Chemical Synthesis for a Healthy Planet (EPSRC CDT)
About the course
The EPSRC CDT in Chemical Synthesis for a Healthy Planet (CSHP CDT) is a four-year course, run jointly with the University of York, providing training in contemporary sustainable organic synthesis, and its application to challenges in medicine, agrochemistry, and materials.
The EPSRC CDT in Chemical Synthesis for a Healthy Planet (CSHP CDT) is based in the Departments of Chemistry at the University of Oxford and the University of York.
The course was designed in collaboration with eight international chemical companies, including representation from the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and fine-chemical sectors. Ten award winning SMEs are also involved in the course.
The CSHP CDT aims to train the next generation of synthetic chemists, equipping them with a 'Systems Chemistry' mindset and the skills needed to transform the practise and application of chemical synthesis. The course uses a cohort model (approximately 16 students per year).
The CDT begins with a four-month taught course, based predominantly in Oxford, which will equip students with the contemporary tools and knowledge in sustainable chemical innovation that will be needed for substantive research projects. Training modules, alongside team-building challenges and personal development activities will develop a 'Systems Chemistry' mindset, providing training to appreciate the links between synthetic chemistry and the physical, ecological and human systems of the planet, nurturing the capacity to think and work across discipline boundaries. The entire cohort will spend two weeks at the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence at the University of York, to receive bespoke expert training in 'Sustainability in Synthesis'.
At the conclusion of the 16-week taught course, the students join the research groups for their substantive projects, which they will have chosen prior to the start of their course. These can focus on any of the three global challenges of Human Health, Food Security, and Energy and Materials, and must embed the 'Systems Chemistry' principles developed during the taught course.
All students will also attend a two-week course on the concepts of 'Sustainability in Synthesis' at the University of York.
To enable significant and long term research goals to be tackled, research projects will be clustered into four 'Project Fields': Reaction Innovation; Rethinking & Upcycling Feedstocks, Solvents and Waste; Intersecting with Pharma/Agrochemistry; Intersecting with Organic Materials.
During all four years of the course students also receive a tailored programme designed to broaden their research and professional skills, including an industrial placement opportunity.
Attendance
The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements.
As part of the course, you will be required to attend a two-week course at the University of York.
Provision exists for students on some courses to undertake their research in a ‘well-founded laboratory’ outside of the University. This may require travel to and attendance at a site that is not located in Oxford. Where known, existing collaborations will be outlined on this page. Please read the course information carefully, including the additional information about course fees and costs.
Resources to support your study
As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.
The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.
The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students, to support with learning and research.
The majority taught courses on the CSHP CDT during the first year will be held in the newly repurposed Doctoral Training Suite in the Rodney Porter Building at Oxford. There is a dedicated student office, with individual desk areas and allocated computers.
You will work in an environment which encourages and inspires you to acquire and develop a wide range of communication, study, and research skills. Workspace will be related to individual circumstances. If undertaking experimental work, you will be provided with space in a laboratory with access to all the required equipment. If undertaking theoretical research, you will have shared office space.
You will have access to the departmental IT support staff, to the Radcliffe Science Library and other university libraries, and centrally provided electronic resources and technical workshops.
Experimental facilities are available as appropriate to the research topic. The provision of other resources specific to your project should be agreed upon with your supervisor as a part of the planning stages of the agreed project.
In the event of the need for pastoral care, support is available from your college, from the project supervisor, and the course management team.
Supervision
The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Chemistry and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Department of Chemistry.
You will also have an industrial supervisor from one of the CSHP Partner companies.
Most students typically have the opportunity to meet with their supervisor(s) or a senior member of the research team on at least a weekly basis.
Assessment
All modules during the taught course component involve some aspect of formal assessment, including written reports, problem solving, and group and individual presentations. Throughout the project component of the course, a termly report on the student’s progress is submitted by both the student and their supervisor.
You will be admitted as a Probationary Research Student and, at an appropriate stage (normally after four terms), you will undergo a Transfer of Status assessment, to ensure they have the potential to gain a doctorate, in line with the University's graduate student progression guidelines. This assessment is made by independent assessors on the basis of overall performance in the taught course component, together with a project report, a short presentation and an oral examination. Assuming that you satisfactorily transfer to DPhil status, your research proceeds with quarterly reporting throughout the rest of your course.
At the beginning of your fourth year, you must pass the Confirmation of Status assessment, to ensure that you are on track to complete the thesis within a reasonable time.
