Project Position

BSc/MSc Project Positions

Project positions are open in the MAVENs group for students in the penultimate years of their BSc or MSc.

Project Areas

All projects in the group map onto one of three active research pillars:

  • Disorder and magnetism — DFT and KKR-CPA calculations of exchange interactions, magnetic transition temperatures, and magnetocaloric response in disordered alloys. Entry point for most new students; the method stack is validated and the problems are well-posed.
  • Disorder and coherence — first-principles electronic structure of defect centres in oxide materials, feeding into spin Hamiltonian extraction and coherence modelling. Requires comfort with DFT+U and multi-tool workflows.
  • Disorder and catalysis in MXenes — special quasirandom structure generation and ensemble DFT to study how configurational disorder shifts catalytic properties. Computationally intensive but methodologically straightforward.

Every project is mapped to one of these pillars before it starts. The specific problem is decided after an initial discussion based on your background and the group’s current priorities.

Eligibility

  • Ongoing BSc or MSc (or equivalent) in Physics, Materials Science, Chemistry, or Computer Science
  • Some exposure to quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, or numerical methods
  • Familiarity with Python is helpful but not required — you will pick it up if you don’t have it

What We Expect

  • A minimum commitment of three semesters. We do not take students for a single semester — meaningful research is not possible on that timescale, and it is not fair to either of us to start something we cannot finish.
  • Willingness to read difficult material, debug things that break, and write up your work as you go.
  • Honesty about what you do and don’t understand.

How to Apply

Write to me with your details and a short note on what about the group’s work interests you. Before applying, read the Joining MAVENs page — it covers what working here actually looks like.

Deadline

For projects starting in the 2027 academic year, apply by 30 June 2026.