Postgraduate research

Research in the School involves worldwide collaborations and the use of leading-edge national and international facilities.

We have an established track record of worldwide collaborations and the use of leading-edge national and international facilities.

You can work alongside staff actively involved in major international collaborations, including the SPIRE instrument consortium for the Herschel satellite and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, which recently made the headlines for its discovery of gravitational waves.

Study with us

As a member of the Russell Group of universities we combine a culture of research excellence with a supportive environment for our postgraduate research students. We offer a wide range of supervised research degree projects including a number of funded opportunities each year.

Funding

Securing funding is likely to be an important consideration for you as a postgraduate. Find out more about our currently available funded research opportunities. The University also offers a number of scholarships and bursaries for students starting their studies.

Our research-intensive profile and reputation enables us to secure funding for doctoral study from a wide range of sources, including UK Research Councils, charities and trusts, governmental bodies and industry. We are currently leading or participating in a range of Doctoral Training Initiatives.

Research projects

We provide supervision and/or research projects in the following areas:

• Astronomy (Observational and Theoretical)
• Astronomy Instrumentation
• Condensed Matter and Photonics
• Gravity Exploration Institute
• Brain Imaging

Undertaking a postgraduate research degree will allow you to become part of the research life of the department and to become an integral part of one of our research groups.

All postgraduate research students are offered the opportunity to undertake demonstrating or marking duties for our undergraduate students. This helps develop your educational skills and improve your CV. You will also have various opportunities to participate in the School's many outreach activities.

Discover more about our postgraduate research degree in Physics and Astronomy.

These are exciting times in Cardiff. Not only will you discover exciting science at its cutting-edge, but you will also be part of a friendly, approachable School, where staff will do their very best to help you develop the skills and abilities which will allow you to be successful in your future career.