You will be expected to submit a DPhil thesis within, at most, four years from the date of admission. Your thesis will be read by two examiners, one of whom is normally from Oxford and one from elsewhere, and you will be assessed via the thesis and an oral (viva voce) examination. The examiners will judge, along with other requirements, whether you have made a significant and substantial contribution to your particular field of learning.
Graduate destinations
This is a new course and there are no alumni yet. Graduates of Oxford's DPhil degrees in chemistry are highly regarded by a wide range of employers, including universities, high-tech start-up companies, and industry. There is a wide variety of potential destinations that also include scientific writing, patent attorneys, government and civil service, or financial and business services.
The Department of Chemistry runs an annual careers event for graduate students, and the Oxford University Careers Service offers a variety of specialist support. The departments also host a large number of visits from prospective employers, where students can find more information. The course also has a strong engagement with industry, with regular visits and several interactions with industrial partners
Changes to this course and your supervision
The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.
Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.
For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.
Entry requirements for entry in 2025-26
Proven and potential academic excellence
The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
We know that factors such as socio-economic circumstances and school performance can make it difficult for students to demonstrate their full potential. This course is taking part in an initiative to use contextual data to help us to better understand your achievements in the context of your individual background. For further details, please refer to the information about improving access to graduate study in the How to apply section of this page.
Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. Contextual data may also be used in the assessment of studentships.
Degree-level qualifications
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in chemistry
Substantial professional experience or a graduate qualification may be a substitute for a lower grade at undergraduate level.
Entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent.
For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.6 out of 4.0. However, most successful applicants have a GPA of 3.7.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
GRE General Test scores
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience
- A previous master's degree (either an integrated master's degree or standalone) is preferred but not required
- Evidence of a prior interest in the area of research proposed is likely to advantage an application.
- It would be expected that graduate applicants would be familiar with the recent published work of their proposed supervisor and have an understanding of the background to their proposed area of study.
English language proficiency
This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.
| Test | Minimum overall score | Minimum score per component |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) | 7.5 | 7.0 |
TOEFL iBT, including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490) | 110 | Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 |
| C1 Advanced* | 191 | 185 |
| C2 Proficiency† | 191 | 185 |
*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
†Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.
Declaring extenuating circumstances
If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.
References
You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Supporting documents
You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Performance at interview
Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process. They are normally held online using Teams. There are usually two rounds of interviews, one in December for the applications received during the November deadline, and one in February for applicants to the January deadline. Additional interviews later in the year will be considered if spaces remain available.
Shortlisted candidates will normally be given one 45-minute technical panel interview with at least two academics of the course. The interview will typically consist of two brief presentations. For one, you will be asked to present on some aspect of chemical synthesis research that you have been involved in. For the other, you will be asked to present on a scientific paper that you will have selected from a list provided in advance. Questions from the panel can be expected on the topics that you present, and on general technical concepts of organic synthesis and sustainable chemistry, including a problem solving exercise.
You will be evaluated both on your ability to present and communicate research as well as your technical knowledge. Performance at the interviews will be used to create a ranking of candidates. The second stage of the interview process will involve online meetings with potential supervisors from your selected projects, and are intended to assess your suitability for the relevant project. The two interviews will likely be held on different days.
Offer conditions for successful applications
If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about offers and conditions.
In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:
Financial Declaration
If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
Some postgraduate research students in science, engineering and technology subjects will need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate prior to applying for a Student visa (under the Student Route). For some courses, the requirement to apply for an ATAS certificate may depend on your research area.
Other factors governing whether places can be offered
The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:
- the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
- the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
- minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.
Chemistry
Oxford is one of the leading chemistry research departments in the world, with around 80 academic staff carrying out international level research and an annual research income of around £38 million.
In the most recent national assessment of research (REF 2021) 66% of our research output was judged world-leading, and 32% was judged internationally excellent. The department has a number of research themes, including:
- catalysis
- synthesis
- chemistry at the interface with biology and medicine
- sustainable energy chemistry
- kinetics, dynamics and mechanism
- advanced functional materials and interfaces
- innovative measurement and photon science
- theory and modelling of complex systems.
The facilities at Oxford for research and teaching are among the best available in the UK, with a wide range of the latest instrumentation and a huge computational resource networked throughout the University and beyond to national computing centres. Among the facilities available are the latest in automated X-ray diffractometers, electron microscopes, scanning tunnelling microscopes, mass spectrometers, high-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers and specialised instruments for the study of solids.
Funding
We expect that the majority of applicants who are offered a place on this course will also be offered a fully-funded scholarship specific to this course, covering course fees for the duration of their course and a living stipend.
