PhD Studentship – New Synthetic Methodologies towards Medicinally Relevant Groups combining Organocatalysis and Light Activation

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 project focuses on the development of novel synthetic methodologies that use light to deliver cyclic organic structures of relevance for drug discovery. In addition to being an abundant and sustainable energy source, using light to activate organic molecules opens up unconventional reactivity and selectivity profiles not encountered under thermal conditions. The project will explore a novel dual catalysis concept combining light activation with organocatalysis by N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), which shows huge promise for expanding the scope of organic photochemistry. In addition to synthetic organic chemistry, the project will also incorporate photophysical studies with further support from computational partners. Further information on research in the Hopkinson group can be found here: blogs.ncl.ac.uk/matthewhopkinson.

Number of awards: 1

Start date: 1^st October 2025

Award duration: 4 years

Sponsor: EPSRC

Supervisors: Matthew Hopkinson & Fabio Cucinotta

Eligibility criteria

A minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project (such as mathematics or theoretical physics) 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 DLA2518 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.

Contact details:

Email: matthew.hopkinson@newcastle.ac.uk. You can also contact: doctoral.awards@ncl.ac.uk for independent advice on your application.

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