Fully Funded PhD Positions in Solar and Space Physics at Northumbria University
The Solar and Space Physics Research Group at Northumbria University (UK) is offering multiple fully funded PhD studentships for an October 2026 start. These positions cover a wide range of cutting-edge topics in solar and space physics, including magnetic reconnection in cometary plasma environments, ultra-low frequency plasma waves in Earth's magnetosphere, energy evolution in solar active regions, microgravity-induced transport phenomena in fluids for space environments, X-ray polarization diagnostics for solar flare physics, time-dependent magnetic reconnection, solar telescope-based magnetic studies, multi-layer vortex physics in the solar atmosphere, satellites as atmospheric probes, and the chaotic nature of Earth's radiation belts.
Supervisors for these projects include Dr Charlotte Goetz, Dr Sarah Bentley, Dr Shaun Bloomfield, Dr Shahid Rasul, Dr Natasha Jeffrey, Prof. James McLaughlin, Prof. Richard Morton, Prof. Eamon Scullion, Dr Matthew Townson, and Prof. Clare Watt, all affiliated with Northumbria University. The group is internationally recognized for its expertise in theory, modelling, observations, data science, and space hardware, and maintains strong collaborations with ESA, UKSA, NASA, STFC, NERC, and international observatories.
Eligibility is open to both Home and International students. Applicants should hold at least a 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) or a Master's degree with Merit or higher. No research proposal is required for the advertised projects, but applications must include the correct advert reference. The studentships provide full tuition coverage, a generous annual stipend (£20,780 for 2025/26), and additional research and travel funding. Funding sources include university funds, UKRI–STFC, and the Royal Society.
To apply, candidates should review the available projects, select one, and submit their application online via the Northumbria University postgraduate research portal, ensuring the correct advert reference is included. The application deadline for university-funded PhDs is 23 January 2026, and for research-council-funded PhDs is 2 February 2026. For more details and application instructions, visit the provided university link.
