Sam Shaw

Fully funded PhD opportunity at The University of Manchester in mineralogy , geochemistry , materials chemistry , and environmental science , with strong relevance to radioactive waste and nuclear decommissioning . The project asks: how do mineral materials behave after decades in one of the world’s most challenging radioactive environments? The successful PhD student will investigate the long-term fate of zeolite minerals used to remove radioactive contaminants from nuclear fuel storage ponds at Sellafield Ltd . The research will examine how these minerals evolve during storage and how those changes affect the retention of important radionuclides, supporting safer nuclear decommissioning. This PhD sits within the SATURN Centre for Doctoral Training (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear), which provides specialist nuclear training and connects leading UK universities with industry partners. Suitable backgrounds include Chemistry , Materials Chemistry , Mineralogy/geochemistry , Chemical Engineering , and Environmental Science/Earth Sciences . The student will join an interdisciplinary supervisory team comprising Sam Shaw , Katherine Morris , and Stuart Holmes . Application deadline: 4 September 2026 . Interested candidates should review the project details and follow the application route linked in the post.