We aim to recruit 60-70 postgraduates each year to our PhD and Masters courses and also to our various centres for doctoral training. We cover a very broad range of subjects and applications are welcomed in all areas of chemistry at any time of the year.

Below are highlighted just a few of the many projects available. Please note, unless otherwise indicated the MScR projects require students to be self-funding.

MSc by research

MScR in Global Environmental Challenges

The School of Chemistry has a number of projects which are part of the new Cabot Institute Master’s by Research programme. Please see below for available opportunities, and contact cabot-masters@bristol.ac.uk if you have any enquiries.

New projects for 2021/22 hosted by the School of Chemistry:

• Clean water from molecular sponges
• Solar Thermionic Energy Converters
• Novel biomaterials for cleaning waters
• Synthetic tissue-like materials harvest light

Magnetic Surfactants for Stimuli Responsive Interfaces and Dispersions

Main Supervisor: Prof. Julian Eastoe

For information on this studentship see J Eastoe - MScR Project (PDF, 62kB) Apply Here

MScR in Novel Biomaterials for Cleaning Waters 

Main Supervisor: Dr Pierangelo Gobbo

For information on this studentship and how to apply please see here: Gobbo - Biomaterials Project (PDF, 271kB)

MScR in Synthetic Tissue-Like Materials Harvest Light 

Main Supervisor: Dr Pierangelo Gobbo

For information on this studentship and how to apply please see here: Gobbo - Synthetic Project (PDF, 297kB)

Funded PhD Studentships available in the School of Chemistry

PhDs in Chemical Synthesis (Deadline: 23 February 2021)

NERC GW4 + DTP2 Projects 2020 (Deadline: 8 January 2021)

Applications are now open for NERC 2021/22. You can find this years prospectus here. 

Please see below for Chemistry NERC projects:

Develop and apply a novel CO2 proxy to reconstruct the past and inform the future
Main Supervisor: Dr David Naafs
For information on this studentship and how to apply please see here: NERC 2021 - NAAFS (PDF, 310kB)

Atmospheric measurements and modelling to support the Montreal Protocol and international climate agreements

Main Supervisor: Dr Matt Rigby
For information on this studentship and how to apply please see here: NERC 2021 - RIGBY (PDF, 717kB)

Design, preparation and implementation of sustainable materials for heavy metal remediation in rivers

Main Supervisor: Professor Neil Allan
For information on this studentship and how to apply please see here: NERC 2021 - ALLAN (PDF, 503kB)

Biomolecular and zooarchaeological approaches to the detection of aquatic resource processing in prehistoric Central Europe

Main Supervisor: Professor Richard Evershed
For information on this studentship and how to apply please see here: NERC 2021 - EVERSHED (PDF, 332kB)

Atmospheric constraints on the UK’s carbon footprint

Main Supervisor: Professor Simon O'Doherty 
For information on this studentship and how to apply please see here: NERC 2021 - ODOHERTY (PDF, 349kB)

SWBio DTP Projects 2020

Deadline: 7 December 2020

Biosensing using arrays of de novo designed proteins

Main Supervisor: Tom Oliver
For information on this studentship please see Tom Oliver - SWBio (PDF, 247kB). How to apply.

Single molecule dynamics of enzyme catalysis for thermoadaptation and design

Main Supervisor: Professor Adrian Mulholland
For information on this studentship please see here. How to apply.

Engineering Biosynthetic Pathways and Biocatalysts to Deliver New Antimicrobial Compounds

Main Supervisor: Professor Chris Willis
For information on this studentship please see here. How to apply.

Design of new fluorescent sensors for measuring heme in cells

Main Supervisor: Professor Emma Raven
For information on this studentship please see here. How to apply.

The Nature of modularity in polyketide synthases: a computational design approach to understand and engineer biological assembly lines

Main Supervisor: Professor Matthew Crump
For information on this studentship please see here. How to apply.

Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Studentships 

Optimisation of surfuctant-solvent systems for adaptive lubricants

Main Supervisor:  Professor Julian Eastoe 

For information on this studentship please see J Eastoe - Infinium Project (PDF, 70kB). How to apply.

Soft materials under stress: microscopic dynamics and machine learning

Main Supervisor:  Professor Paul Bartlett 
For information on this studentship please contact Prof Bartlett via p.bartlett@bristol.ac.uk 

Organic & Biological Chemistry Studentships

PhD in the field of Synthesis 

Main Supervisor: Professor Jonathan Clayden
For information on this studentship and how to apply please see here: Clayden Group - Synthesis PhD Opportunity (PDF, 139kB)

Deadline: 31 January 2020

For more information about scholarships for Postgraduate Research, please visit the Fees and Funding pages.

Please note:  When using our online Postgraduate Application System select 'Chemistry PhD' in Programme Choice unless otherwise specified.