PhD Studentship in Applied [R1.1] Mathematics for Formulated Products

A fully-funded 3.5-year PhD studentship (covering UK home student fees and an annual stipend of £21,805) is available in Applied Mathematics for Formulated Products. The PhD will be under the supervision of Professor Rosemary Dyson, in the School of Mathematics (in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences), and interface with the SUM4Products Network.

Background

The formulated product sector influences many aspects of everyday life- the sector is responsible for producing food and drink, personal-care products, cosmetics, washing and cleaning products, and medicines. Due to the wide scope of the sector, it contributes a staggering £142bn (GVA) to the UK economy each year.

There is a growing shift in the sector towards the rapid development of smarter, greener, and more personalised products.

This includes:

• Developing high-quality, nutritious, and sustainable foods that reduce fat and sugar use without compromising the flavour and texture profiles demanded by consumers.
• The rapid formulation of medicines, therapeutics, and foods to provide cost-effective and personalised products to different age/health groups
• Reformulation of existing products to incorporate new ingredients in response to regulatory changes or shortages, or to avoid degradation due to time in storage.

Despite their variety, companies across the sector face shared challenges in processing, engineering and performance. Mathematics is the key to unlocking innovation and addressing these complexities. They all require new, predictive models that can link the processing and microstructure of formulated products to their final function and performance.

About the research area and team

SUM4Products (Scale Up Mathematics for Formulated Products) is an EPSRC-funded UK network for advancing the use of mathematics in formulation engineering. The network aims to develop predictive modelling capabilities that will unlock innovation across the sector, collaborating directly with industry.

Our consortium includes collaborations with the University of Edinburgh, UCL and University of Bristol, and you will have the chance to work with researchers across our network at other UK universities. The PhD studentship would be co-located with the Network and receive the support of other network leads and opportunities to collaborate with industry partners. More information about the project and its aims: https://www.sum4products.co.uk/about

What you will do

Your degree programme will be the Applied Mathematics PhD. You will conduct mathematical modelling of formulated products, working with experimental data provided by industry partners. Examples of projects include examining fluid dynamics of thermal change, modelling taste release of chocolate, modelling sustainable beverage emulsions.

You will be part of a team working on diverse collaborative research opportunities with industry partners. Your final PhD project will likely have a cross-cutting theme, which will have multiple industry uses and applications. There may be a possibility of conducting a research internship with one of our industry partners.

You will have play a key role in researching new interdisciplinary methods for mathematical modelling in the formulation sector. You will gain experience working directly with industry on real-life challenges and made connections which will shape your future career.

Candidates should have a first-class master’s level degree (or equivalent) in Mathematics, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline at the time of taking up the position (Autumn 2026).

We strongly encourage an informal conversation with Professor Rosemary Dyson prior to submitting a formal application.

Please email r.j.dyson@bham.ac.uk (copying in sum4products@contacts.bham.ac.uk), including a short summary of your research interests and suitability for the position and a CV.

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