PhD Positions
The astrophysics group welcomes applications for PhD study. Applicants are encouraged to contact potential supervisors by email before applying. Projects currently advertised are listed below with a link for further information. For a full list of PhD projects in the School of Physics and Astronomy see
here.
Our department is proud to create inclusive student, research, and working cultures that are supportive and welcoming to those from all backgrounds, genders, ages, disabilities, religions, and other protected groups. We are committed to providing a postgraduate program that not only equips you with the technical and professional skills you will need in your career, but which is also enjoyable, supportive, diverse, and inclusive. We welcome all applications, but especially those from the under-represented groups in physics. Everybody’s needs will be supported, but if you do have any concerns, you can contact us, in confidence, to discuss how we can support your particular needs during a research degree at the University of Leeds
Current projects:
The full list of currently open projects can always be searched through at
research opportunities, or for ease of access the following direct links (note you may find more by searching!) listed by academic staff offering posts.
Dr Richard Booth
Dr Stuart Lumsden
Dr Chris Nixon (Priority)
Prof Rene Oudmaijer
Dr Julian Pittard
Prof Mark Thompson (Priority)
We typically offer 1-2 STFC Studentships per year. These cover fees at the UK rate and a stipend for 3 and 1/2 years. All eligible candidates applying for priority projects will be considered for these automatically. Priority projects for STFC funding for a 2024 start are indicated by the
Priority flag in the list above.. Not all projects offered each year are eligible for this funding.
Graduates of the University of Leeds are eligible for the
Alumni Bursary.
A variety of other
funding opportunities are available.
Self-Funded or externally sponsored students are also welcome to apply.
Postdoctoral Research Positions
We currently have a PDRA position available working with Dr Chris Nixon - details can be found at
here.
Fellowships
We welcome applications for senior fellowship schemes such as STFC's
Ernest Rutherford Fellowship or
Stephen Hawking Fellowship, Royal Society's
University Research Fellowship or
Dorothy Hodgkins fellowship, or ERC
starter/
consolidator grants. In addition, if you are interested in
RAS Research and Norman Lockyer Fellowships (not running in 2023),
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships or
Hawking Fellowships, we welcome these as well. Our department is proud to create an inclusive research and working culture. We are supportive of fellowship application from all backgrounds, genders, ages, disabilities, religions, and other protected groups.
Interested applicants are welcome to contact individual members of staff to discuss possible synergies between their work. You will need to identify a suitable staff member to act as your sponsor. We particularly welcome applications from candidates with theoretical expertise in the field of planet and star formation complementing our current research. Note, many of these fellowships have eligibility criteria based on when you obtained a PhD and you should check yourself with the funder's web pages to make sure you can apply.
If you wish to proceed with an application then please also notify Dr Stuart Lumsden (s.l.lumsden@leeds.ac.uk). For the STFC and Royal Society URF schemes there is an internal sifting process in place. The deadline for both for 2023 has now passed. The deadline for 2024 will be advertised in late spring 2024. We require a full CV + publication list and a one page statement of research interests for the sifting process. For any other scheme, including the ERC ones, a notice of intent is required at least 8 weeks before the scheme deadline, in order to allow all internal processes to be completed, but no other paperwork is required at that time.
