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PhD studentship in EPP

PhD Studentship on Novel Opaque Scintillator Detector R&D and Neutrino Physics (2026)

What you get

• Fully-paid tuition fees for three and a half years.
• A tax-free bursary for living costs for three and a half years (£20,780 per annum in 2025/26).
• Additional financial support is provided to cover short-term and long-term
  travel.
• If you are not a UK national, nor an EU national with UK settled/pre-settled
  status, you will need to apply for a student study visa before admission.

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

PhD project

Applications are invited from talented, creative, and motivated students for a PhD place in Experimental Particle Physics to join the Sussex group working on novel opaque scintillator detector R&D and neutrino physics under the supervision of Prof Jeff Hartnell.

You will have the opportunity to work on the exciting and counter-intuitive idea of using opaque scintillators as particle detectors. Traditionally, light travels through a transparent scintillator to a photosensor. Our approach, called LiquidO, embeds a lattice of optical fibres in an opaque scintillator with a short scattering length. The scintillation photons are stochastically confined close to the point of production via scattering and extracted by the fibres, removing the need for manual segmentation to create high-resolution imaging detectors. There are many applications in particle physics and beyond. Further information can be found here: .

You will join one of the largest groups developing this technology world-wide. Prof Jeff Hartnell co-leads the CLOUD neutrino experiment, which will deploy a 10-ton LiquidO detector 35 metres from Europe’s most powerful nuclear reactor cores at Chooz in France on the timescale of this studentship. The Sussex group also has a strong programme of in-house prototype development, construction, operation and analysis as well as characterisation of different scintillators and fibres.

This project also includes the opportunity to spend an extended period working overseas.

Eligibility

Applicants must hold, or expect to hold, at least a UK upper second class degree (or non-UK equivalent qualification) in Physics/Mathematics, or a closely-related area, or else a lower second class degree followed by a relevant Master's degree.

This award is open to UK and International students.

Deadline

How to apply

Apply through the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½Ó°ÊÓ on-line system. 

/study/phd/apply/log-into-account

Select the PhD in Physics, with an entry date of September 2026.

In the Finance & Fees section, state that you wish to be considered for studentship no EPP4/STFC/2026.

We advise early application as the position will be filled as soon as a suitable applicant can be found. Late applications may be accepted if places are still available.

Due to the high volume of applications received, you may only hear from us if your application is successful.

Contact us

If you have practical questions about the progress of your on-line application or your eligibility, contact FoSEM-PGR@sussex.ac.uk

For academic questions please contact the coordinator of EPP PhD admissions, Dr. W Clark Griffith: W.C.Griffith@sussex.ac.uk

Timetable

We advise early application as the position will be filled as soon as a suitable applicant can be found. Late applications may be accepted if places are still available.