believe you are eligible to apply for.

Most studentships are expected to start in October 2025 but options for early or delayed start are possible, subject to available funding.

Studentships cover tuition fees plus a tax-free yearly stipend to cover living expenses. All students will be provided with all necessary resources to do their research, including a laptop, access to our local distributed computing facilities, a dedicated training programme, and a supervisory team. Most students will have the opportunity to spend around one year fully-funded at the experimental site (e.g. CERN, Fermilab). In addition, a separate Research Training Support Grant will be awarded for travel and subsistence to attend conferences, summer schools, and working meetings throughout the PhD programme.

We run a competitive selection process in two steps, first evaluating candidates based on CV and research/professional experience, followed by interviews with a gender mixed panel. The minimum requirement for application is a strong 2:1 class UK Masters honours degree or equivalent. Substantial professional or research experience is advantageous.

To apply, please contact Dr Elena Gramellini - elena.gramellini@manchester.ac.uk. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

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