10+ fully funded 4-year PhD Studentships at the Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital and Automated Materials Chemistry

The global need for researchers with capabilities in materials chemistry, digital intelligence and automation is intensifying because of the growing challenge posed by Net Zero and the need for high-performance materials across multiple sectors. The disruptive nature of recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and emerging quantum computing offers timely and exciting opportunities for PhD graduates with these skills to make a transformative impact on both R&D and society more broadly. 

The University of Liverpool EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital and Automated Materials Chemistry is offering multiple studentships for candidates from backgrounds spanning the physical and computer sciences. These students will develop core expertise in robotic, digital, chemical and physical thinking, which they will apply in their domain-specific research in materials design, discovery and processing. By working with each other and benefiting from a tailored training programme they will become both leaders and fully participating team players, aware of the best practices in inclusive and diverse R&D environments. 

This training is based on our decade-long development of shared language and student supervision between the physical, engineering and computer sciences, and takes place in the Materials Innovation Factory, the largest industry-academia colocation in UK physical science. The training content has been co-developed with 35 industrial partners and is designed to generate flexible, employable, enterprising researchers who can communicate across domains. 

We seek motivated and enthusiastic applicants for 48-month PhD studentships in 10+ cross-disciplinary research projects starting from October 2026.

• Automated Virtual and Physical Screening of Molecules for Application in Optoelectronics Devices
• Autonomous, On-Demand Manufacture of Polymer Nanomaterials in Continuous-Flow
• A Fast Validation of the Symmetry Principle for Molecular Synthesisability
• Crystal Structure Generation by Constrained Combinatorial Sampling
• Digital Exploration of Sulfur-Polymer Development
• Discovering New Materials in the Laboratory with Automated Reasoning and Explainable AI
• Introducing Temperature and Disorder into Digital Materials Discovery Workflows
• Molecular Modelling and Data-Driven Discovery of Sustainable Home-Care Products
• Real Time Mixing Control in Flow Chemistry
• Putting a (Better) Brain in the Mobile Robotic Chemist
• Discovering CO₂-capture materials using robots and ‘Hive Mind’ hybrid intelligence 

More opportunities will be available later. Visit our website for updates on available opportunities.

Application Process 

Applicants are advised to review our CDT guide on “How to Apply” carefully and apply as soon as possible no later than the application deadline stated on our website for each studentship. Studentship positions will remain open until a suitable candidate has been found.

Applicant Eligibility 

Applicants will have, or be due to obtain, a Master’s Degree or equivalent in Chemistry, Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related disciplines. Exceptional candidates with a First Class undergraduate degree or equivalent in an appropriate field will also be considered.

The minimum English Language requirements for international candidates is IELTS 6.5 overall (with no band below 5.5) or equivalent. Find out more about English language requirements.

Funding 

The EPSRC DAMC CDT Studentship will cover full home tuition fees and a maintenance grant for 4 years starting at the UKRI minimum (for the 2025-26 academic year this was £5,006 pa tuition fees and £20,780 pa maintenance grant; rates for 2026-27 academic year TBC). The Studentship also comes with a Research Training Support Grant to fund consumables, conference attendance, etc.

Studentships are available to any prospective student wishing to apply including both home and international students. While EPSRC funding will not cover international fees, a limited number of scholarships to meet the fee difference will be available to support outstanding international students.

If you have a disability you may be entitled to a Disabled Students’ Allowance on top of your studentship to help cover the costs of any additional support that a person studying for a doctorate might need as a result.