phd chemistry jobs reddit

April 19, 2012

What does a Ph.D. in chemistry get you?

By Janet D. Stemwedel

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

A few weeks back, Chemjobber had an interesting post looking at the pros and cons of a PhD program in chemistry at a time when job prospects for PhD chemists are grim. The post was itself a response to a piece in the Chronicle of Higher Education by a neuroscience graduate student named Jon Bardin which advocated strongly that senior grad students look to non-traditional career pathways to have both their Ph.D.s and permanent jobs that might sustain them. Bardin also suggested that graduate students "learn to approach their education as a series of learning opportunities rather than a five-year-long job interview," recognizing the relative luxury of having a "safe environment" in which to learn skills that are reasonably portable and useful in a wide range of career trajectories -- all while taking home a salary (albeit a graduate-stipend sized one).

Chemjobber replied :

Here's what I think Mr. Bardin's essay elides: cost. His Ph.D. education (and mine) were paid for by the US taxpayer. Is this the best deal that the taxpayer can get? As I've said in the past , I think society gets a pretty good deal: they get 5+ years of cheap labor in science, (hopefully) contributions to greater knowledge and, at the end of the process, they get a trained scientist. Usually, that trained scientist can go on to generate new innovations in their independent career in industry or academia. It's long been my supposition that the latter will pay (directly and indirectly) for the former. If that's not the case, is this a bargain that society should continue to support? Mr. Bardin also shows a great deal of insouciance about the costs to himself: what else could he have done, if he hadn't gone to graduate school? When we talk about the costs of getting a Ph.D., I believe that we don't talk enough about the sheer length of time (5+ years) and what other training might have been taken during that time. Opportunity costs matter! An apprenticeship at a microbrewery (likely at a similar (if not higher) pay scale as a graduate student) or a 1 or 2 year teaching certification process easily fits in the half-decade that most of us seem to spend in graduate school. Are the communications skills and the problem-solving skills that he gained worth the time and the (opportunity) cost? Could he have obtained those skills somewhere else for a lower cost?

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Chemjobber also note that while a Ph.D. in chemistry may provide tools for range of careers, actually having a Ph.D. in chemistry on your resume is not necessarily advantageous in securing a job in one of those career.

As you might imagine this is an issue to which I have given some thought. After all, I have a Ph.D. in chemistry and am not currently employed in a job that is at all traditional for a Ph.D. in chemistry. However, given that it has been nearly two decades since I last dipped a toe into the job market for chemistry Ph.D.s, my observations should be taken with a large grain of sodium chloride.

First off, how should one think of a Ph.D. program in chemistry? There are many reasons you might value a Ph.D. program. A Ph.D. program may be something you value primarily because it prepares you for a career of a certain sort. It may also be something you value for what it teaches you, whether about your own fortitude in facing challenges, or about how the knowledge is built. Indeed, it is possible --- maybe even common --- to value your Ph.D. program for more than one of these reasons at a time. And some weeks, you may value it primarily because it seemed like the path of least resistance compared to landing a "real job" right out of college.

I certainly don't think it's the case that valuing one of these aspects of a Ph.D. program over the others is right or wrong. But ...

Economic forces in the world beyond your graduate program might be such that there aren't as many jobs suited to your Ph.D. chemist skills as there are Ph.D. chemists competing for those jobs. Among other things, this means that earning a Ph.D. in chemistry does not guarantee you a job in chemistry on the other end.

To which, as the proud holder of a Ph.D. in philosophy, I am tempted to respond: join the club! Indeed, I daresay that recent college graduates in many, many majors have found themselves in a world where a bachelors degree guarantees little except that the student loans will still need to be repaid.

To be fair, my sense is that the mismatch between supply of Ph.D. chemists and demand for Ph.D. chemists in the workplace is not new. I have a vivid memory of being an undergraduate chemistry major, circa 1988 or 1989, and being told that the world needed more Ph.D. chemists. I have an equally vivid memory of being a first-year chemistry graduate student, in early 1990, and picking up a copy of Chemical & Engineering News in which I read that something like 30% too many Ph.D. chemists were being produced given the number of available jobs for Ph.D. chemists. Had the memo not reached my undergraduate chemistry professors? Or had I not understood the business model inherent in the production of new chemists?

Here, I'm not interested in putting forward a conspiracy theory about how this situation came to be. My point is that even back in the last millennium, those in the know had no reason to believe that making it through a Ph.D. program in chemistry would guarantee your employment as a chemist.

So, what should we say about this situation?

One response to this situation might be to throttle production of Ph.D. chemists.

This might result in a landscape where there is a better chance of getting a Ph.D. chemist job with your Ph.D. in chemistry. But, the market could shift suddenly (up or down). Were this to happen, it would take time to adjust the Ph.D. throughput in response. As well, current PIs would have to adjust to having fewer graduate students to crank out their data. Instead, they might have to pay more technicians and postdocs. Indeed, the number of available postdocs would likely drop once the number of Ph.D.s being produced more closely matched the number of permanent jobs for holders of those Ph.D.s.

