Overview
Step outside your research comfort zone and join an immersive two-day sandpit that challenges you to think differently, collaborate with peers, and tackle a real-world research challenge from industry.
The Royce PhD Student Research Sandpit offers Material Scientists and Engineers a unique experience rooted in a format championed by research councils like EPSRC, combining team creativity, rapid ideation, and multidisciplinary exploration to generate new research directions.
The subject of this year’s grand challenge will remain confidential to encourage unfiltered thinking and impartial group dynamics, but we can reveal the task will be industry-led and focused on a complex issue with the potential for real impact.
Through the course of the Sandpit, you’ll engage directly with expert mentors and facilitators who will guide you through the creative process, from identifying a problem to pitching a solution.
Previous sandpits have been delivered in collaboration with major R&D partners including the National Physical Laboratory, Johnson Matthey, and Saint-Gobain UK, focusing on circular economy, carbon reduction, and sustainable manufacturing.
What to Expect
- Participants will learn how to work in small groups and build strong working relationships
- Collaborate in an interdisciplinary team to respond to an industry-led Grand Challenge
- Use structured creativity tools to develop and refine your team’s response
- Pitch your group proposal to a panel of academic and industry experts
- Compete for prizes based on innovation, feasibility, and potential impact
Alongside the hands-on Sandpit sessions, Royce will host a networking dinner and provide full hospitality, including two nights of accommodation for participants travelling from outside Greater Manchester.
Read more about the previous Royce PhD Research Sandpit event here.
Event Details
Date: 19 – 20 November 2025
Format: In-person
Cost: Free
Location: Royce Hub Building, University of Manchester, M13 9PL
Who Can Apply?
This opportunity is open to PhD students currently attending a UK university and participating in the UK’s materials research community. Ideally, you will be in the second or third year of your PhD programme. Whether your background is in chemistry, physics, engineering, or interdisciplinary materials science, we’re looking for curious minds ready to push boundaries and explore new ways of working.
Why Apply?
By taking part, you will:
- Experience how fundamental research translates to industrial impact
- Develop skills in rapid idea generation, problem-solving, and team-based research
- Gain insight into how industry defines, frames, and tackles its most pressing materials challenges
- Expand your professional network and interact with other students from across materials science
- Strengthen your CV with a unique training experience showcasing real-world problem-solving
How to Apply
Complete this online application form. Selection will be based on the strength of your personal statement and to ensure a diverse cohort across disciplines and institutions.
Deadline: 12:00, Monday 13th October 2025
Notification: Successful applicants will be notified by 14:00 on Wednesday 15th Oct 2025
Got questions? Contact us at engagement@royce.ac.uk
November 20 2025
