Designing layered nuclear fuel systems improved understanding of Cr-X and Cr-Nb-X alloys

About the project

Accident tolerant fuel systems are being developed to improve the safety and longevity of nuclear reactors. One promising option is a chromium-based coating applied to the fuel cladding, which can limit oxidation during a loss‑of‑coolant accident and extend the useful lifetime of the fuel.

We are looking for applicants eager to push this concept forward through materials design and development of new layered alloy systems for nuclear power. The successful candidate will apply state‑of‑the‑art computational approaches, combining atomistic (density functional theory) simulations with CALPHAD phase diagram modelling to accelerate materials design and application.

In this project, you will design high‑performance materials from layered fuel systems and tackle real knowledge gaps in the composition‑dependent properties of chromium alloy (Cr‑X) and chromium‑niobium alloy (Cr‑Nb‑X) systems.

Phase diagrams are a powerful and elegant way to capture this information, and through this PhD you will become one of the few people who can build and read them fluently. They make targeted materials design possible: a map to guide scientists and engineers through a landscape of property and microstructure relationships, charting how these shift across the terrain of composition and processing conditions.

You will learn to navigate that landscape, and then to map it yourself.

This fully‑funded four‑year PhD studentship is offered in the Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor University under the supervision of Dr. Tessa Davey, with support from UKRI and Westinghouse Electric Company UK Ltd.

This 4‑year PhD studentship has a tax‑free stipend at the standard UKRI rate (£21,805 for 2026/27, and expected to increase annually).

The start date is October 2026.

It is expected that there will be a 3‑month placement with Westinghouse during the PhD, providing a valuable opportunity to gain deeper insights into how the nuclear industry operates.

The studentship also comes with access to additional funding in the form of a research training support grant which is available to fund research activities including training events, conference attendance, and placements. Students are also supported by the UKRI family leave and pastoral provisions that apply to UKRI‑funded studentships, including maternity, paternity, adoption and neonatal care leave.

A first‑class or 2:1 degree in a relevant STEM subject (e.g. Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, or Mathematics) is preferred. Equivalent industrial experience will also be considered during the eligibility assessment.

Students are required to be able to achieve MoD Enhanced BPSS status, as a condition of ongoing enrolment and funding. Due to conditions of funding, applicants must have Home Fees status and be eligible to work in the UK nuclear industry upon graduation.

We strongly recommend that you contact the supervisors for this project before you apply. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

For informal enquiries, contact Dr. Tessa Davey at

Formal applications will be made through the Bangor University portal.