Needless to say, this might be a move that the current generation of chemists with permanent positions at the research institutions that train new chemists would find unduly burdensome.

We might also worry about whether the thinning of the herd of chemists ought to happen on the basis of bachelors-level training. Being a successful chemistry major tends to reflect your ability to learn scientific knowledge, but it's not clear to me that this is a great predictor of how good you would be at the project of making new scientific knowledge.

In fact, the thinning of the herd wherever it happens seems to put a weird spin on the process of graduate-level education. Education , after all, tends to aim for something bigger, deeper, and broader than a particular set of job skills. This is not to say that developing skills is not an important part of an education --- it is! But in addition to these skills, one might want an understanding of the field in which one is being educated and its workings. I think this is connected to how being a chemist becomes linked to our identity, a matter of who we are rather than just of what we do.

Looked at this way, we might actually wonder about who could be harmed by throttling Ph.D. program enrollments.

Shouldn't someone who's up for the challenge have that experience open to her, even if there's no guarantee of a job at the other end? As long as people have accurate information with which to form reasonable expectations about their employment prospects, do we want to be paternalistic and tell them they can't?

(There are limits here, of course. There are not unlimited resources for the training of Ph.D. chemists, nor unlimited slots in graduate programs, nor in the academic labs where graduate students might participate meaningfully in research. The point is that maybe these limits are the ones that ought to determine how many people who want to learn how to be chemists get to do that.)

Believe it or not, we had a similar conversation in a graduate seminar filled with first and second year students in my philosophy Ph.D. program. Even philosophy graduate students have an interest in someday finding stable employment, the better to eat regularly and live indoors. Yet my sense was that even the best graduate students in my philosophy Ph.D. program recognized that employment in a job tailor-made for a philosophy Ph.D. was a chancy thing. Certainly, there were opportunity costs to being there. Certainly, there was a chance that one might end up trying to get hired to a job for which having a PhD would be viewed as a disadvantage to getting hired. But the graduate students in my philosophy program had, upon weighing the risks, decided to take the gamble.

How exactly are chemistry graduate students presumed to be different here? Maybe they are placing their bets at a table with higher payoffs, and where the game is more likely to pay off in the first place. But this is still not a situation in which one should expect that everyone is always going to win. Sometimes the house will win instead.

(Who's the house in this metaphor? Is it the PIs who depend on cheap grad-student labor? Universities with hordes of pre-meds who need chemistry TAs and lab instructors? The public that gets a screaming deal on knowledge production when you break it down in terms of price per publishable unit? A public that includes somewhat more members with a clearer idea of how scientific knowledge is built? Specifying the identity of the house is left as an exercise for the reader.)

Maybe the relevant difference between taking a gamble on a philosophy Ph.D. and taking a gamble on a chemistry Ph.D. is that the players in the latter have, purposely or accidentally, not been given accurate information about the odds of the game.

I think it's fair for chemistry graduate students to be angry and cynical about having been misled as far as likely prospects for employment. But given that it's been going on for at least a couple decades (and maybe more), how the hell is it that people in Ph.D. programs haven't already figured out the score? Is it that they expect that they will be the ones awesome enough to get those scarce jobs? Have they really not thought far enough ahead to seek information (maybe even from a disinterested source) about how plausible their life plans are before they turn up at grad school? Could it be that they have decided that they want to be chemists when they grow up without doing sensible things like reading the blogs of chemists at various stages of careers and training?

Presumably, prospective chemistry grad students might want to get ahold of the relevant facts and take account of them in their decision-making. Why this isn't happening is somewhat mysterious to me, but for those who regard their Ph.D. training in chemistry as a means to a career end, it's absolutely crucial -- and trusting the people who stand to benefit from your labors as a graduate student to hook you up with those facts seems not to be the best strategy ever.

And, as I noted in comments on Chemjobber's post , the whole discussion suggests to me that the very best reason to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry is because you want to learn what it is like to build new knowledge in chemistry, in an academic setting. Since being plugged into a particular kind of career (or even job) on the other end is a crap-shoot, if you don't want to learn about this knowledge-building process -- and want it enough to put up with long hours, crummy pay, unrewarding piles of grading, and the like -- then possibly a Ph.D. program is not the best way to spend 5+ years of your life.

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10 Top PhD Programs in Chemistry in 2024

A PhD program in Chemistry can equip you with a range of professional skills and advanced knowledge in the field. With a doctorate in chemistry on your resume, you’ll be able to find prestigious jobs in research labs, industry, academia, or government.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary of chemists and material scientists is $79,760 , and jobs are estimated to grow by 6%  over the next decade, in line with growth prospects for all professions.

Which of the best PhD programs in Chemistry is right for you?

Read on to learn about the best programs, including essential information like tuition, acceptance rates, and whether you can get a degree online or not.

Table of Contents

Top PhD Programs in Chemistry

1. massachusetts institute of technology.

PhD in Chemistry

Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been ranked first in the nation  for Chemistry, so it’s no surprise that this is one of the best PhD in Chemistry programs. The program is flexible because students can choose courses based on their long-term research goals.

