This PhD position on Physical Properties of Cellulose Suspensions for Food Applications is part of a European-wide Doctoral Network on Edible Soft Matter , funded by the European Union under the framework of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme.
The international, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral network gathers together leading experts in basic and applied soft matter and food sciences to train a new generation of young researchers, regulators, consultants and project leaders by providing them with a unique expertise in the design, production and quality assessment of innovative plant-based food products.
This post is full-time (35 hours per week) and fixed term for 3 years.
Your skills and attributes for success
- MSc or equivalent in Physics, Physical Chemistry, Engineering or Materials Science with a solid training in experimental techniques, data analysis with desirable knowledge of material characterisation, rheology and imaging.
- Scientific interest, dedication to research and career goal to work in physical science research
- Appreciation for interdisciplinarity and proactive drive to collaborate across fields
- Proficiency in English, good communication skill and social competence
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Application information
To be eligible for this post, you cannot have lived in UK for more than 12 months in the previous 36 months. Please ensure you include the following documents in your application:
- cv
- Cover letter
In addition to the University of Edinburgh website, applicants must also apply via the ESM website.
What we offer
As a valued member of our team you can expect:
- Weekly supervisory meetings with local team and industrial supervisor.
- Placement opportunities with the industrial partner (Fiberlean, in Cornwall) and academic partner (CNRS, in Montpellier, France)
- Attendance at international meetings and workshops
- An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
- To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
Championing equality, diversity and inclusion
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.
The School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce, and eliminating discrimination.
The School strives to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace for all and we are looking to actively diversify our staff. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and in particular encourage applications from people of colour, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people and other minority and under-represented groups. We aim to ensure that our culture and systems support flexible and family-friendly working, as evidenced by our Juno Champion and Athena SWAN Silver awards.
Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant.
Key dates to note
The closing date for applications is 30 May 2025.
Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.
Interviews will be held 30 June 2025.
About us
As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.
The School of Physics and Astronomy is in the College of Science and Engineering and comprises the Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics (IPNP), the Institute for Condensed Matter and Complex Systems (ICMCS) and the Institute for Astronomy (IfA). We have around 100 academic staff, over 120 research staff and around 65 professional services staff.
The School of Physics and Astronomy was ranked 4th in the UK and 1st in Scotland in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 listing for the quality, scale and breadth of its research by Times Higher Education. Consistently ranked within the top 20 physics departments worldwide, these results confirm the exceptional performance of our staff, our excellent facilities, and our world-leading research.
The School runs undergraduate programmes at BSc and MPhys level in Physics, Mathematical Physics, Theoretical Physics, Computational Physics, Astrophysics and (jointly with the School of Chemistry) Chemical Physics. The undergraduate programme has flexible entry and exit points, creating courses of variable duration and level. The School accepts around 230 new undergraduates into its programmes each year and has current student populations of over 800 undergraduates, 50 taught postgraduates and 220 research postgraduates.
We aim to ensure that our culture and systems support flexible and family-friendly working and recognise and value diversity across all our staff and students. The School has an active programme offering support and professional development for all staff; providing mentoring, training, and networking opportunities.
The School of Physics and Astronomy holds Athena SWAN Silver and IoP Juno Champion awards, in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality.
