Electrify-It: Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network PhD Position (802962)

Salary Range: £50,824.33 (without family allowance) / £56,072.01 (with family allowance)
FTE: 35 hours/week
Contract Type: Fixed Term (36 months)
Closing Date: 07/04/2026

The Role : The Doctoral Candidate (DC) will develop a skeletal mutation methodology for N-atom Insertion into commercial, cheap scaffolds to rapidly access pharmaceutically relevant drug cores. Platforms for electron transfer (photoredox catalysis, anodic oxidation) will be leveraged. A comprehensive programme of training in both technical and soft skills, involving other international partners within the MSCA-DN, will be provided. The DC will spend 2x 3-month stints are partner institutions within the MSCA-DN (currently planned: KTH Sweden & Max Planck Institute, Germany).

Term: Fixed Term (36 months)

Applications are invited for a Doctoral Candidate to work under the supervision of Dr. Joshua Philip Barham at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow). The Strathclyde-based Doctoral Candidate will form part of an international cohort of Doctoral Candidates within a Marie Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) and undergo simultaneous training events throughout the Ph.D.

Pre-requisites for the position are: i) an MSc. in Chemistry (organic) and Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, ii) experience in organic synthesis, iii) expertise in supervising undergraduate students and iv) ability to use analytical techniques in organic synthesis (HPLC, GC-MS). Furthermore, desired expertise includes knowledge of cyclic voltammetry, organic synthesis methodology in post-modification (e.g. late-stage functionalization), and handling of air sensitive reactions or reagents (e.g. glovebox and/or Schlenk-line techniques). A strong track record of presenting science at conferences (poster or oral presentations) is desirable.

The Institution: The Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry hosts ca. 40 academic staff and has research strengths in Catalysis and Synthesis, Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Materials and Computational Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Bio nanotechnology, and Forensic Science. Research facilities include a well-equipped NMR suite with four spectrometers (400 – 600 MHz), and an open-access analytical suite with equipment including GC-FID, GC-MS, and LC-MS.

Formal interviews for this post will be held in April 2026.

Informal enquiries about the post can be directed to Dr. Joshua Philip Barham, Reader ([email protected]).