• Courses include: Principles of inorganic chemistry, crystal structure refinement, and heterocyclic chemistry.
• Credits: 48
• Duration: 4 years +
• Tuition:  Full funding
• Financial aid: Fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships.
• Delivery: On-campus
• Acceptance rate: 7.3%
• Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts

2. Stanford University, School of Humanities and Sciences

Stanford University is one of the world’s leading research institutions with innovative and flexible programs. This chemistry PhD program is world-class with a cross-disciplinary approach, collaborating with various other departments and institutes.

• Courses include: Advanced inorganic chemistry, organic polyfunctional compounds, and chemical principles.
• Duration: 5 years
• Tuition: Refer tuition page
• Financial aid: Research assistantship, teaching assistantship, fellowships, grants, and loans.
• Acceptance rate: 5.2%
• Location: Stanford, California

3. California Institute of Technology, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Caltech’s Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering is renowned for its large number of faculty members conducting leading research in chemistry, biochemistry, and chemical engineering. This chemistry doctoral program aims to develop students’ creative and original research abilities.

• Courses include: Bioinorganic chemistry, organic reaction mechanisms, and advanced quantum chemistry.
• Duration: 5.5 years average
• Tuition : $56,364
• Financial aid: Scholarships, grants, work-study, fellowships, assistantships, and loans.
• Acceptance rate: 6.7%
• Location: Pasadena, California

4. Harvard University, The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Harvard University’s faculty in the Chemistry and Chemical Biology division includes several Nobel and Welch Award laureates conducting research in various areas of interest in chemistry. In this PhD program for chemistry, students can pursue interdisciplinary research in various institutes and research centers in the Boston area.

• Courses include: Advanced organic chemistry, materials chemistry, and advanced inorganic chemistry.
• Duration: 5-6 years
• Tuition: Full funding
• Financial aid: Scholarships, research assistantships, and fellowships.
• Acceptance rate: 5%

5. Northwestern University, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking that is adaptive, flexible, and practical in the context of the modern world. This chemistry PhD program aims to provide students with a strong foundation in chemistry and valuable exposure to research projects important to wider society.

• Courses include: Organic chemistry, physical/analytical chemistry, and biological chemistry.
• Financial aid: Fellowships, graduate assistantships, and loans.
• Acceptance rate: 9.3%
• Location: Evanston, Illinois

6. Yale University, Department of Chemistry

Yale is one of the most acclaimed universities in the world, with a diverse student population, including 22%  international students from a total of 115 different nations . This flexible PhD chemistry program allows students to choose their areas of study based on their research subjects rather than maintaining a rigid course list.

• Courses include: Fundamentals of transition metal chemistry, bioinorganic spectroscopy, and organic structures & energetics.
• Financial aid: Stipends, fellowships, and grants.
• Acceptance rate: 6.5%
• Location: New Haven, Connecticut

7. The University of Chicago, Department of Chemistry

The chemistry department was one of the University of Chicago’s first departments to be inaugurated and currently has a strong faculty in organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry, as well as interdisciplinary studies. This is also one of the most flexible Chemistry PhD programs in the country, allowing you to study from different departments as well as giving you the freedom to choose your areas of study.

• Courses include: Complex chemical systems, chemical biology, and chemical dynamics.
• Tuition : $63,936
• Financial aid: Fellowships, research assistantships, health insurance, grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans.
• Location: Chicago, Illinois

8. Princeton University, Department of Chemistry

Princeton University’s prestigious Frick Chemistry Laboratory encourages faculty and students to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research in the field. This doctorate degree in chemistry encourages students to pursue individualized studies and conduct original research in specific areas of chemistry.

• Courses include: Advanced quantum chemistry, biophysical chemistry, and synthetic organic chemistry.
• Tuition : $57,410
• Financial aid: Assistantships, fellowships, work-study, veteran benefits, and loans.
• Acceptance rate: 5.6%
• Location: Princeton, New Jersey

9. The University of California, Berkeley, College of Chemistry

The University of California was founded with a vision for a better future and is well-known as a pioneer in various areas, including diversity and free speech. This graduate program offers three concentrations: physical chemistry, synthetic chemistry, and chemical biology.

• Courses include: Chemical kinetics, coordination chemistry, and organic reactions.
• Tuition : $14,476
• Financial aid: Fellowships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, grants, and loans.
• Acceptance rate: 17.5%
• Location: Berkeley, California

10. Cornell University, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Cornell’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology has a history of discovery and innovation and boasts Nobel laureates as well as National Academy Members among its faculty. The TATP (Teaching Assistant Training Program) is an integral part of this PhD program, and a satisfactory performance in this program is a mandatory part of the doctorate.

• Courses include: Engineering general chemistry, principles of organic chemistry, and physical chemistry of proteins.
• Financial aid: Teaching assistantship, research assistantship, fellowships, grants, stipend, and health insurance.
• Acceptance rate: 10.7%
• Location: Ithaca, New York

What Do You Need To Get a PhD in Chemistry?

