Materials Science PhD

Royal College of Art

Materials research for real world challenges. Based in the Centre for Materials Science & Culture, the Materials Science MPhil/PhD programme focuses on the invention and the experience of materials to address real world challenges, such as environmental sustainability, and human health and wellbeing. Our research areas include: regenerative and circular materials programmable biomaterials materials systems, such as bio-mimetic approaches to develop and manufacture materials and structures digital materials for new typologies of tangible interfaces the human experience of materials to gain a deep understanding of perceptual experience (analogue and digital). Our approach to these areas includes the design and manufacture of materials for different applications at different scales – in the body, on the body, interaction with the body, the body in (a space). We encourage students to pioneer interdisciplinary research that spans materials science, chemistry and engineering, biology, bioscience, materials design, computer science, human-computer interaction, human-centred design, phenomenology, neuroscience, experimental psychology, and psychophysics. The concepts of sustainability and creativity underpin research at every level – from the material, through manufacturing, to the use phase.