DPhil in Materials
Course Code | 002470
MSc by Research in Materials
Course Code | 002480
The Department of Materials is one of the top-ranked materials departments in the UK. Its vibrant research school consists of around 25 academic staff, 13 Senior Research Fellows, and around 150 research students and 50 post-doctoral researchers. Research students come from a wide diversity of backgrounds being graduates in the traditional subjects of materials science, physics, chemistry and engineering and also mathematics, earth sciences and biology.
Research interests of the Department extend over most branches of materials science, as well as some aspects of solid state physics and chemistry: they include the study of a wide range of materials of relevance in advanced technological applications, including metals and alloys, composites, semi- and super-conductors, polymers, biomaterials, ceramics and materials for quantum information processing.
Much of the research is carried out in close collaboration with industry. World-leading research takes place on:
- the characterisation of materials, where there is emphasis on electron microscopy and related techniques;
- processing and manufacturing of materials;
- modelling of materials, where there is attention to both structures and processes,
- properties of materials; and
- quantum information processing, which includes groups working on experimental studies, theory and modelling.
Each of the department's research groups works within one or more of our seven broad themes of:
- Structural and nuclear materials
- Device materials
- Polymers and biomaterials
- Nanomaterials
- Processing and manufacturing
- Characterisation
- Computational materials modelling
In the UK Government’s most recent assessment of research excellence in UK universities, the 2008 RAE, Oxford Materials was one of the top-rated materials departments in the country. All eligible academic staff and 14 early career researchers (Royal Society URFs, RAEng Fellows and similar post-doctoral fellows) were submitted for assessment and 80% of our activity was judged to be in the highest categories of excellence (Grades 4* & 3*; respectively ‘world-leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’).
The current research programmes are summarised in the Department’s Researches in Progress, an electronic version of which is available at the Materials website.
Research areas include:
- Renewable energy
Hydrogen storage
Fusion reactors
Polymer photovoltaics - Structures and mechanical properties of metals and alloys
Nanocrystalline materials
Mechanical properties of strong solids, metals and alloys
Intermetallics
Materials for fusion and fission reactors
Superalloys - Non-metallic materials
Composites
Biomedical materials, including tissue scaffolds and drug delivery
Polymers
Packaging materials
Nanobiomaterials
Nanotubes - Electronic materials and devices
Superconducting materials
Semiconducting materials
Photovoltaics
Display materials
Nanoelectronics
Optoelectronics
Nanomanufacturing - Processing and manufacturing
Solidification
Nanocrystalline materials
Ceramic and metallic composites
Joining
Process modelling - Phase transformations, surfaces and interfaces
Phase transformations and stability of microstructure
Oxidation and corrosion
Structure and properties of interfaces
Surface reactions and catalysis
Radiation damage
Surface engineering - Characterisation
Scanning tunnelling and atomic force microscopy
Field-ion microscopy and atom probe microanalysis
Transmission electron microscopy and diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis
Acoustic microscopy - Modelling and simulation
Atomic level studies of structure, properties and processes in metals, intermetallics, semiconductors, superconductors, photovoltaics, ceramics and polymers
Microstructural level studies of fracture and phase transformations
Macroscopic level studies of processing
Image analysis and interpretation
Solid state NMR
- Materials science-based archaeology
- Quantum information processing (QIP)
Experimental, theory and modelling projects
Materials for use in quantum computers, including:- fullerenes
- carbon nanotubes
- DNA scaffolds
- NV@diamond
How to ApplyThe deadlines for the DPhil and MSc (R) courses are 22 November 2013, 24 January 2014 and 14 March 2014. Applications may also be accepted at any time thereafter if places and
projects remain available. Overseas applicants are advised to apply by the November deadline. Before
submitting an application you are strongly encouraged to contact the
Department of Materials’ Graduate Studies Secretary for advice and
assistance. Please see the guidance on the Materials website. The standard set of materials you should send
with any application to a research course comprises: The research proposal for applicants to the DPhil and MSc (R) in Materials should comprise: - List
of research topics and supervisors - list up to 6 research topics and
supervisors in order of preference from the list at the Materials Department website
- Outline
of research interests - in no more than 400 words, outline your
research interests and indicate clearly how these relate to the projects
you have listed.
- Please note the department does not require
applicants to submit a detailed research plan
Please follow the detailed
instructions in the Application
Guide, and
consult the Materials website
for any additional guidance. |