This fully funded four-year PhD studentship is offered within the Department of Materials at Imperial College London, under the supervision of Professor Mark Wenman sponsored by Rolls– Royce Plc.

Life extension of nuclear reactors currently the cheapest form of low carbon electricity, is dependent on an understanding of irradiation embrittlement and hardening of the low alloy steels of the reactor pressure vessels.  The steels are subject to neutron irradiation that slowly causes the accumulation of atomic scale and mesoscale defects in the material.  These defects interact with existing defects, such as dislocations to increase the yield strength of the material and crucially lower its toughness over life.  This is taken account by operators using dose-damage relationships that are largely empirical and are fitted to many variables that often have huge uncertainties. On top of this, alloys contain many solute elements such as Cu, Ni, Mn, Si, which are known to interact with irradiation damage but also interact with each other synergistically.   

Recent developments in machine learning have created a range of machine learnt atomic potentials that cover a large number of elements including non-metallic elements important in steels like C and Si that could previously not be modelled.    

This project with Rolls-Royce will use the new Neural Evolution Potentials (NEP) to study solute clustering under irradiation damage via radiation damage cascades at the atomic scale and compare to results from many model alloy systems that Rolls-Royce have irradiated in a US test reactor at Oak Ridge.  The alloys have a range of different compositions, irradiation temperatures and doses ideal for comparing the synergistic effects of elements together.    

There will also be the opportunity to become part of the international group that studies this called the International Group for Radiation Damage of Materials (IGRDM) and carry out a placement at one of Rolls-Royce sites. 

 PANDA is committed to widening access; we welcome applications from mid-career switchers and those returning from career breaks. This PhD position is suitable for part part-time study for those with employment or other personal commitments.   

Students will receive an enhanced, tax free, stipend of £26,000 per annum + £2000 London weighting.    

 This position is due to start in October 2026. This project includes a three-month placement with Rolls Royce, located in their Cardiff office .  

Eligibility 

A first-class or 2:1 honours degree in a relevant STEM subject (e.g. Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, or Mathematics) is preferred. Equivalent industrial experience will also be considered during the eligibility assessment.   

  Students are required to be able to achieve MoD Enhanced BPSS status, as a condition of ongoing enrolment and funding. A specific requirement of this project is the ability to achieve SC clearance, in order to visit the sponsor’s sites. 

About PANDA 

This studentship is part of the PANDA (Programme for Accelerating Nuclear Development and Applications) Nuclear Doctoral Focal Award. PANDA is a consortium of researchers led by Bangor University and delivered with the universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Derby and Manchester, Imperial College London alongside UK National Nuclear Laboratory. PANDA will train up to 100 doctoral researchers to help meet the UK’s future nuclear, clean energy and defence needs. It is funded by UKRI, the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. 

Alongside your research activities you will undertake a rich programme of events including a training programme that includes Nuclear Science and Engineering; Methods for Innovation and the PANDA Professionalism Programme. Due to our close links with industry, there will be opportunities for extended placements with industrial partners, allowing a deeper understanding of what it is like to be a nuclear professional during your studies. 

This studentship covers full tuition fees at the home student rate and an enhanced tax-free stipend of £26,000. The studentship also comes with access to additional funding in the form of a research training support grant which is available to fund research activities including training events, conference attendance, and placements. Students are also supported by the UKRI family leave and pastoral provisions that apply to UKRI-funded studentships, including maternity, paternity, adoption and neonatal care leave. A PANDA hardship fund is also available.