Postgraduate research opportunities AI & Simulation Assisted Discovery of Self-Assembled Materials
ApplyKey facts
- Opens: Friday 5 December 2025
- Number of places: 1
- Duration: 48 months
- Funding: Equipment costs, Home fee, Stipend, Travel costs
Overview
This project will make use of computer simulations to discover sustainable biopolymers and biomimetic molecules that can make use of acoustic stimulation to assemble into novel nano- and micro-structures. The long-term goal is to enable the hierarchical organisation of molecules into sophisticated but sustainable materials, much as nature assembles biomolecules into highly functional structures as diverse as tree bark and insect exoskeletons.Eligibility
Applicants must qualify for UK or Scottish Home Fees (see funding details). Eligible candidates from all backgrounds, income levels, identities, and experiences are encouraged to apply.
Applicants are expected to hold or anticipate holding a bachelor’s or master’s degree at the UK 2:1 classification or above. The degree discipline should be relevant to the project, e.g., computational chemistry, physical chemistry, chemical engineering, polymer science, materials engineering, nanotechnology, molecular biosciences, biophysics, etc.
Applicants should also demonstrate experience in conducting an extended piece of technical work, e.g., placement, research/group/thesis project, professional employment, set of technical data analysis, etc. They should further demonstrate interest in some of the following areas: interdisciplinary research, nature-inspired materials, the synthetic-biological interface, acoustic actuation, architecture/civil engineering, analysis of future technologies, and sustainability.
Project Details
The long-term goal is to enable the hierarchical organisation of molecules into sophisticated but sustainable materials, much as nature assembles biomolecules into highly functional structures as diverse as tree bark and insect exoskeletons.
Current technologies are far from able to (re)create the complex and diverse structures observed in nature. While recent research has demonstrated the concept of “molecular assembly”, these structures are on the nanoscale, typically the size of DNA molecules, and far too small for mechanical manipulation or other practical techniques to use for preparing useful materials. On the other hand, acoustics or sound waves could provide a non-contact approach for manipulating either the molecules or self-assembled nanostructures.
Depending on student interest, this project will focus on one of two potential directions:
- Use of AI algorithms to aid the computer-based prediction of biomimetic “peptoid” molecules that can induce the assembly or crystallisation of nanoparticles with acoustic properties suitable for further organisation into functional materials; or
- Use of computer-based simulations, with or without AI-assistance, to predict the ability of acoustic waves to help organise the assembly of peptoid structures from the nanoscale to the microscale.
The project is part of our new interdisciplinary Leverhulme Doctoral School in Nature-Inspired Acoustics (NIA), and the student will further collaborate with researchers from both chemistry and other departments, including Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Architecture.
Only applicants who qualify for UK or Scottish Home Fees will be considered (see Funding Details). However, eligible candidates from all backgrounds, income levels, identities, and experiences are encouraged to apply.
Applicants with either a bachelor’s or a Masters degree may apply. Applicants will ordinarily apply for a 4-year PhD scholarship. Talented applicants with less preparation could qualify for a 5-year Master’s + PhD scholarship (see Eligibility).
Apply as soon as possible—applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis starting Jan 31, 2026. After this date, email to inquire about the availability of the opportunity.
Funding details
Applicants must qualify for UK or Scottish Home Fees (e.g., as UK citizen or holding settled status).
International students who do not qualify or who do not have their own funding will not be considered.
Scholarships include full tuition at the home fees rate, a tax-free stipend (£20,780 per year for 2025/2026), and a £10,000 research budget for consumables and travel. The stipend may be revised to track the UKRI minimum stipend rate at the discretion of the project funder (The Leverhulme Trust).
While there is no funding in place for opportunities marked "unfunded", there are lots of different options to help you fund postgraduate research. Visit funding your postgraduate research for links to government grants, research councils funding and more, that could be available.
Supervisors
Primary supervisor:
Aaron Lau
The supervision team may include Karen Johnston, Tell Tuttle, Jan Sefcik and/or James Windmill.
Apply
To apply, email Dr Lau to check for eligibility and briefly explain your background and interest. Include the following information:
- Explanation of whether you qualify for UK/Scottish home fees (see funding details);
- Brief explanation of what interests you in the project;
- Brief explanation of what has prepared you for an extended scientific investigation, e.g., academic achievement, overcoming barriers, placement, research, data analysis, group project, etc.;
- A CV
Once eligibility and a suitable interest are confirmed, candidates will receive further instructions on submitting a short formal application. Applicants successful at this initial stage will be invited to an online interview. Outcomes will be communicated by email in the week following the interview.
Apply as soon as possible—applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis and will start Jan 31, 2026. Inquire about the availability of this scholarship if you wish to apply after this date.
Number of places: 1
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Pure and Applied Chemistry
Programme: Pure and Applied Chemistry