PhD Studentship - Process Industries: Net Zero - Predictive Modelling of Powder Blending in Continuous Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Award Summary

100% fees (UK home only), a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £21,805 (2026/27 UKRI rate), and a research training support grant of £20,000.

Overview

Interested in using advanced simulation, AI-ready modelling and industrial data to accelerate pharmaceutical manufacturing and the delivery of life-saving medicines?

This industrially focused project, co-supervised by AstraZeneca and Newcastle University, will develop predictive models for pharmaceutical manufacturing and provide access to industrial data and high-performance computing facilities. You will gain expertise in particle simulation, experimental design, high-performance computing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and predictive modelling; preparing you for a career in pharmaceutical, digital manufacturing and data-driven engineering sectors.

Continuous Direct Compression (CDC) is rapidly emerging as a preferred method for pharmaceutical tablet production. A central challenge is powder blending, where active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) must be uniformly mixed with excipients to ensure precise, consistent dosage and product quality. You will develop predictive computational models, validated using experiments and industrial data, to transform how pharmaceutical blending processes are designed and scaled. The project combines simulation, high-performance computing and industrially relevant experimentation, providing a unique opportunity to gain expertise that is highly sought after across pharmaceutical and advanced manufacturing industries.

This project is part of the EPSRC CDT in Process Industries: Net Zero. The successful PhD student will be co-supervised by academics from the Process Intensification Group at Newcastle University.

Number Of Awards

1

Start Date

1 October 2026

Award Duration

4 years

Application Closing Date

22 July 2026 [The advert will close at midnight on 22 July 2026. Interviews will be conducted as applications are received and the position may be filled before the closing date.]

Sponsor

EPSRC

Supervisors

Dr Colin Hare (colin.hare@newcastle.ac.uk)

Eligibility Criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project (usually chemical engineering or chemistry, but please get in touch if you think your qualification may be relevant). Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements

This studentship is available to home students only.

How To Apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal. Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.

Identify your programme of study via ‘Course Search’

• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8856F
• Leave the 'Research Area' field blank
• Select ‘PhD in Process Industries; Net Zero (PINZ)' as the programme of study

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:  

• A ‘Personal Statement’ (this is mandatory) - upload a document or write a statement directly into the application form  
• The studentship code PINZ11-26 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field  
• Research Proposal’ - when asked how you are providing your research proposal, select ‘Write Proposal’, and enter the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a separate proposal.
• Upload your CV 

You must submit one application per studentship; you cannot apply for multiple studentships in one application.

Find out more about the Admissions Process and Timeline for applications for PINZ CDT studentships at Newcastle University.

Contact Details

pinz.cdt@ncl.ac.uk

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