PhD Geological Sciences: Mineralogical Controls on Redox Chemistry within the Subsurface

Funding for: UK Students only. Due to funding restrictions, this studentship is only available to those candidates who meet the residency requirements for "Home" status.

Funding amount: The studentship is supported for 3.5 years and includes full Home tuition fees plus a stipend of £21,805 per annum 2026-27 rate. 

DoS: Dr Matt Bailey (matt.bailey@plymouth.ac.uk, tel.: 1752 584572) 

Applications are invited for a three and a half-year PhD studentship. The studentship will start on 1st Jan 2027

Project Description 

Nuclear environmental safety demands a robust understanding of how radioactive materials interact with our environment. Over long timescales, the subsurface plays an increasingly important role in the transport and fate of radionuclides and chemotoxic contaminants, whether at legacy operational sites, highly engineered geological repositories or in the marine environment. However, redox controls on porewater chemistry in these environments is poorly understood and requires robust datasets to underpin safety cases and environmental assessments. 

During this experimental PhD project, you will develop your laboratory skills at the University of Plymouth with the support of the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory, undertaking experiments to understand the dominant control of redox in various geological settings by analysing the geochemistry and mineralogy. You will have the opportunity to use advanced techniques to investigate the behaviour of several elements such as iron, sulfur and manganese, examining processes including mineral precipitation/dissolution, sorption processes and the influence of organic material on the redox control of these systems. 

If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact Matt Bailey (matt.bailey@plymouth.ac.uk), we’d be delighted to talk to you. 

Eligibility 

We are seeking a motivated individual with a keen interest in the interface between the geosciences and nuclear industry, with a physical sciences or engineering background. Acceptable first-degree subjects include chemistry, geoscience, environmental science or engineering. You will join a welcoming postgraduate research community at the University of Plymouth, receive a comprehensive laboratory and professional development training programme and be supported to develop your networks within the UK geoscience and nuclear sectors. 

Due to funding restrictions, this studentship is only available to those candidates who meet the residency requirements for "Home" status. 

If you meet the residency requirements but your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English requirements for the programme, IELTS Academic score of 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each component test area) or equivalent.  

The studentship is supported for 3.5 years, and includes full Home tuition fees plus a stipend of £21,805 per annum 2026/27 rate, with annual increments applied thereafter. This stipend is tax free. 

There are typically opportunities for paid, part-time demonstrating work in the School which can be undertaken while receiving a stipend, provided it does not conflict with the PhD research programme. 

To Apply, please click on the Apply button above. 

The closing date for applications on 2nd October 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview the week commencing the 26th October. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications. Applicants who have not received a response within six weeks of the closing date should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.