PhD Studentship: A Build-couple-transform Approach to Diverse Macrocyclic Libraries for Drug Discovery

Award summary

100% fees covered, and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £19,237 (2024/25 UKRI rate). Additional project costs will also be provided.

Overview

This exciting project will develop new synthetic approaches to macrocyclic molecules that will be used in drug discovery. This will use a novel approach to macrocyclisation and a series of reactions for skeletal editing that introduce scaffold diversity. The methods will be used to produce targeted macrocycles as leads for cancer and anti-infective drug discovery and for downstream development of arising hits. The project will be carried out in state-of-the-art drug discovery laboratories within a thriving medicinal chemistry research group and in collaboration with an industrial partner. It will offer the ideal project for a candidate with an interest in organic synthesis with ambitions for a career in medicinal chemistry research.

Number of awards: 1

Start date: 1^st October 2025

Award duration: 4 years

Sponsor: EPSRC

Supervisors: Dr Hannah Stewart, Prof. Mike Waring

Eligibility criteria

A minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project (such as Chemistry) is our standard entry, however we place value on prior experience, enthusiasm for research, and the ability to think and work independently. Excellent Analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements. A Masters qualification is not required if you have a minimum 2:1 degree or can evidence alternative experience in a work or research-based project. If you have alternative qualifications or experience, please contact us to discuss.

For EPSRC DLA applications we are following the EDEPI competency-based framework. Please read and complete this document as your Personal statement, and upload this with your application. Applications which do not include this document will not be considered. Further details can be found here.

Home and international applicants (inc. EU) are welcome to apply and if successful will receive a full studentship. Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills.

International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme.

How to apply:

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal

Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:  

• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8100F.
• Select ‘PhD Chemistry (full time)' as the programme of study

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:  

• A ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) – Use this template.
• The studentship code DLA2517 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field.  
• When prompted for how you are providing your research proposal - select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.  

You must submit one application per studentship, you cannot apply for multiple studentships on one application.

Contact details:

For further details, contact Hannah.stewart@ncl.ac.uk or mike.waring@ncl.ac.uk. You can also contact: doctoral.awards@ncl.ac.uk for independent advice on your application.

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