***Registrations to attend have now closed***
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:
- Dr Stuart Kitney, Chief Technology Officer, Henry Royce Institute
- Dr Jessica Wade, Royal Society Research Fellow, Imperial College London
- Dr Andrew Pollard, Science Area Leader, National Physical Laboratory
- Dr Niamh Fox, Lecturer in Polymer Science, The University of Manchester
- Professor Laura Cohen, Visiting Professor in Materials Science, The University of Manchester
- Dr Chris Hamlett, National Outreach Officer, Henry Royce Institute
- Dr Maddison Coke, Senior Technical Specialist, The University of Manchester
- Dr Sam Cooper, Associate Professor in Artificial Intelligence for Materials Design, Imperial College London
- Dr Lloyd Fletcher, Principal Research Engineer, UK Atomic Energy Authority
- Dr Richard Holliday, Expert-in-Residence (Materials and Manufacturing), University of Manchester Innovation Factory
EVENT PROGRAMME
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 – Venner Shipley
STUDENT SPEAKERS
***Registrations for speaker slots have now closed***
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
April 9 2026