To be admitted as a PhD candidate , you’ll generally need a master’s in chemistry or a related field. As part of the application process, you’ll typically need to submit academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and a personal statement or research proposal.

Other documentation may be required depending on the program you want to apply for, so check the requirements with the admissions office.

Most PhD in chemistry programs involve a mix of coursework, which may cover chemistry courses and related sciences, and a research thesis or dissertation.

To earn your doctorate in chemistry, you typically also need to participate in seminars, pass oral and written exams, and complete a teaching assistantship.

Preparing for a Chemistry Doctorate Program

A PhD in chemistry is a technical, relatively-difficult advanced degree, so it’s important to prepare well to get the best results. Ahead of commencing, or even applying for the program, familiarize yourself with the latest developments and research in the field.

It can be a good idea to join professional associations, take advantage of other networking opportunities, and seek out extra-curricular activities in the field. Practical experience can also be very valuable, so try to work in a lab if possible.

Things To Consider When Choosing a Chemistry PhD Program

There are a range of chemistry doctorate programs offered by different institutions and covering several different concentrations. Before choosing the right program for you, it’s important to carefully consider your interests, passions, and career goals in order to decide on your preferred area of study.

From there, look for strong programs in this discipline with renowned faculty specializing in your area of interest.

Other key factors to consider include the following:

• Mode of delivery: on-campus, online, or hybrid
• School location, accessibility, and affordability to live in the area if you’re planning on studying on campus
• Program costs, including not only tuition but also fees and other expenses
• Financial aid options

Why Get a Doctorate in Chemistry?

A PhD in chemistry is one of the most in-demand and highest-paying PhDs . Graduates with a PhD chemistry are highly employable, with most finding roles in private industry. According to Duke University , from their 242 candidates, 118 were employed in business/industry, and Boston University  also tells us that most PhD Chemistry holders are employed in the private sector.

The benefits of studying for a doctorate in chemistry include:

• High level of prestige
• Many chemistry PhD programs are fully-funded or offer access significant to financial aid
• Wide range of job prospects in academia, research, and management
• Access to senior leadership positions and opportunities to manage research projects

Jobs you can land with a PhD in Chemistry include:

• Post-doctoral Research Assistant ( $52,672 )
• Chemical Materials Scientist ( $130,008 )
• Professor of Chemistry ( $94,914 )
• Development Chemist ( $59,802 )
• Director of Research ( $107,150 )

The tuition for a PhD in chemistry can range from $10,000 to $70,000 based on various factors, with public schools being much more affordable than private schools. On top of tuition, you also need to consider other expenses, such as fees, study materials, and living expenses. However, many chemistry doctorates offer scholarships, grants, and even full funding.

For most programs, you’ll take around five years to complete a chemistry PhD when studying full-time. However, it can take up to seven years or even longer in some cases.

What Skills Do You Gain When Doing a Ph.D. in Chemistry?

You’ll build a range of advanced skills as part of a PhD in Chemistry program, most notably:

• Research skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Mentoring and teaching skills
• Leadership skills
• Organizational skills

PhD in Chemistry FAQs

How long does a phd in chemistry take.

A PhD in Chemistry takes five years to complete on average, though the duration can typically be anywhere between three and seven years.

Which Field of Chemistry Is Best for a PhD?

There is no single field that is best for a PhD in Chemistry. The best option for you will depend on your preferences, interests, and career ambitions. Common specializations include organic,         inorganic, physical, analytical, and computational chemistry.

What Can You Do With a PhD in Chemistry?

A PhD in chemistry is typically considered the most advanced degree in this scientific field and opens up a range of positions in academia, research, and the private sector. Positions for graduates with PhD doctorates include lecturers, professors, research leaders, environmental scientists, and materials scientists.

Is It Hard To Get a PhD in Chemistry?

Given that chemistry is a highly technical field and a PhD is an advanced degree, it’s not surprising that a PhD in chemistry is an in-depth, involved, and relatively-challenging degree. There’s no denying that you’ll need a background in the field and a certain degree of dedication to earn your doctorate in chemistry, but it’s certainly not impossible with some hard work and a little passion!

Key Takeaways

A PhD in chemistry is a valuable, advanced degree that opens up a wide range of career prospects, including senior-level positions in research, industry, and academia. There are a number of high-quality PhD programs in chemistry offered by renowned institutions across the country, covering a range of disciplines and including both on-campus and online programs .

Be clear on your areas of interest and career objectives, do your research to choose the best program for you, and you can’t go wrong!

For more options, look at our guide to the best online PhD programs , or if you’re ready to start preparing your application, check out our ultimate grad school test guide .

Lisa Marlin

Lisa is a full-time writer specializing in career advice, further education, and personal development. She works from all over the world, and when not writing you'll find her hiking, practicing yoga, or enjoying a glass of Malbec.

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Careers support

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Careers Support: Careers outside academia

Many PhD students or those with post-doctoral research experience take the opportunity to develop their research careers away from universities.

If this appeals to you, there's information about some of the options and useful links below.