For this course, we recommend that you visit our dedicated funding pages which include details of a range of external funding, loan schemes for postgraduate study. Some scholarships may also be available through our fees, funding and scholarship search tool. You should review the information carefully, including the eligibility criteria and application deadlines, noting that not all funding opportunities are available for postgraduate diploma and postgraduate certificate courses.
Details of college-specific funding opportunities can also be found on individual college websites:
Please refer to the College preference section of this page to identify which of the colleges listed above accept students for this course.
For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.
Costs
Annual fees for entry in 2025-26
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £10,070 |
| Overseas | £33,370 |
Information about course fees
Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges.
Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.
Continuation charges
Following the period of fee liability, you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.
Where can I find further information about fees?
The Fees and Funding section of this website provides further information about course fees, including information about fee status and eligibility and your length of fee liability.
Additional information
This course includes compulsory elements that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. During the taught element of the course, all students will be required to spend two weeks at the University of York for a bespoke course on the concepts of 'Sustainability in Synthesis’; travel and accommodation costs for this will be covered by the CDT for those students in receipt of a full CDT studentship award. In addition, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. CDT-funded studentships come with an additional research training support grant (RTSG) to contribute to costs of associated research and travel during the substantive project.
Living costs
In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.
Living costs for full-time study
For the 2025-26 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,425 and £2,035 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (assuming that dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).
Further information about living costs
The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2025-26 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. For further information, please consult our more detailed information about living costs, which includes a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs.
College preference
Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs).
If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief introduction to the college system at Oxford and our advice about expressing a college preference.
If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide.
The following colleges accept students on the Chemical Synthesis for a Healthy Planet CDT:
Before you apply
Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.
Application fee waivers
An application fee of £20 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
- applicants from low-income countries;
- refugees and displaced persons;
- UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
- applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.
You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.
Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students
If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission.
Application fee waivers for eligible associated courses
If you apply to this course and up to two eligible courses during the same application cycle, you can request an application fee waiver so that you only need to pay one application fee. We recommend that you use your application fee waiver to apply only for eligible courses that are closely related in research area to this one.
To be considered eligible for an application fee waiver, each additional course must be:
- doctoral level eg a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) or Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) course; and
- offered by one of the departments in the MPLS Division or one of the departments in the Medical Sciences Division.
If this is the first eligible course that you are applying to, you can request an application fee waiver for an additional course after you have submitted your application for this course. If you have already applied to another course that the meets the eligibility criteria shown above, you should request an application fee waiver before starting an application to this course.
Remember to state clearly in your request which course(s) you intend to apply to. If your request is successful, you will receive an application fee waiver code that is valid for this admission cycle (ie for entry in the 2025-26 academic year). Our Application Guide provides instructions for entering your application fee waiver code.
Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?
You may wish to make contact with the CDT team before you apply in order to work out whether this is the right course for you, and the likely availability of funding. You should do so via the contact details provided on this page.
You are also encouraged to make informal enquiries to prospective project supervisors prior to applying. Visit the Chemical Synthesis for a Healthy Planet (CDT) website for the contact details of academic staff.
Improving access to graduate study
This course is taking part in initiatives to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly.
Socio-economic data (where it has been provided in the application form) will be used as part of an initiative to contextualise applications at the different stages of the selection process.
Completing your application
You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.
For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application.
If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.
Proposed field and title of research project
You are required to list and rank up to three projects selected from the research project list on the CSHP CDT website under 'Field and title of research project'. You should quote the Project ID for each of your chosen projects.
You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).
Proposed supervisor
Referees:
Three overall, of which at least two must be academic
Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.
Academic references are preferred, although a maximum of one professional reference is acceptable where you have completed an industrial placement or worked in a full-time position.
Your references will support proven and potential academic excellence in terms of intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, communication skills and ability to work in a group.
Official transcript(s)
Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.
Statement of purpose:
A maximum of 1,000 words
Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at Oxford, your relevant experience and education, and the specific areas that interest you.
You should also include your 1-2-3 choices of substantive research projects taken from the “research project list” advertised on the CSHP CDT website.
Your statement should focus on your academic achievements and interests, rather than personal achievements, interests and aspirations.
Your statement of purpose should include:
- your reasons for applying and the area of research you are interested in
- evidence of understanding of the proposed area of study
- the ability to present a reasoned case in English
- commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course
- preliminary knowledge of the subject area and research techniques
- capacity for sustained and intense work
- reasoning ability
- ability to absorb new ideas.
Start or continue your application
You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice.
After you've submitted your application
Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.
Find out how to manage your application after submission, using our Applicant Self-Service tool.