Inorganic Materials for Advanced Manufacturing (EPSRC CDT) (Taught)

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2025). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.

The EPSRC CDT in Inorganic Materials for Advanced Manufacturing (IMAT) offers a four-year doctoral course focusing on the design, synthesis and characterisation of new inorganic materials and features integrated academic/industrial courses.

The IMAT CDT aims to train the next generation of doctoral scientists in the design, synthesis and characterisation of inorganic materials relevant to the future prosperity of the manufacturing sector. The course covers all aspects of the utilisation of raw materials, process chemistry and product delivery, and substantive projects spanning the breadth of inorganic chemistry and materials science.

The course has been designed in collaboration with 19 industrial partners representing a range of business sizes and technological expertise, in order to provide a holistic understanding of all aspects of the advanced materials manufacturing process.

The IMAT CDT uses a cohort-based training model, allied to training incorporating faculty, industry and peer-led components, to deliver scientists with:

• a broad spectrum training across the interface between inorganic materials and manufacturing; and

• in-depth expertise in one specific stream (raw materials, process or product).

Course structure
You will be trained in a single cohort initially (in the first six months) through a series of compulsory taught courses covering a wide range of topics in inorganic materials, and a short industrial internship. A tailored introductory programme will cover fundamentals in chemistry and materials.

You will also conduct an eight-week industrial internship during the second term of year one. Accommodation and travel expenses will be funded by the CDT. Industrial internships will provide you with the opportunity to work closely at the sites of the University's IMAT industrial partners. You will work within industry teams at sites across the UK, or abroad, and experience the demands and expectations of diverse end-users and customers.

From the second half of year one, you will focus primarily on your substantive research project, which you will have chosen before the start of your course.

During all four years of the course you will receive a tailored programme designed to broaden your research and professional skills. The course expects to have strong engagement with industry, with regular visits and interactions with industrial partners.