On this page

How we can support you Searching for research jobs Scientific opportunities for chemical scientists Other opportunities using data handling & analytical skills

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Getting involved with our interest groups and divisions offer excellent networking opportunities to explore your career options.

Mentoring  – if you have just moved into a new role in industry or you are considering taking this step you may benefit from having a mentor. Their experience can help you develop in the new role.

Contact our career management team for more detailed and tailored advice

Searching for research jobs

For some jobs a PhD isn’t a requirement, and if you do hold one, it won’t always lead to a higher level role unless you have specialist knowledge the employer is looking for.

You need to be able to show how the experience you have gained from doing a PhD or post-doctoral research is relevant to the job you are applying for. This could be technical knowledge and/or other skills.

Converting your skills from an academic environment into the world outside can take some practice, but it’s worth taking time to think about this.

For more information on how to search for jobs visit our job seeking page.

Scientific opportunities for chemical scientists

There are a number of options for developing a career in research. Vitae, the UK website for researchers, has a useful article on careers for researchers outside academia  it covers all sectors.

Commercial research and development (R&D)

The pace is faster than academia, with less emphasis on the purity of the research and more on trying to achieve a commercial end goal. It can sometimes mean you have less control over the direction of your research.

Projects tend to be more dynamic, and you'll change project more often, giving you the opportunity to work on a wider range of projects in a shorter time. This offers an opportunity to build up your experience and technical knowledge much more quickly.

R&D into new substances or products provides opportunities for chemical scientists in a wide range of industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, gas and oil, sustainable energy, environmental clean-up and protection, and in manufacturing industries raning from aerospace to textiles or food. These opportunities arise across all sorts of companies, from large multinationals to smaller or medium size enterprises, to new start-ups and spin outs from universities. 

Pharmaceuticals

Making the transition to an R&D role in the pharmaceutical industry (2017)   - article with application tips and an outline of what to expect

Working in the industry  - overview of the types of work for chemists in pharmaceutical R&D

Pharmaceutical companies - list compiled by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry 

Biotechnology

BioPharmGuy contains a Biotech company directory of the UK

Energy Jobs contains chemistry research roles across oil and gas, nuclear and renewables.

Renewables Energy jobs

Rigzone includes research roles in oil and gas

Nuclear sector roles

FoodManJobs  lists roles and opportunities in food product development

Associate principal scientist, food - listen to a food chemist explain what they do

Small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs)

Chemistry Council UK companies directory  where you can find small to medium companies with a research angle

Research Institutes

Some of these are run by government while others hold charitable status and carry out research in many different areas, particularly in the medical and healthcare fields – for example, the Institute of Cancer Research and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.

Government scientific research institutes

Diamond Light Source , the UK's national synchrotron science facility

Quadrum Research Institute  a centre for food and health research

National Nuclear Laboratory

Institute of Cancer Research

Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

John Innes Centre , independent centre for research and training in plant and microbial science.

Science policy

Many types of organisations commission or carry out research, or are heavily involved in supporting science. These may be in government departments such as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, or policy shapers – for example, think tanks.

Other types of organisations – such as NGOs, charities and campaigning groups – are reliant on the outputs of scientific research, and so employ scientists to help them make use of that research.

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Think tanks Register of charities

Technical consulting companies & contract research organisations (CROs)

These organisations are involved in the development of new products or services for larger companies and often employ chemical scientists to carry out this work.

Here are some examples of CRO companies

Covance  

Charles River Laboratories  

Eurofins  

Evotec  

Science communication and writing

Scientific communication and writing jobs can range from helping non-scientists to understand science, to scientific journalism, writing and publishing. There are also opportunities for writing in technical marketing – for example, medical communication roles. Job roles include science journalism, public relations, museum education, events organisation and project management. 

They are employed by organisations including scientific and popular journals, newspapers, radio and television outlets, chemical science companies, and not-for-profits.

ChemCareers webinar: A career in science communication, 2018 - advice on how to develop a career in science communication from writers and public engagement specialists.

Public engagement

British Science Association  – is a charity which aims to make science a fundamental part of culture and society.  It organises various events, including an annual science communication conference and lots more.

STEMPRA (professional body for SciComm) - Network for science communications and PR

BIG - STEM Communicators Network 

National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement  

Science writing and journalism

Association of British Science Writers   are an association of science writers, journalists, broadcasters and communications professionals. The website provides information and advice on getting into this career, as well as job listings, membership directory and more.

European Medical Writers Association   a network of professionals that represents, supports and trains medical communicators in Europe

Working in scientific publishing case study from a professional publisher describing how she got into the job and the required skills

Technology transfer

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships  offer opportunities for graduates and postgraduates to help companies to innovate using the latest research.

Other opportunities using data skills

As a chemical scientist you’ll be used to handling and analysing large volumes of data; these skills can open up opportunities for you in other non-scientific areas.

The financial sector is one of the largest contributors to UK GDP, and offers numerous opportunities for chemical scientists to apply their knowledge of analysing and modelling data. The efinancial careers site lists many of these roles.

