Protein assembled advanced magnetic meta-materials

Permanent magnets are crucial to green technology; being at the core of renewable energy sources like wind turbines and tidal power and in the motor of almost all electric vehicles. They also play an increasingly important role in the digital economy as the demand for cheap data storage has increased reliance on magnetic hard disk drives. Nd demand has risen rapidly, with permanent magnets now representing over 40% of global rare earth demand. The risks represented by over-reliance on rare-earths have been evident for decades, and as a result significant research effort has been devoted to finding rare-earth free magnets. However, to date no material has come close to competing. Strong candidates like FeN can only be produced as 2D films, while naturally occurring materials like Tetrataenite can only be produced under extreme conditions. many of the most promising materials that can be manufactured in bulk can only be produces as tiny particles and scaling up to bulk material is not trivial. Recent breakthroughs in protein assembly provide a novel route to produce rare-earth free magnets in large quantities. This PhD will explore these methods as part of a collaboration between the University of Washington, University of Cambridge and University of Leeds. The successful student will characterise and benchmark magnetic products of assembly processes. They will also help to set up a new multi-disciplinary magnetics lab at the University of Leeds, with the potential to work alongside multiple world leading experts. The successful student will also work closely with the school of chemistry, including Prof Mike Webb and Dr Johanna Galloway. Entrepreneurial training through the Henry Royce Institute, international exchanges to collaborating labs and involvement in policy consultations on critical minerals will also be supported as opportunities become available. The ideal candidate will have a passion for materials research that supports goals of sustainability and international cooperation, they will ideally have experience with magnetic materials and/or polymer and protein chemistry.

<p><strong>Selection Process</strong> </p> <ul> <li>All applications will be considered after the deadline. Only complete applications will be considered.</li> <li>Awards are based on academic merit and no other factors such as financial hardship are taken into account.</li> <li>Applicants will be e-mailed within 4 weeks of the deadline to confirm the outcome.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Other Conditions</strong></p> <ul> <li>Awards must be taken up by 1 October 2026</li> <li>Candidates who have previously been awarded a PhD or are currently registered on a PhD are excluded from applying. Those who were previously studying for a PhD but did not complete may be considered</li> <li>The awards are available for new Postgraduate Researchers undertaking full-time research study leading to the degree of PhD.</li> <li>Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of this studentship.</li> <li>Please be aware that any expenses related to the relocation of students to the UK (visa, insurance, NHS fees, flights, etc) would be their responsibility and is not covered by this award.</li> </ul>

<p>To apply for this project you will need to make a formal application for research degree study through the <a href="https://prod.banner.leeds.ac.uk/ssb/bwskalog_uol.P_DispLoginNon">University's website</a>. You will need to create a login ID with a username and PIN.</p> <ul> <li>For ‘Application type’ please select ‘Research Degrees – Research Postgraduate’.</li> <li>The admission year for this project is 2026/2027 Academic Year.</li> <li>You will need to select your ‘Planned Course of Study’ from a drop-down menu. For this project, scroll down and select ‘PhD Physics and Astronomy Full-time’.</li> <li>The project start date for this project is 01/10/2026, please use this as your Proposed Start Date of Research.</li> <li>Please state clearly in the research information section that the research degree you wish to be considered for is <strong>Protein assembled advanced magnetic meta-materials</strong> as well as <strong>Timothy Moorsom</strong> as your proposed supervisor.</li> </ul> <p>More information on how to apply is available on our <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/research-applying/doc/applying-research-degrees">website</a>.</p> <p><strong>Supporting statement</strong></p> <p>Alongside your application, you will be required to provide a personal statement which outlines your interest in the project you are applying for, why you have chosen it and how your skills map onto the requirements of the project and will be asked to describe this at interview if short-listed. You should submit this as an attachment with your online application. </p> <p>If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence that you meet the University's minimum English language requirements (below).</p> <p><em>As an international research-intensive university, we welcome students from all walks of life and from across the world. We foster an inclusive environment where all can flourish and prosper, and we are proud of our strong commitment to student education. Across all Faculties we are dedicated to diversifying our community and we welcome the unique contributions that individuals can bring, and particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to Black, Asian, people who belong to a minority ethnic community, people who identify as LGBT+ and people with disabilities. Applicants will always be selected based on merit and ability.</em></p>

The minimum entry requirements for PhD study is a 2.1 honours Bachelor degree, or equivalent, in a subject relating to your proposed area of research, or a good performance in a Master’s level course in a relevant subject. A first class honours degree (or equivalent) is usually required to be competitive for scholarship funding and a Master's degree is also a valuable asset. Applicants who are uncertain about the requirements for a particular research degree are advised to contact the admissions team or supervisor before making an application.

The minimum English language entry requirement for research postgraduate research study in the School of Chemical & Process Engineering is an IELTS of 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid.

<p>We are offering a fully funded scholarship to study the project Protein assembled advanced magnetic meta-materials, at the School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds for one UK fee status candidate. The funding covers UK tuition fees as well as a UKRI matched maintenance stipend (currently £21,805 in 2026/27) per year, for three and a half years, subject to satisfactory progress.</p> <p><strong>Eligibility Criteria</strong></p> <ul> <li>Applicants must be eligible to pay fees at the Home (UK) rate.</li> </ul> <p>If you are unsure whether you are eligible for UK fees/funding, please see our <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/undergraduate-fees/doc/fee-assessment">fee assessment page</a>.</p>

<p>For further information please contact the admissions team <a href="mailto:phd@engineering.leeds.ac.uk">phd@engineering.leeds.ac.uk</a> or Dr Timothy Moorsom <a href="mailto:T.Moosom@leeds.ac.uk">T.Moosom@leeds.ac.uk</a>.</p>