PhD Studentship: Advanced Materials Processing for Disposal Mixed Oxide Nuclear Wasteforms
The University of Manchester
Application deadline: 31/08/2026 This 4-year PhD studentship is fully funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and open to Home (UK) students. 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 Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has established the Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub (PuMaS) at the Universities of Manchester and Sheffield. PuMaS will support around 20 PhD students,...
Application deadline: 31/08/2026 This 4-year PhD studentship is fully funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and open to Home (UK) students. 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 Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has established the Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub (PuMaS) at the Universities of Manchester and Sheffield. PuMaS will support around 20 PhD students,...
Opportunity details
Application deadline: 31/08/2026 This 4-year PhD studentship is fully funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and open to Home (UK) students. 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 Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has established the Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub (PuMaS) at the Universities of Manchester and Sheffield. PuMaS will support around 20 PhD students, alongside a team of research staff, to create a vibrant, cohort based research environment. Students will benefit from: dedicated cohort training and skills development networking and collaboration opportunities access to cutting edge facilities within the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s centre for advanced materials research Your PhD will also include industrial supervision from experts at the NDA, Sellafield Ltd., or Nuclear Waste Services (NWS). This ensures your research addresses real industrial challenges and provides direct pathways for your work to inform UK nuclear decommissioning strategy. You will also have opportunities to attend national and international conferences, network across the nuclear materials community, and collaborate with leading research partners — including facilities such as the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL), Diamond Light Source (DLS), and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). Disposal Mixed Uranium and Plutonium Oxide (DMOX) ceramics are a promising candidate wasteform for the disposition of the UK’s plutonium stockpile. Historically, two industrial scale powder processing routes have been used for mixed oxide (MOx) fuel manufacture, both approaches rely heavily on milling — typically ball milling — to re...
Eligibility
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. Students will benefit from: dedicated cohort training and skills development networking and collaboration opportunities access to cutting edge facilities within the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s centre for advanced materials research Your PhD will also include industrial supervision from experts at the NDA, Sellafield Ltd., or Nuclear Waste Services (NWS). Disposal Mixed Uranium and Plutonium Oxide (DMOX) ceramics are a promising candidate wasteform for the disposition of the UK’s plutonium stockpile. You will utilise (where necessary), radioactive materials handling facilities, materials manufacturing techniques and characterisation techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the materials at the microscale and nanoscale) as well as access to National and International facilities, for example for synchrotron based experiments Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.
Requirements
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. Students will benefit from: dedicated cohort training and skills development networking and collaboration opportunities access to cutting edge facilities within the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s centre for advanced materials research Your PhD will also include industrial supervision from experts at the NDA, Sellafield Ltd., or Nuclear Waste Services (NWS). Disposal Mixed Uranium and Plutonium Oxide (DMOX) ceramics are a promising candidate wasteform for the disposition of the UK’s plutonium stockpile. You will utilise (where necessary), radioactive materials handling facilities, materials manufacturing techniques and characterisation techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the materials at the microscale and nanoscale) as well as access to National and International facilities, for example for synchrotron based experiments Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.
Eligibility and requirements: Review the official provider page for the current applicant conditions and required documents.
Funding and benefits
Funding amount: £20,780 annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (for 2025/26; subject to annual uplift) and tuition fees will be paid..
How to apply
Application deadline: 31/08/2026 This 4-year PhD studentship is fully funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and open to Home (UK) students. Perform comprehensive rheology and materials characterisation to assess the viability of acoustic milling for mixed oxide applications. To apply, please contact the main supervisor, Dr Robert Harrison - r.w.harrison@manchester.ac.uk.
Open the official application information
Verify the deadline and final conditions on the official provider page before submitting an application.
Benefits
Funding amount: £20,780 annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (for 2025/26; subject to annual uplift) and tuition fees will be paid..
Eligibility summary
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. Students will benefit from: dedicated cohort training and skills development networking and collaboration opportunities access to cutting edge facilities within the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s centre for advanced materials research Your PhD will also include industrial supervision from experts at the NDA, Sellafield Ltd., or Nuclear Waste Services (NWS). Disposal Mixed Uranium and Plutonium Oxide (DMOX) ceramics are a promising candidate wasteform for the disposition of the UK’s plutonium stockpile. You will utilise (where necessary), radioactive materials handling facilities, materials manufacturing techniques and characterisation techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the materials at the microscale and nanoscale) as well as access to National and International facilities, for example for synchrotron based experiments Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.
Requirements
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. Students will benefit from: dedicated cohort training and skills development networking and collaboration opportunities access to cutting edge facilities within the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s centre for advanced materials research Your PhD will also include industrial supervision from experts at the NDA, Sellafield Ltd., or Nuclear Waste Services (NWS). Disposal Mixed Uranium and Plutonium Oxide (DMOX) ceramics are a promising candidate wasteform for the disposition of the UK’s plutonium stockpile. You will utilise (where necessary), radioactive materials handling facilities, materials manufacturing techniques and characterisation techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the materials at the microscale and nanoscale) as well as access to National and International facilities, for example for synchrotron based experiments Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.
Documents required
Language/test requirements
Listing-board disclaimer
Prime Scholarship Alerts is a listing board only and does not provide application procedures or guarantee scholarship awards. Verify all requirements, deadlines, fees, and application instructions through the provider before applying.