Interdisciplinary, Physics: Fully Funded PhD Scholarship in Theoretical Explorations on the Lattice with Orthogonal and Symplectic group (TELOS): toward the Exascale Frontier (RS826)

UK and International applicants are eligible to apply 

Funding providers: 

50% Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University 

50% School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh 

Funding Duration: 3 years  

Mode of study: Full time 

Subject area: 

School: Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science (interdisciplinary)  

Department of Physics 

Department of Mathematics 

Project start date: 1 October 2025 (Enrolment open from mid-September) 

Supervisors: 

• A (Primary): Professor Maurizio Piai (Physics, Swansea University)  
• B (Secondary): Professor Gert Aarts (Physics, Swansea University) 
• C (Secondary): Dr Ed Bennett (Maths, Swansea University) 
• D (External): Professor Luigi Del Debbio (School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh)  
• E (External) Professor Biagio Lucini (Queen Mary University of London)

Aligned programme of study:  PhD in Physics  

Joint Programme between Swansea University and The University of Edinburgh.  Indicatively the student will spend half of the time in each institution 

Project description: 

High-Performance Computing is entering a revolutionary phase characterised by Exascale capabilities, with step-changes in technology enabling numerically intensive processes to answer outstanding foundational questions. To benefit from this revolution in full, it is of utmost importance to influence the related development with a highly ambitious scientific programme underpinned by robust Exascale-ready software.   

The TELOS collaboration, co-led by researchers at Swansea University and The University of Edinburgh, and with links in other Institutions in the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Korea, Austria and Japan, plays a central role in the study of new gauge theories that have the potential to address many of the STFC challenges in Frontier Physics, such as the origin of dark matter in the universe, and the nature of electroweak symmetry breaking and mass generation in the standard model.  We developed state of the art (open source) software working on GPU- and CPU-based supercomputing architectures, and secured computing resources from the UK-based as well as International supercomputing facilities. The research programme is now entering its mature development phase, high precision measurements of new observables have become possible, that require a step change in performance of the parallel software used in lattice field theory calculations. The candidate will be allocated a research project sitting at the interface between lattice field theory and particle physics, tailored around their scientific skills and ambitions, and will be leading the development, testing, and benchmarking of new pre-exascale ready software that the candidate will use to study new physics scenarios. 

The student will join this world leading research programme, performing numerical studies of new strongly coupled field theories taking advantage of supercomputing resources at facilities based in Swansea, in the United Kingdom, and overseas. The student will perform the first extended, high precision numerical study of such models, computing their spectroscopy and phase structure, and benchmarking phenomenological applications at the crossover between particle physics and astrophysics. 

This joint PhD programme is co-hosted, co-financed and co-supervised between Swansea University and The University of Edinburgh. A mobility programme will allow the student to take advantage of scientific and training opportunities available at both Institutions. They will join a vibrant, diverse, international community, with established record of delivering excellence in research, training, and student supervision, and with extended international network of research collaborations, based at the Particle Physics and Cosmology Theory group at Swansea University, as well as at the School of Physics and Astronomy and the Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics at The University of Edinburgh. 

UK and International applicants are eligible to apply 

PhD: Applicants for PhD must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level or a master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’ (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University). See - Country Specific Entry Requirements - Swansea University

English Language 
IELTS 6.5 Overall (with no individual component below 6.0) or Swansea University recognised equivalent. Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here.  

 
If you have any questions regarding your academic or fee eligibility based on the above, please email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with the web-link to the scholarship(s) you are interested in.with the web-link to the scholarship(s) you are interested in. 

ATAS
Please note that the programme requires some applicants to hold ATAS clearance, further details on ATAS scheme eligibility are available on the UK Government website.  

ATAS clearance IS NOT required to be held as part of the scholarship application process. Successful award winners (as appropriate) are provided with details as to how to apply for ATAS clearance in tandem with a scholarship course offer.  

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £20,780 for 2025/26). 

Additional research expenses of up to £1,000 per year will also be available. 

International

This scholartship is fully funded for international applicants if the applicant is successful in being offered a SUIPRES Scholarship as outlined below. 

Swansea University is pleased to offer the Swansea University International Postgraduate Research Excellence Scholarship (SUIPRES). This is a competitively awarded Scholarship open to overseas PhD and Professional Doctorate applicants eligible for the international rate of tuition fees who can demonstrate excellence in academic achievement.   

The SUIPRES Scholarship covers the difference between the International and the Home tuition fee for the duration of the PhD/Professional Doctorate programme. Successful candidates will be charged fees aligned to the UK rate per year. The scholarship will be offset against your tuition fee liability  

All International applications will be considered for a SUIPRES Scholarship. You will be informed whether a SUIPRES Scholarship will be offered within your offer letter. 

To apply, please complete the entire application form, following this Learner Gateway link here

In order to be considered for this scholarship award the following steps are also required. 

1. In section ‘Programme Related Information’ please input the relevant RS Code for the scholarship award i.e. RS826 – Exascale Frontier 
2. In section ‘Research’ you will see ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’* (Mandatory) 
   • In ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’ please input either:  
     • the relevant scholarship advert link,  
     • the RS Code, or  
     • the scholarship title.   
   • Please leave Proposed Supervisor field blank 
   • Please leave Research Project (if applicable) blank 
   • In ‘Do you have a proposal to upload?*’(Mandatory) Please select Yes 
   • Then upload copy of advert (you can save the advert by clicking print, and then print to pdf) 
3. In section ‘Funding information’ please choose the option ‘Scholarship Funding’ only. Please ensure no other options are selected.  

It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award. 

One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards. 

NOTE: Applicants for PhD/EngD/ProfD/EdD - to support our commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and celebrating diversity at Swansea University you are required to complete an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form in addition to your programme application form.    

Please note that completion of the EDI Monitoring Form is mandatory; your application may not progress if this information is not submitted. 

As part of your online application, you MUST upload the following documents (please do not send these via email): 

• CV 

• Degree certificates and transcripts (if you are currently studying for a degree, screenshots of your grades to date are sufficient) 

• A cover letter including a ‘Supplementary Personal Statement’ to explain why the position particularly matches your skills and experience and how you choose to develop the project. 

• One reference (academic or previous employer) on headed paper or using the Swansea University reference form. Please note that we are not able to accept references received citing private email accounts, e.g. Hotmail. Referees should cite their employment email address for verification of reference. 

• Evidence of meeting English Language requirement (if applicable). 

• Copy of UK resident visa (if applicable) 

• Confirmation of EDI form submission 

Informal enquiries are welcome; please contact : 

Maurizio Piai – m.piai@swansea.ac.uk 

Luigi Del Debbio – luigi.del.debbio@ed.ac.uk 

Ed Bennett – E.J.Bennett@swansea.ac.uk  

Gert Aarts  - g.aarts@swansea.ac.uk  

*External Partner Application Data Sharing – Please note that as part of the scholarship application selection process, application data sharing may occur with external partners outside of the University, when joint/co- funding of a scholarship project is applicable.