Management consultants often recruit chemical scientists due to their numerical and problem-solving skills.

Other sectors, such as the environment, healthcare, retail and marketing also offer opportunities for working with and analysing large data sets. 

If you want to explore these career options in more detail, contact our career management team for a consultation.

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PhD Position in Materials Chemistry at Dublin City University, Ireland

PhD Position in Materials Chemistry: The Giordani group at Dublin City University (DCU) is offering a fully-funded PhD position in the fields of Materials Chemistry and Nanotechnology. This position focuses on developing biocompatible nano-platforms for biomedical applications. The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team, participate in cutting-edge research, and have opportunities for international collaborations.

PhD Position in Materials Chemistry and Nanotechnology at Dublin City University

Designation

PhD Position

Research Area

Materials Chemistry, Nanotechnology

Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland

Eligibility/Qualification

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field ( organic chemistry, materials chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, physical chemistry, or related disciplines )
• Strong research skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research and nano-medicine
• Willingness to travel nationally and internationally for conferences and collaborative work

Job Description

• Collaborate on the design, synthesis, and characterization of carbon nanoparticles
• Present research findings at conferences and seminars
• Publish results in scientific journals
• Engage in outreach activities
• Perform routine administrative tasks to ensure project completion
• Supervise and teach undergraduate students occasionally
• Plan research activities and coordinate with the research group
• Build internal and external networks for collaboration

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit the following documents to Professor Silvia Giordani via email at [email protected] , mentioning “PhD 2024 application” in the subject line:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV) detailing academic and research experience
• Cover letter describing research interests and motivation for applying
• Names and contact information for at least two academic or professional references

Last Date to Apply

9th June 2024

1st September 2024 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

For further inquiries, please contact Professor Silvia Giordani at [email protected] .

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Graduate Development Chemist Gloucester 2024

Due to continued growth we are looking for a Graduate Development Chemist. 

The primary function of the Graduate Development Chemist is to support New Product Development. The role involves formulating new products and identifying and implementing improvements into our existing processes and materials that will improve performance, reduce cost and allow new markets to be targeted. Where directed, the role will also include the project management of the development projects, delivering to time, cost and quality requirements.

The ideal candidate will need to be able to work independently from minimal inputs/instructions, and work to a high degree of accuracy.  You will be communicating with all areas of the business and be health and safety conscious.  

Technical Duties

• Assist in the development and evaluation of new materials, products and processes, being primarily concerned with the formulation of new products to meet customer requirements.
• Re-formulation of existing products for performance or cost benefits.
• Assessment of new raw material suitability.
• Sample preparation and testing in line with industry specifications.
• Where instructed lead the developments technically and / or provide Project Management. To be undertaken in accordance with the NPD Stage Gate process.
• Arrange and participate in the preparation of such material samples as are necessary to meet Company’s qualification requirements.
• Write technical reports to a standard necessary for publication to clients.

Quality Management

• Ensure that all activities undertaken are carried out in a safe manner and in accordance with the company and legislative procedures. 
• Assessment of the suitability of risk assessments for tasks undertaken. To include the implementation of new safe working procedures where necessary.
• Ensure that environmental and quality procedures are adhered to at all times; report any bad practices.

Essential Criteria

• Batchelor’s degree or higher in Chemistry or related subject

Preferred/Desirable Criteria

• Hands on experience in a professional lab setting
• Experience in polymers or fire retardants
• Experience in writing and following COSHH and risk assessments

Pay & benefits

• Salary dependent upon experience
• 15% bonus scheme
• 6% pension contributions (matched)
• Life insurance 4x annual salary
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Access to lifestyle benefits website
• Access to well-being programmes
• Free parking on site
• Our vision is to be globally recognised as the most technically advanced provider of fire protection, insultation and marine products, working closley with customers to deliver innovative, effective and sustainable solutions.
• Our purpose is to make the world a safer place by protecting life, infastructure and vital assets on land and sea.
• Our mission is to harness our skills and knowledge to diversify and grow, combining bold thinking and world class expertise to create a range of products with strong appeal for individual markets, while forming part of an integrated family of solutions.
• We are responsible. We use our influence wisely. We own our actions and are answerable for them.
• We are perceptive. We bring our experience and expertise to bear, always perceptive in spotting the right opportunities and then making them count.
• We are candid. We are open and straight-forward in our dealings with customers and amongst ourselves. We create honest relationships.
• We are fearless. There are no old paths to new directions. We believe in innovation and are fearless in our approach to problem solving.

AIS is a global leader in the engineering, manufacture and application of insulation and passive fire protection systems, as well as buoyancy and SURF (subsea, umbilicals, risers and flowlines) products. Our products deliver mission-critical solutions for the energy, industrial, automotive, chemical and marine sectors.

Above all, we are driven by our commitment to meeting our clients’ unique and evolving needs. That’s why we invest 10% of our revenue into R&D year on year: to ensure that we are always a world-class authority when it comes to industry insight and innovation.

We are experts in the manufacture and application of specialised technical coatings - including our syntactic phenolic resin-based foam thermal insulation materials.

