PhD in Environmental Testing

Location: Manchester/nThis 3.5-year PhD studentship is open to Home (UK) applicants. 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. The start date is October 2026./nThe project is jointly offered by the Zr Group and the Materials Performance Group at the University of Manchester - two vibrant, collaborative teams tackling real world challenges in nuclear materials./nYou will be based at the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, working closely with both academic teams and with our industrial partner Westinghouse Sweden, a global leader in nuclear fuel technology./nYour project will explore how and why coatings degrade using controlled autoclave testing and advanced materials characterisation, uncovering pathways to safer, more resilient nuclear fuels and components.