Why Chemical Engineering at Imperial? 

We offer an advanced 3-4-year research degree that provides in-depth specialist training and knowledge in a topical area pertaining to Chemical Engineering and related Engineering and Science disciplines. The Department has state-of-the-art experimental and computational facilities and is the home of the Automated high-throughput platform suite, the Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering and the Sustainable Futures Lab 

As part of a PhD degree, you will join one of our research groups to work on cutting-edge research under the supervision of one or more academic staff. You will also join a dynamic community of ~220 PhD students and over 100 postdoctoral researchers working on some on of the world’s most pressing issues, from advancing low-carbon energy technology to enabling a zero-pollution economy, and from accelerating vaccine manufacturing to developing innovative medical devices.  

During your PhD, you can expect to develop technical research skills in your chosen research field, while also receiving professional skills training within the Department and the Graduate school. You will become an expert in your field and contribute original research to the academic community. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to work as Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) to get additional teaching experience. 

An inclusive environment fostering research collaboration 

The Department holds a Silver Athena Swan award for good practice in supporting academic women and gender equality renewed in 2024. This award recognises the good practices already in place for supporting women at all stages as well as our commitment to removing barriers to equal progress and achievement. 

Research collaboration is at the heart of fulfilling our mission and we are committed to developing a safe environment of wellbeing and productivity. Here are full details of our values and culture 

Student support 

We foster a supportive environment for our students underpinned by our Student Wellbeing Adviser, Eghosa Atti, the PG tutor, Susi Underwood and the Senior PG Tutor, Professor Martin Trusler. Full details can be found on our student support page.

PhD programme information

Applications

In order to be considered for a PhD in our Department,

you will need to submit your PhD application for admission through the online admissions system. The programme title is 'Chemical Engineering (PhD)'. Your application form must include:

  • Full transcripts of your university studies to date.
  • A personal statement to support your application, which should outline your research interest and experience.
  • A copy of your English Language certificate if applicable. You must meet the College’s English language requirement at the higher level.
  • The contact details of two referees, at least one of whom must be an academic referee, for example your project supervisor or personal tutor.
Financial support and scholarships

Chemical Engineering PhD Scholarships and DTP Studentships

Unless you state specifically in your application that you have already secured funding and do not wish to be considered for any of the College scholarships, you will automatically be considered for the Chemical Engineering PhD Scholarships and any other College-administered scholarships for which you may be eligible.

In addition, there is a limited number of EPSRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) available. These are allocated during the selection process for the Chemical Engineering PhD Scholarships to suitable candidates who fulfil the eligibility criteria set out by EPSRC. Most of these are expected to be allocated in the April round each year.

Funding offered by Academics

Some funding is project specific and therefore linked to specific supervisors. These are usually advertised on our opportunities pagejobs.ac.uk or FindAPhD. You do not need to submit several applications in order to be considered for various projects. If appropriate, you may want to submit a revised personal statement. Once you have submitted an online application, you can be considered for any suitable projects, providing you meet our entry requirements.

Unsuccessful applications for PhD Scholarships that meet our entry requirements for PhD registration can be made available to potential supervisors, in case anyone has suitable funding. Please note that not all these opportunities are advertised, as sometimes suitable candidates can be identified from the pool of existing candidates.

Research areas

The Department adopts an interdisciplinary approach to research, with interests ranging from fundamentals to practical applications.  The research activities of the Department fall into at least one of the following nine research themes:

  • Biomedical engineering and industrial biotechnology
  • Energy and environmental engineering
  • Materials
  • Multiphase transport processes
  • Multi-scale computational chemical engineering
  • Multi-scale thermodynamics and molecular systems
  • Reaction engineering and applied catalysis
  • Separations
  • Soft matter engineering

Find out more on the research themes page.

Key contacts

Chem Eng PhD Team

chem-eng-phd-admin@imperial.ac.uk