Nuclear power is a central part of the UK’s plans for energy security and net zero, but the legacy of the nuclear fuel cycle remains a major challenge, with waste management alone estimated to cost over £120bn. Decommissioning, waste treatment and disposal all rely on understanding the chemical form of actinides in solution and in the environment. Oxidation state and coordination environment determine how these elements behave in the environment, and the ability to characterise actinide species with high accuracy has become increasingly important.
X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies are highly sensitive to oxidation state, local structure and bonding. Actinide spectra are notoriously difficult to interpret due to strong multiplet and spin-orbit effects, leading to a rich spectrum. In solution the picture is further complicated by solvent, counter-ions and coordinating ligands. Multiconfigurational relativistic methods can treat these effects explicitly, and they are now the state of the art for simulating X-ray spectra of heavy elements.
In this project, the student will develop and apply multiconfigurational approaches to study actinide speciation in solution. A key part of the work will be accounting for the effects of the solution environment, combining a range of computational techniques with high-level electronic structure methods. The resulting simulations will be compared with experimental data to help interpret the spectra of different actinide species. The aim is a transferable computational framework for understanding actinide speciation under conditions relevant to the nuclear fuel cycle.
Eligibility
Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in Chemistry, Physics, or related discipline.
Funding
This 3.5-year PhD project is fully funded; students who are eligible to pay tuition fees at the Home rate are eligible to apply. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£21,805 for 2026/27) and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year. The start date is October 2027.
We recommend that you apply early as the advert may be removed before the deadline.
Before you apply
We strongly recommend that you contact the supervisor for this project before you apply. 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.
How to apply
Apply online through our website: https://uom.link/pgr-apply-2425
When applying, you’ll need to specify the full name of this project, the name of your supervisor, if you already having funding or if you wish to be considered for available funding through the university, details of your previous study, and names and contact details of two referees.
Your application will not be processed without all of the required documents submitted at the time of application, and we cannot accept responsibility for late or missed deadlines. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
After you have applied you will be asked to upload the following supporting documents:
- Final Transcript and certificates of all awarded university level qualifications
- Interim Transcript of any university level qualifications in progress
- CV
- Supporting statement: A one or two page statement outlining your motivation to pursue postgraduate research and why you want to undertake postgraduate research at Manchester, any relevant research or work experience, the key findings of your previous research experience, and techniques and skills you’ve developed. (This is mandatory for all applicants and the application will be put on hold without it).
- Contact details for two referees (please make sure that the contact email you provide is an official university/work email address as we may need to verify the reference)
- English Language certificate (if applicable)
If you have any questions about making an application, please contact our admissions team by emailing FSE.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk.
Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities. We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.
We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status.
We also support applications from those returning from a career break or other roles. We consider offering flexible study arrangements (including part-time: 50%, 60% or 80%, depending on the project/funder).
