OVERVIEW
Join us 08-09 April 2026 for the Royce National PhD Conference! Held in Manchester, the event promises two dynamic days of talks, workshops, and discussions covering the breadth of materials science and innovation in the UK. This conference is intended for PhD students in the first or second year of their materials science studies.
If you haven’t attended a conference before, are keen to present your research, or want to broaden your knowledge, then this is an ideal opportunity to build confidence and grow your academic and professional network.
The conference will feature leading voices from across the materials innovation ecosystem, with unmissable plenaries and unique networking opportunities to help kickstart your early career journey.
WHAT TO EXPECT
- Share your research and build peer-to-peer networks
- Find out how Royce supports student equipment access, training, and career skills
- Explore how materials research will help solve global and societal challenges
- Discover innovative applications of materials across key UK sectors
- Gain insights into your future career in materials science
Taking place at The University of Manchester, the conference offers a welcoming and collaborative environment to connect with fellow students. It provides an opportunity to build links to materials science academics, personnel working at the Royce, and a wider network of professionals working across the advanced material research and innovation sector.
Confirmed speakers at the event include:
-
Professor Ian Kinloch
-
Dr Jessica Wade
-
Dr Andrew Pollard
-
Dr Niamh Fox
-
Professor Laura Cohen
-
Dr Chris Hamlett
-
Dr Maddison Coke
-
Dr Sam Cooper
-
Dr Lloyd Fletcher
-
Dr Richard Holliday
EVENT PROGRAMME
More speakers and detail about what you can expect at the Royce National PhD Conference will be available in due course, but you can see the outline of our event programme below.
Download the Full Event Programme (.pdf)
Day 1
Day 2
The breakout sessions on Day 2 will include workshops on:
- Materials science policy – Professor Laura Cohen
- How to get published in materials? – Institute of Physics (IoP)
- Science communication and you – various
- Discover Materials: science outreach – Dr Chris Hamlett
- Interactive materials outreach – Dr Maddison Coke
- Technical careers panel session – various
- Industry careers panel session – various
- Academic careers panel session – various
- Materials 4.0 and the power of digital – Dr Sam Cooper
- Materials 4.0 for future fusion – Dr Lloyd Fletcher
- Commercialisation of new materials – Dr Richard Holliday
- Commercialisation and Intellectual Property – Vinner Shipley
BOOK YOUR PLACE
Registration to the Royce National PhD Conference 2026 is open now!
STUDENT SPEAKERS
There will be an opportunity for PhD researchers to present their research at the Royce National PhD Conference. Applications for presenter slots can be made through the Expression of Interest form when registering your information.
Students selected to present a research talk will have their accommodation covered by Royce and be able to claim back their travel costs.
CONTACT
If you have any questions, please email studentconference@royce.ac.uk
Staff and students at The University of Manchester can book onto this course by returning a completed form to training@royce.ac.uk in order to arrange a journal transfer to Royce.
Download the form here: ROYCE Journal Transfer Request Form
April 9 2026