From our popular off-the-shelf products to bespoke all-in-one packages, we provide high-performance innovations for the world’s most challenging environments. From design and build to installation and maintenance, our clients count on us to deliver best-in-class service - and systems that perform, whatever the conditions.

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UC hosts ‘Day of Light’ at museum

Chemists will introduce children to all the ways scientists use light in stem outreach program.

Chemists at the University of Cincinnati will encourage children and their families to celebrate light and its study called photonics at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

UC faculty will lead children of all ages through interactive activities and demonstrations of scientific tools and processes that use light.

“We want to show kids all the cool things we can do with light and explain how light works,” UC Assistant Professor Pietro Strobbia said.

The second-annual International Day of Light from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 25 is sponsored by the Cincinnati chapter of the Society of Applied Spectroscopy.

UC graduate student Manisha Sheokand uses equipment that emits red laser light in a chemistry lab. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand

Scientists from UC will be joined by colleagues from Miami University, Northern Kentucky University and Procter & Gamble Co along with representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The STEM outreach program for children is inspired by the International Day of Light created by UNESCO or the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, the group known for its list of world heritage sites.

The International Day of Light was created by UNESCO to celebrate the anniversary of the creation of the first laser in 1960. But it is meant to celebrate the study of all things light that have helped in advances in medicine, energy, technology and the arts.

In his chemistry lab, Strobbia uses spectroscopy to identify traces of infections or harmful chemicals in samples of everything from blood to plant sap to wastewater.  Using spectroscopy, scientists can split light apart into its constituent colors or wavelengths, allowing scientists to identify the chemicals present in the sample.

Light science, or photonics, is present in our everyday life.

Pietro Strobbia, UC College of Arts and Sciences

The tools have been useful in surprising applications.

Spectroscopy can be used to identify unlabeled pharmaceuticals, he said.

“You can tell if a tablet contains aspirin or fentanyl” he said.

Strobbia collaborated with geologists and art historians at UC to help area museums learn more about artworks in their collection. They analyzed some pieces whose provenance were murky to see if science could resolve the questions using spectroscopy to study the chemical composition of the paints.

Light is also fundamental to optics used in instruments such as microscopes, telescopes and cameras.

“Light science, or photonics, is present in our everyday life,” Strobbia said.

UC's Chemistry Department will host a STEM outreach program from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at the Cincinnati Museum Center's STEM Lab. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand

Nanoparticles interacting with light are used as sensors for medical devices. It’s what creates the red lines that you see in home tests for COVID-19, he said. And sunscreens are designed to block ultraviolet light from reaching your skin.

Strobbia has been working with lasers, which have been called one of the most important scientific and technological inventions of the 20th century. A laser beam is a coherent and mono-directional beam of light of a single color. It’s created by electrical energy exciting photons that get bounced between mirrors and directed through a tiny portal to create a laser beam.

“Spectroscopy can even tell you what kinds of plastic bottles can be recycled,” he said.

The program is a good networking opportunity for local members of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, he said. Some of his students will help run the outreach activities.

“There are a lot of career opportunities in chemistry in Cincinnati. So by reaching younger kids, we can introduce them to chemistry,” he said.

Featured image at top: UC Assistant Professor Pietro Strobbia uses a laser in his chemistry lab. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand

UC College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Professor Pietro Strobbia uses tools such as spectroscopy to conduct environmental analysis and clinical diagnostics in his chemistry lab. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand

• Next Lives Here

The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction.  Next Lives Here.

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Mysterious element promethium finally reveals its chemical properties

The highly unstable radioactive element promethium is hard to study in the lab, but chemists have now coaxed it into forming a compound in water so they can observe its bonding behaviour

By Alex Wilkins

22 May 2024

Conceptual art showing a compound of promethium

Jacquelyn DeMink, art; Thomas Dyke/photography; ORNL, UA.S. Dept. of Energy

A new compound containing one of the rarest elements in the world, promethium, has revealed its mysterious properties for the first time.

Promethium only exists naturally in minuscule amounts – Earth’s crust contains just about half a kilogram of the element. In 1945, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee managed to produce it as a byproduct of the Manhattan Project’s plutonium enrichment programme. Its nuclear origins led to its name, after the Greek titan Prometheus, who stole fire and brought it to humans.

It is now routinely produced, albeit in tiny quantities, from the radioactive decay of uranium and can be incorporated in simple compounds for uses like luminous paint or nuclear batteries. But its extremely radioactive nature means it is inherently unstable, making it difficult to form long-lasting compounds that are easy to study. The crystal structures that it does exist in also exert forces on promethium’s chemical bonds, obscuring its fundamental chemistry, such as how long its atomic bonds are and how they form with other compounds.

Now, Alexander Ivanov at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and his colleagues have found a way to form a promethium compound in water. This dampens some of the damaging effects of radioactivity and avoids the obscuring effects of crystal structures, allowing the team to study the element’s chemistry in detail for the first time.

