Recent multimillion-pound investment ensures that we are able to offer our postgraduate students access to a wide range of state-of-the-art instrumentation and laboratories as well as staff expertise across a range of specialisms. We focus on the real-world application of our science and are successful in attracting funding not only from the UK research councils, but also from charities and industry.
The School of Chemistry has particularly strong links with the major pharmaceutical, fine chemicals and electronics companies who are also represented on our industrial advisory board. The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 classed 90 per cent of our research as ‘internationally excellent’ or ‘internationally recognised’.
Research is organised in three groupings: chemical nanoscience; structural chemistry and spectroscopy; and synthetic and medicinal chemistry. Inter/multidisciplinary working is important to us and we have strong links with the Faculty of Medical Sciences (via the Northern Institute for Cancer Research), the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and nanoLab, a University research centre in nanoscale science and technology. Our MSc in Drug Chemistry builds on the reputation of the synthetic and medicinal chemistry group and prepares you for research or employment in the sector.
Purpose-built laboratories provide access to equipment for synthesis and nanoscale science, as well as supporting analytical techniques such as NMR, crystallography and high-performance computing for computational chemistry. Specialised equipment is available in individual groups including lasers, probe microscopes, radiochemistry and advanced spectroscopy and chromatographic techniques.
Our PhD provision is highly rated by our current students who, in the 2011 Postgraduate Research Experience Survey, were particularly satisfied with the high standards of supervision, excellent research infrastructure and general intellectual climate at Newcastle. We offer PhD research projects across the breadth of modern chemistry, with particular strengths in medicinal chemistry, catalysis, materials chemistry, nanoscale science, photochemistry and photophysics.
You will find a friendly and supportive international postgraduate atmosphere that encourages work in cutting-edge areas of contemporary science including: the synthesis of life-saving drugs; mimicry of important biological processes; solar power; nanotechnology through the design of molecular-scale devices; and perfection of catalysts important to the fine chemicals, polymer industries and carbon capture technology.
Additional training is provided through the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, which runs a comprehensive programme of research training and continuing professional development modules for research students.