Nuclear physics PhD

The University of Brighton is one of only nine universities in the UK which offer a PhD in nuclear structure physics. It has an international reputation for work on exotic neutron-rich nuclei in the A~100 region.

Members of the group play important roles in international collaborations at major facilities worldwide e.g. RIKEN (Japan) University of Jyväskylä (Finland) and FAIR (Germany).

The focus of current research is on the shapes of the neutron-rich zirconium nuclei with A = 100 to 106. An experimental programme comprising research at the RIKEN laboratory in Japan, the University of Jyväskylä in Finland, Argonne National Laboratory in America and the GANIL facility in France, has investigated the predicted shape change from prolate to oblate for these nuclei.

Graduates with a PhD in nuclear structure physics from the University of Brighton proceed to jobs in various organisations. Recent examples are graduates working as a research scientist in nuclear medicine physics at the National Physical Laboratory, as a prestigious Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellow at the RIKEN lab in Japan and as a radiometric analyst at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy.

Apply to 'Computing, Engineering & Maths' in the applicant portal

Key information

As a Nuclear Physics PhD student you will benefit from:

becoming a part of the UK and international community in nuclear physics, participating and leading experiments at world-leading experimental facilities.
a supervisory team comprising two or sometimes three members of academic staff. Depending on your research specialism you may also have an additional external supervisor from another school, research institution, or industry.
access to a range of electronic resources via the university’s Online Library, as well as to the physical book and journal collections housed within the Aldrich Library and other campus libraries.
desk space and access to a desktop PC, in one of the postgraduate offices on the sixth floor of the award-winning Cockcroft Building.

Academic environment

As a Nuclear Physics PhD student at Brighton, you will be part of the UK and international community and will participate in and lead experiments at world-leading experimental facilities. You will be part of a group which uses the techniques of gamma-ray spectroscopy to study the shapes of neutron-rich nuclei in the A~100 mass region. Experimental work is carried out in collaboration with UK and international partners at facilities abroad and detailed analysis and interpretation is carried out at the University of Brighton.

The Brighton Doctoral College offer a training programme for postgraduate researchers, covering research methods and transferable (including employability) skills. Attendance at appropriate modules within this programme is encouraged. Subject-specific training is available through the UK nuclear physics doctorate training programme, the biennial UK nuclear physics summer school and via a weekly seminar programme at the University of Surrey.

You will join us as a member of our department and we welcome approaches to discuss how your PhD study in Nuclear physics can be supported by the team's on-going work, our experience and our worldwide connections with research in this field.

Lead supervision

Prof Alison Bruce

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students in gamma-ray spectroscopy and experimental nuclear structure physics.

For further supervisory staff including cross-disciplinary options, please visit research staff on our research website.

Making an application

You will apply to the University of Brighton through our online application portal. When you do, you will require a research proposal, references, a personal statement and a record of your education.

You will be asked whether you have discussed your research proposal and your suitability for doctoral study with a member of the University of Brighton staff. We recommend that all applications are made with the collaboration of at least one potential supervisor. Approaches to potential supervisors can be made directly through the details available online. If you are unsure, please do contact the Doctoral College for advice.

Please visit our How to apply for a PhD page for detailed information.

Fees and funding

Funding

Undertaking research study will require university fees as well as support for your research activities and plans for subsistence during full or part-time study.

Funding sources include self-funding, funding by an employer or industrial partners; there are competitive funding opportunities available in most disciplines through, for example, our own university studentships or national (UK) research councils. International students may have options from either their home-based research funding organisations or may be eligible for some UK funds.

Learn more about the funding opportunities available to you.

Tuition fees academic year 2023–24

Standard fees are listed below, but may vary depending on subject area. Some subject areas may charge bench fees/consumables; this will be decided as part of any offer made. Fees for UK and international/EU students on full-time and part-time courses are likely to incur a small inflation rise each year of a research programme.

MPhil/PhD
	Full-time	Part-time
UK	£4,712	£2,356
International (including EU)	£15,300	N/A
International students registered in the School of Humanities and Social Science or in the School of Business and Law	from £13,900	N/A

PhD by Publication
Full-time	Part-time
N/A	£2,356

Contact Brighton Doctoral College

To contact the Doctoral College at the University of Brighton we request an email in the first instance. Please visit our contact the Brighton Doctoral College page.

For supervisory contact, please see individual profile pages.