First, they synthesised a compound called bispyrrolidine diglycolamide (PyDGA), which is based on molecules that form compounds with elements similar to promethium. When promethium was added to this molecule in a solution, it formed the compound Pm-PyDGA, which has a bright pink colour due to its electron structure.

Fusion reactors could create ingredients for a nuclear weapon in weeks

Concern over the risks of enabling nuclear weapons development is usually focused on nuclear fission reactors, but the potential harm from more advanced fusion reactors has been underappreciated

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Ivanov and his team then fired X-rays at the compound and measured which frequencies it absorbed, revealing how the promethium was chemically bonded. This showed that the bond length between promethium and nearby oxygen atoms was about a quarter of a nanometre, which matched computer simulations they had run.

“It’s rather beautiful chemistry, and to see the delicate pink colour of this complex is a real joy,” says Andrea Sella at University College London.

Information about promethium’s bonding behaviour will help improve processes for producing purer samples in larger quantities from radioactive waste, says Ivanov, and could also be used to design new medical compounds, such as for radioactive imaging or cancer treatment. “This kind of fundamental information could help us to drive new technologies,” he says.

Can a slew of nuclear fusion start-ups deliver unlimited clean energy?

We have been trying to harness the reaction that powers the stars for decades, and now private firms are promising commercial fusion within a decade. Is there any reason to believe them this time?

Journal reference:

Nature DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07267-6

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Biological Chemistry

• US CDC begins tracking influenza in wastewater to assess H5N1 spread

Amid multistate outbreaks of bird flu in dairy cows, public health officials are monitoring wastewater for early signs of the virus

By priyanka runwal, may 21, 2024.

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Amid outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu in cattle , public health officials are turning to wastewater surveillance as testing of cows and farmworkers remains slow. Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a dashboard that tracks the influenza A virus —including its subtype, H5N1—in wastewater treatment plants at about 600 sites across the country. Detecting viral genetic material through such surveillance can serve as an early indicator of disease presence and spread.

“Wastewater is a really good, unbiased way of keeping tabs on where [the virus] is,” says Marc Johnson, a molecular virologist at the University of Missouri.

So far, the CDC’s wastewater surveillance system doesn’t specifically detect H5N1, but the agency is comparing weekly influenza A levels in wastewater at each site to that of the prior flu season. If these levels are high—meaning the 80th percentile or higher relative to virus concentrations recorded at the same site between Oct. 1, 2023, and March 2, 2024—the CDC would suspect H5N1 presence given that we’re past peak months of flu activity. It would then initiate an investigation.

But sometimes untimely flu outbreaks occur, says Alexandria Boehm, an environmental engineer at Stanford University. She is also program director at WastewaterSCAN , a sewage surveillance initiative that monitors 11 pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, and monkeypox at 190 wastewater treatment plants across the US. Her team has sometimes noted increases in the influenza A viral RNA in samples collected during the summer. With CDC’s approach, “there are multiple assumptions that’ll have to be made to infer that something is avian influenza,” Boehm says.

She and several other scientists think that tracking H5N1 could be more precise, especially when influenza A cases start rising in the fall. In an April 29 preprint ,Boehm and her team showed that a real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay they developed had detected H5 viruses at three wastewater treatment plants in Texas. “That doesn’t prove it was H5N1, but there’s no other H5 influenza circulating in the US,” which suggests the presence of H5N1, she says.

Another team of researchers based in Texas detected H5N1 in wastewater in nine cities around the state . As part of a program called TexWEB—Texas Wastewater Environmental Biomonitoring—these scientists test weekly wastewater samples from 10 Texas cities for 3,000-plus human and animal viruses by sequencing the entire pathogen genome. When processing March 2024 samples, “we started to see signals consistent with H5N1,” says Anthony Maresso, a microbiologist at the Baylor College of Medicine. His team was able to distinguish H5N1 from other subtypes of the influenza virus. Going forward, Maresso and his colleagues will be able to see if and how H5N1 evolves and what mutations occur.

But it’s hard to track down the source of the virus using wastewater surveillance or tell definitively whether it came from a human, an animal, or animal products like milk from infected cows. For example, two of the three wastewater treatment plants that Boehm and her team studied permit industrial discharges from milk processing facilities, which could indicate possible H5N1 input from the dairy industry. “But we cannot rule out other potential sources,” she says. When Maresso’s team compared the H5N1 sequences from their work with those released by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) from infected cattle and the single human case from Texas, they didn’t see the hallmark, single amino acid change in the human sequence, according to Blake Hanson, an epidemiologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and a member of the TexWEB consortium. “That gives us confidence that this is likely nonhuman.”

Public health officials have so far found several species of birds and mammals, including domestic cats, that have tested positive for H5N1. The CDC maintains that current risk of infection for the general public remains low. But as the virus spreads, wastewater surveillance could inform where testing efforts could be ramped up in cattle and other animals, and possibly humans. As of May 20, the USDA had reported H5N1 outbreaks in 51 dairy herds in nine states: Texas, Kansas, Idaho, Ohio, Michigan, New Mexico, Colorado, North Carolina, and South Dakota.

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