Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Salary: £24,961 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed-Term, 12 months
Hours: Full-time, 37 hours
Location: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus Didcot, OX11 0QX
Closing Date: Sunday, 19th October 2025
Interview Date: Dec 2025 / Jan 2026
Start Date: September 2026
Within STFC, ISIS is a world-leading facility for scientific research using neutron scattering and muon spectroscopy, with a strong scientific user programme and extensive global links. We support a national and international community of more than 2000 scientists who are conducting research into subjects ranging from life sciences, clean energy, and the environment, through to nanotechnology, materials engineering, and IT, as well as fundamental physics and chemistry investigations.
The Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) Group at ISIS operates four neutron scattering diffractometers in close collaboration with the Support Laboratories Group. The latter hosts a suite of facilities including chemistry, materials characterisation and biology laboratories for scientists to prepare and examine their samples complementarily to their SANS studies. Amongst the characterisation facilities, rheology is an important technique to evaluate the flow and deformation of soft materials. The mechanical properties thus determined are a direct manifestation of the underlying structural changes, especially at the length scales of interest to SANS. Therefore, Flow-SANS studies are essential to investigate the structure-property relationships in soft materials. While we have established a portfolio of shear-flow-based SANS (standard rheometry, microfluidics, stopped-flow, capillary) at ISIS, the development of extensional flow-SANS has not been explored.
Thus, the goal of this project is to develop in-house capabilities to perform extensional Flow-SANS studies at ISIS with the available instrumentation. Different protocols, namely uniaxial extension, creep recovery/stress relaxation post extension, and dynamic mechanical analysis at a wide temperature window, can be explored. Coupled with SANS, one can obtain information about the molecular structure, branching, and morphological changes corresponding to macroscopic behaviour such as ductility, brittleness and buckling of soft solids. Such studies find relevance in various industrial operations ranging from polymer melt and composite processing, stability testing of biofilms/membranes and coatings, to performance testing of thin films in battery applications. The project offers a unique opportunity to combine two different fields of research, i.e. rheology and scattering, to address important performance aspects of soft materials. It is anticipated that the work will result in at least one peer-reviewed publication.
Brief overview of the scheme
STFC's incredibly diverse range of placements allow you to work alongside world leading engineers, scientists and technicians in highly collaborative environments. Whichever you choose, you'll become a critical member of the team in which you will be exposed to exciting projects and challenges from the start. You'll be supported every step of the way by our dedicated Graduate Development Team who will also ensure you benefit from a range of personal development opportunities.
About the role and a summary of key duties & responsibilities
The work will include:
* Offline operation of the extensional accessory on the ISIS rheometer, and standardization of procedures. This includes optimization of sample conditioning, experimental protocols, and input/output variables.
* Commissioning and testing of the extensional rheometer on the ISIS TS2 SANS instruments. This deals with rheometer alignment, beam centering, instrument communication, and data interpretation.
* Specification of relevant sample preparation protocols for soft materials (polymers, colloids, biological systems, etc).
The project will be primarily carried out within the ISIS SANS group and will benefit from the expertise within the Soft Matter Section of the Sample Environment Group and the ISIS Laboratories. Full technical and scientific support will be provided to the student for the duration of the placement.
Person Specification
The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).
Essential:
* Currently enrolled on an undergraduate degree course and returning to university/studies to complete your undergraduate degree following the placement (S)
* Are required or have requested to take an industrial placement year (S)
* Have the right to live and work in the UK for the duration of the placement (S)
* Able to commence employment in summer 2026 (S)
* Studying for a degree in physics, physical chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering or a related discipline with a strong academic record (S)
* Have a demonstrable understanding of rheology and soft materials - either from previous employment or from practical classes (S&I)
* Familiarity with X-ray or neutron scattering, particularly small-angle or/and diffraction.
* Demonstrate an understanding of Health and Safety in the Laboratory (S&I)
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (I)
* Ability to work as part of a wider team, as well as on own initiative (I)
Desirable:
* Basic awareness of project context (I)
* Evidence of independent chem/bio-lab work from e.g. previous summer placement (S & I)
Employee Benefits:
* 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days).
* Flexible working hours.
* An excellent defined average salary pension scheme.
* Easily accessible public transport links/ free parking.
* Excellent learning and development opportunities.
* Cycle to work scheme.
Link to more benefits: https://stfccareers.co.uk/rewards-and-benefits/
As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK. You can check your eligibility here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y
Application Guidance
Please note that we can only accept a maximum of 2 applications per candidate.
Part of our application process involves submitting your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should address your suitability for the opportunity based how you meet each essential criteria stated in this advert.
Please note that we hold the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received.
We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us.
What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side? Join us and discover what's possible!
UKRI - UK Research and Innovation
UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.
Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.
More information can be found at www.ukri.org .
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI .
How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit 'How we support EDI in the workforce'.
Disability Confident Employer
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all applicants with a disability who opt into the disability confident scheme and meet the minimum criteria for the role. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
How to apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council is a world-leading multi-disciplinary science organisation where curiosity-driven, blue-skies thinking meets practical, application-led science and engineering. Our goal is to deliver economic, societal, scientific and international benefits to the UK and its people - and more broadly to the world.
One of Europe's largest research organisations, we're trusted to support, enable and undertake cutting-edge projects in an amazing diversity of fields. Through world-class facilities and people, we're driving ground-breaking advances in science, engineering, computing and technology. Our research seeks to understand the Universe from the largest astronomical scales to the tiniest constituents of matter, yet creates impact on a very tangible, human scale.
For more information about STFC please visit https://stfc.ukri.org/
You can also visit our careers site https://www.stfccareers.co.uk/