David Collins

[Full funding for 4 years covering a personal maintenance stipend starting at £20,780 per annum with a top up of £5,500 per annum from Tata Steel. Fees covered for UK/home students; exceptional overseas candidates may be eligible for an International Doctoral Scholar award.] This fully funded PhD studentship at the University of Cambridge focuses on phase discrimination in steel using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy. Hosted by the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy within the Structural Materials Group, the project aims to address the challenges of characterising steel microstructures, which are highly sensitive to composition and processing conditions. Traditional metallographic and crystallographic methods struggle to distinguish closely related microstructural phases due to their fine scale and similar structures. The proposed research leverages acoustic methods, specifically resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, to exploit differences in elastic behaviour among steel phases. The project will begin with untextured steel samples to avoid complications from acoustic anisotropy, correlating elastic responses with microstructures observed via microscopy. As the technique is refined, the research will expand to textured samples and in-situ monitoring of phase transformations during heat treatments. The Structural Materials Group is a dynamic team working across aerospace, automotive, energy, defence, and biomedical sectors, with expertise in alloy design, microstructure-property relationships, phase transformations, and advanced materials processing. The studentship is funded for four years, offering a starting stipend of £20,780 per annum plus a £5,500 per annum top up from Tata Steel, with fees covered for UK/home students. Exceptional overseas candidates may be considered for additional support. Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a good UK Masters degree or overseas equivalent in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or Engineering, and demonstrate motivation, independence, and strong communication skills. Training in all relevant computational and experimental methods will be provided. Applications should include a research statement, CV, publication list, and contact details for two referees. The University of Cambridge encourages applications from all backgrounds and supports equality, diversity, and inclusion.

[Full funding for 4 years covering a personal maintenance stipend starting at £20,780 per annum with a top up of £5,500 per annum from Tata Steel. Fees covered for UK/home students; exceptional international candidates may be eligible for an International Fee Bursary.] This fully funded PhD studentship at the University of Cambridge focuses on high throughput kinetics data for steel optimisation, with a particular emphasis on the reliable production of electric arc furnace (EAF) processed steels. The project is based in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, within the Structural Materials Group—a dynamic research team with expertise spanning alloy design, microstructure-property relationships, phase transformations, and advanced materials processing. The research will employ synchrotron X-ray diffraction to monitor the evolving crystallography in steel samples across a range of cooling rates and isothermal dwells. This technique allows for direct measurement of crystal structures and is sensitive to low volume fractions, providing a robust method for quantifying phase fractions and lattice parameter evolution. Ancillary microstructural examination using electron microscopy will be used to confirm phase identifications. The data generated will be compared with existing transformation kinetics models to assess their reliability and, where necessary, refine them. The project is supervised by Professor Howard Stone and Dr David Collins. The studentship offers a personal maintenance stipend starting at £20,780 per annum, with an additional top up of £5,500 per annum from Tata Steel, and covers fees for UK/home students. Exceptional international candidates may be eligible for an International Fee Bursary. Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a good UK Master's degree (or overseas equivalent) in a relevant science subject such as Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or Engineering. Candidates should be self-motivated, able to take ownership of their research, and possess strong communication skills. Training in all computational and experimental methods will be provided, though relevant prior experience is advantageous. Applications should be submitted via the University of Cambridge postgraduate application portal, including a short research statement, CV, publication list, and contact details for two referees. The closing date for applications is 2 December 2025, with interviews to follow shortly after. Early applications are encouraged as the position may be filled once a suitable candidate is identified. The University of Cambridge is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and encourages applications from all sections of society.

[Full funding for 4 years covering a personal maintenance stipend starting at £20,780 per annum with a top up of £5,500 per annum from Tata Steel. Fees covered for UK/home students; exceptional international candidates may be eligible for an International Fee Bursary.] This PhD studentship at the University of Cambridge focuses on the thermodynamic modelling of minority phases in Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steels, a critical area for the reliable production of thin rolled steel products. The project addresses challenges arising from residual element accumulation, which can compromise processability and material properties. As part of the Structural Materials Group in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, the successful candidate will join a dynamic research team with expertise spanning alloy design, microstructure-property relationships, phase transformations, and advanced materials processing. The research will involve using thermodynamic modelling to predict equilibrium and non-equilibrium phases for a range of steel compositions, particularly those with elevated levels of copper, molybdenum, nickel, and tin. These predictions will be directly compared with experimentally identified phases from high throughput samples. Characterization techniques will include scanning transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, nano-secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and 3D atom probe tomography. The data generated will be used to refine thermodynamic database parameters, improving predictive accuracy for industrial applications. The studentship is fully funded for four years, with a personal maintenance stipend starting at £20,780 per annum and an additional £5,500 per annum from Tata Steel. Fees are covered for UK/home students, and exceptional international candidates may be eligible for an International Fee Bursary. Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a good UK Masters degree or overseas equivalent in a relevant science subject such as Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or Engineering. The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, capable of independent research, and able to communicate findings effectively. Training in all computational and experimental methods will be provided, though prior experience is advantageous. The application process requires submission via the University Application Portal, including a research statement, CV, publication list, and contact details for two referees. The position is open until 2 December 2025, with interviews to follow. Early applications are encouraged as the position may be filled once suitable candidates are identified. The University of Cambridge is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and encourages applications from all backgrounds.

[Full funding for 4 years covering a personal maintenance stipend starting at £20,780 (current rate). Fees covered for UK/home students; international students may need to cover the difference unless eligible for an International Fee Bursary.] This fully funded PhD studentship at the University of Cambridge's Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy offers an exciting opportunity to join the Structural Materials Group, a leading research team with expertise spanning alloy design, microstructure-property relationships, phase transformations, and advanced materials processing. The project, supervised by Dr David Collins, focuses on the comprehensive analysis and authentication of precious silver artefacts, partnering with the Goldsmiths' Company Assay Office in London. The research aims to push the boundaries of current assaying methods by employing a suite of advanced techniques, including micro-XRF, synchrotron diffraction, SIMS, and 3D X-ray CT, to uncover hidden chemical and structural signatures within artefacts. By examining variations in composition, microstructure, and manufacturing processes, the project seeks to establish robust, defensible datasets that can verify the authenticity of precious metal objects. The work will also explore innovative methods for embedding invisible authenticity markers and leverage advanced data analysis tools and neural network algorithms to create searchable, verifiable databases for hallmarking and decision-making. The studentship provides a stipend of £20,780 per year for four years and covers tuition fees for UK/home students. International students may apply but must either meet UK residency requirements or secure additional funding to cover the difference in fees, though exceptional candidates may be eligible for an International Fee Bursary. Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a good UK Master's degree (or overseas equivalent) in a relevant science subject such as Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, or Archaeology, with strong evidence of experimental materials analysis skills. The position requires self-motivation, research ownership, and effective communication skills. Comprehensive training in all computational and experimental methods will be provided. To apply, candidates must submit a research statement, CV, publication list, and contact details for two referees via the Cambridge postgraduate application portal. The University of Cambridge is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and encourages applications from all backgrounds. The position is fixed-term for four years, starting 1 October 2026, with early applications encouraged as the post may be filled before the deadline.