PhD in Experimental Particle Physics

PhD studentship in the Experimental Particle Physics Group (2026)

What you get

• Fully-paid tuition fees for three and a half years.
• A tax-free bursary for living costs for three and a half years (£20,780 per annum in 2025/26).
• Additional financial support is provided to cover short-term and long-term
  travel.
• If you are not a UK national, nor an EU national with UK settled/pre-settled
  status, you will need to apply for a student study visa before admission.

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

PhD project

The main topic of the studentship is to extend the work that is currently ongoing in searching for Heavy Neutral Leptons, HNLs, in final states containing tau leptons. The existence of right-handed neutrinos with Majorana masses below the electroweak scale could provide a way to solve the problem of neutrino masses, matter-anti-matter asymmetry and dark matter. Final states with tau leptons have not been explored so far in ATLAS and are known to have a significant impact in improving the sensitivity of the ATLAS searches in the discovery of these new particles. The ATLAS-Sussex group has over the years made world-leading contributions to BSM physics at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and the candidate will profit from the vast BSM experience within the group to make a leading impact in this crucial area of LHC physics.

In addition to the analysis project, the candidate will contribute to the technical work of the ATLAS-Sussex group in the ATLAS Trigger. Over the years the ATLAS-Sussex group has made leading contributions to several areas of the ATLAS Trigger (e.g. Inner Detector tracking trigger, tracking trigger for the future upgrade of the ATLAS experiment), with several people holding convenorship positions in the ATLAS Trigger. The candidate will be spending a fraction of their time in one of the areas of the trigger with Sussex leadership. There will be opportunities to travel to CERN to work with international partners who are based in the Geneva area.

Eligibility

Applicants must hold, or expect to hold, at least a UK upper second class degree (or non-UK equivalent qualification) in Physics/Mathematics, or a closely-related area, or else a lower second class degree followed by a relevant Master's degree.

This award is open to UK and International students

Deadline

How to apply

Apply through the University of Sussex on-line system. 

https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/phd/apply/log-into-account

Select the PhD in Physics, with an entry date of September 2026.

In the Finance & Fees section, state that you wish to be considered for studentship no EPP2/STFC/2026

We advise early application as the position will be filled as soon as a suitable applicant can be found. Late applications may be accepted if places are still available.

Due to the high volume of applications received, you may only hear from us if your application is successful.

Contact us

If you have practical questions about the progress of your on-line application or your eligibility, contact FoSEM-PGR@sussex.ac.uk

For academic questions please contact the coordinator of EPP PhD admissions, Dr. Elisabeth Falk: E.Falk@sussex.ac.uk

Timetable

We advise early application as the position will be filled as soon as a suitable applicant can be found. Late applications may be accepted if places are still available