PhD in Organic Chemistry: Improving Sustainability in Synthesis of Pharmaceutical Compounds

26 Mar 2026
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Centre for Synthesis & Chemical Biology, University College Dublin

Department

School of Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Research Field

Chemistry » Organic chemistry

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Positions

PhD Positions

Application Deadline

14 Apr 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Dublin)

Country

Ireland

Type of Contract

Other

Type of Contract Extra Information

PhD Studentship

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

40

Offer Starting Date

1 Sep 2026

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

A four year PhD position is available to start in September 2026 with Dr Peter Byrne in the Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology in University College Dublin School of Chemistry.  The PhD stipend will be €25,000 per year; this amount is not subject to tax.  Payment for lab demonstration and tutoring activities will be additional to this amount.  Funding to cover fees at EU rate and purchase of equipment and materials is also provided.

The focus of this PhD project will be on usage of readily available and sustainably producible starting materials. New methodologies will be pursued that enable such abundant starting materials to be manipulated in previously unknown ways, with the ultimate goal of utilising these starting materials for the production of high value pharmaceutical targets. To achieve this, chemical entities will be identified that have the capacity to cause the most abundant and readily available functionalised organic compounds to undergo previously unimagined reactions. Where possible, approaches that enable the key chemical entities that enable the novel chemistry to occur to be employed in catalytic quantities only will be pursued.  

The functional group tolerance of each new methodology developed will be investigated by applying the methodology in question to a broad array of functionalised starting materials.  To assess the sustainability of each methodology, green chemistry metrics will be determined for syntheses carried out using the methodologies.  Ultimately, the methodologies that succeed in enabling high yields of target products to be obtained with efficient purification and good sustainability will be turned towards the synthesis of valuable compounds in a pharmaceutical context (including pharmaceutical agents and their precursors). 

The project will involve aspects of organic synthesis, green chemistry, catalysis, physical organic chemistry, investigation of reaction mechanisms, electrochemical synthetic methods, and sustainable resource use.  Students with an interest in some or all of these topics are encouraged to apply by sending a CV and cover letter with two references to peter.byrne@ucd.ie  if interested in this position, together with the names and contact details of two referees.  Informal inquiries can be sent to the same e-mail address.  

The deadline for applications will be Tuesday April 14th.  Interviews will take place shortly thereafter.

Candidates should possess a first class or upper second class B.Sc.(Hons) degree in Chemistry or a closely related subject.

Please contact Dr Byrne if you would like further information on the project or any other aspect of the position.  Further information on the research group can be found at https://byrnechemistry.wordpress.com/ .

Where to apply

E-mail

peter.byrne@ucd.ie

Requirements

Research Field

Chemistry

Education Level

Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Candidates should possess a first class or upper second class B.Sc.(Hons) degree or an MSc degree in Chemistry or a closely related subject.

Specific Requirements

Candidates should have experience in a research lab, e.g., through a final year undergraduate project.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Research Field

Chemistry

Additional Information
Benefits

The PhD stipend will be €25,000 per year; this amount is not subject to tax.  Payment for lab demonstration and tutoring activities will be additional to this amount.  Funding to cover fees at EU rate and purchase of equipment and materials is also provided.

The successful applicant will receive training in a wide array of advanced synthetic chemistry skill and on the usage of various analytical techniques (in particular NMR spectroscopy), and will emerge from their PhD ideally prepared for both academic and industrial roles.

The successful applicant will also engage in taught postgraduate modules on advanced topics in chemistry as part of the UCD Structured PhD Programme, will attend national and international conferences to present their research findings, and will contribute to the preparation of published articles on their research.

Eligibility criteria

Required: 2.1 grade or higher in a BSc (Hons) or MSc in Chemistry or a closely related subject

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

School of Chemistry, University College Dublin

Country

Ireland

Geofield

Contact

City

Dublin

Website

http://www.ucd.ie/chem

Street

Belfield

Postal Code

Dublin 4

E-Mail

peter.byrne@ucd.ie

STATUS: EXPIRED

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