About the Project
Overview:
Join an exciting collaboration between Northumbria University and Sherwin-Williams - the world's largest coatings manufacturer - to solve a multi-million pound challenge affecting global infrastructure. This fully-funded PhD will revolutionise how we understand and control adhesion in protective coatings, directly impacting the safety and longevity of industrial facilities such as storage tanks, offshore platforms and other critical infrastructure.
The Challenge:
Despite meeting all industry specifications when applied, protective coatings can fail catastrophically due to poor adhesion, costing hundreds of millions in remediation while creating significant safety risks. Current surface preparation standards rely on visual inspection and traditional roughness measurements, yet coating adhesion can vary up to 300-500% on surfaces that look identical.
One of the key steps to surface preparation, blast treatment - treating a surface with a gritty substance at high pressure in order to maximise adhesion for incoming coating applications - is critically understudied.
The Project:
You'll be the first researcher to systematically map the surface chemistry of blast-prepared steel using our suite of analytical techniques. By combining surface spectroscopy, advanced microscopy, and machine learning, you'll investigate what really controls adhesion - then use that knowledge to help design next-generation coatings that work reliably regardless of surface preparation variability.
You will work directly with Sherwin-Williams' global R&D team. You'll have access to industrial facilities, proprietary materials, and decades of field performance data in addition to potential placement opportunities at their R&D sites.
You will learn advanced surface characterisation, apply machine learning to surface classification and deploy chemometrics to predict coating performance from surface chemistry.
The Candidate:
We're seeking enthusiastic science graduates (2:1 or above) in Chemistry, Materials Science, or related disciplines with a strong analytical chemistry background (e.g. Forensic Science/Chemistry). Enthusiasm for solving real-world problems, strong analytical thinking, and interest in industrial collaboration are essential. Experience with spectroscopy, polymers, or surface science is advantageous but not required -skills within these fields will be developed during the PhD.
The Opportunity:
This project is fully funded by Sherwin-Williams for three years (full stipend, fees, and research costs and is open to international students) starting October 2026. You'll join the SPIN (Synthesis and Polymer Innovation) research group at Northumbria, working alongside experienced researchers tackling industry-facing sustainability challenges through fundamental science.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Academic excellence i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities with preference for 1st class honours); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
- Appropriate IELTS score, if required.
- Applicants cannot apply if they are already a PhD holder or if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Northumbria or elsewhere.
- Must be able to commit to campus-based full-time or part-time study.
To be classed as a Home student, candidates must: Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or have settled status, or have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or have indefinite leave to remain or enter.
If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student.
Applicants will need to be in the UK and fully enrolled before stipend payments can commence and be aware of the following additional costs that may be incurred, as these are not covered by the studentship.
- Immigration Health Surcharge
- If you need to apply for a Student Visa to enter the UK, please refer to the gov.uk student visa page. It is important that you read this information carefully as it is your responsibility to ensure that you hold the correct funds required for your visa application, otherwise your visa may be refused.
- Costs associated with English Language requirements which may be required for students not having completed a first degree in English, will not be paid by the University.
- International applicants (including EU) need to have their own valid immigration permissions to live and study in the UK if they wish to study on a part-time basis as Northumbria University does not sponsor part-time Student Visas.
For further details on how to apply see the Northumbria University how-to-apply page.
In your application, please include a CV, a personal statement and the advert reference (e.g. EXTERNALFUNDED26/…).
Deadline for applications: 31st August 2026
Start date of course: 1st October 2026
Northumbria University is committed to creating an inclusive culture where we take pride in, and value, the diversity of our postgraduate research students. We encourage and welcome applications from all members of the community.
Academic Enquiries
This project is supervised by Dr. James Railton. For informal queries, please contact james.railton@northumbria.ac.uk. For all other enquiries relating to eligibility or application process please use the email form below to contact Admissions.
This is a Preview Listing…
You must sign in to see the full job description, and to apply.
Manage / Upgrade this job to a Full Job Listing.
Find Your Best Opportunity
Tell them AcademicJobs.com sent you!