2 Funded PhD Positions: Advanced Electron Microscopy for Materials Engineering @ UBC (Vancouver) – www.expmicromech.com/people/opportunities
Join the Experimental Micromechanics & Characterization Group in Materials Engineering at UBC! We are offering two fully funded PhD opportunities—starting May or September 2026—to work at the frontier of electron microscopy and materials innovation.
Project 1: Explore next-generation multimodal electron microscopy. Use UBC’s TESCAN TENSOR STEM (4D-STEM, SPED, X-ray mapping, direct electron detection) to develop new research methods and tackle major challenges in clean energy and engineering alloys.
Project 2: Advance 3D electron microscopy using the automated 3D-MARVIN system. Help build robotic workflows for large-volume, multimodal materials analysis—enabling new insight into advanced alloys for transportation and infrastructure.
Minimum guaranteed stipend: CAD $32,000/year for 4 years (GRA-funded) for these projects.
Additional student financial support (GSI, PAEI, International Tuition Award - depending on eligibility)
Dynamic, collaborative research environment with access to world-leading instrumentation
Opportunities for teaching experience and professional growth
Support to seek further funding, e.g. via the CGRS-D and other funding opportunities
Hold (or soon complete) a Master’s degree* in Materials Engineering or a related field
Passion for innovation and advanced instrumentation
Interested in pushing the boundaries of materials analysis
Visit the Department of Materials Graduate Website to find out more about our program.
Visit UBC’s Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website for PhD admissions and eligibility details.
Contact Professor Ben Britton with an inquiry, following the guidance below.
*students with a track record of research may be admitted via the Master's program, complete the required courses and transferred to the PhD program after year one. This is a rarely used option within our program, and direct admission to the PhD following a masters degree is preferred.
When writing to Prof Britton about your potential for these opportunities, please keep your message brief and include the following:
1. A clear explanation of how your research interests align with their group's current work (and cite the project(s) you are interested in).
2. A summary of your academic background (degrees earned, grades, institutions).
3. Information about funding—whether you require financial support or have secured from your own sources.
Please be aware that many faculty members are seeing an increase in emails generated by artificial intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT). These messages often lack specificity, fail to accurately reference our work, and use generic language. Emails like this do not help your application. Faculty members prefer to hear directly from applicants in their own words, showing that they have read and understood our research.
For further guidance on the appropriate use of AI tools in the application process, please review UBC's policy here: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/student-responsibilities/use-generative-ai
With a view towards supporting an equitable working environment, students and staff will either be support by their own scholarship funding or funding from active research projects. At present, there is limited funding for project work, so these opportunities are included to frame current research interests and to support discussions for future work (e.g. via applying for a graduate scholarship from NSERC, or internal awards).
UBC hosts the Killam Post Doctoral Fellowship and the Banting Fellowships.
There are also the NSERC post doctoral fellowships.
PhD and Masters students will typically be enrolled on the Materials Engineering (MTRL) graduate program. You should get in contact with Ben prior to applying via the formal UBC application process.
Typically this will be a 4-5 year program, and students will likely have already obtained a Master's (or equivalent) qualification in Engineering or Physics.
Typically this will be a 2 year program, and students will likely already have obtained a Bachelor's degree in Materials Engineering or a related discipline (e.g. manufacturing, chemical or mechanical engineering, or physics.)
Undergraduate students within the Materials Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering program can conduct a thesis honors research project in their 4th year, via the MTRL 499 course.
International students may be eligible for the International Work-Learn program: