MRes Interdisciplinary Chemical Research

Our MRes in Interdisciplinary Chemical Research offers a unique opportunity to undertake an interdisciplinary research project in a field of your choice, exploring cutting-edge chemistry across subject boundaries.

You'll be trained in key interdisciplinary research skills and work with two academic supervisors from multiple disciplines to conduct open-ended, novel research. Projects are available across a huge range of areas, including physical, biochemistry, computational, organic, inorganic, pharmaceutical, and analytical chemistry.

By undertaking this substantial research project, you’ll gain essential workplace skills, including project management, data analysis, and communication, as well as the ability to problem-solve and think innovatively. This experience will train you to become a research scientist, whether you decide to pursue a career in the multiple industries where lab and research skills are highly sought after, or continue to a PhD and career in academia.
The MRes in Interdisciplinary Chemical Research is a highly research-focused programme, with 75% of the course dedicated to a major research project and 25% to taught modules that cover essential research skills.
The first three months provide a rigorous foundation in conducting novel research. You'll learn planning and problem-solving, as well as how to execute your research, whether experimentally, computationally, or theoretically, depending on the project. The modules also explore cutting-edge scientific research areas at King's, alongside broader skills like understanding ethics, inclusivity in research, and effective communication and presentation of research.
For the remainder of the course, you';ll conduct an open-ended, independent research project under the close supervision of two supervisors, including the opportunity to work with a supervisor outside of Chemistry such as in Physics, Imaging Sciences, the Francis Crick Institute or King';s teaching hospitals.
You';ll choose from an extensive list of projects on topics such as peptides for new antimicrobials, next gen drug-delivery materials, nano materials for sustainability, computational protein design, or machine learning for designing polymers. This could involve working across two laboratories (bridging two different fields of chemistry), a fully computational topic, or combining cutting edge chemistry with parallel sciences, such as pharmacy, physics, biophysics, biology, biomaterials, biochemistry and more.
The project is designed to train you to be an active scientist and researcher. You';ll be assessed throughout on those skills, including on writing literature reviews, research proposals, computational and experimental laboratory reports, poster presentations, oral presentations and oral vivas. Your research will culminate in your thesis, which will be written in the style of a scientific article. Some students even get the opportunity to present their work at conferences.
Initial learning for this degree takes place at the Department of Chemistry';s research-dedicated building, Britannia House (close to Guy';s Campus, and London Bridge). If required, some learning activities such as lectures will be held at the Franklin Wilkins Building, at the Waterloo Campus. However, please note that the locations of the research projects are determined by which research project you are assigned; while it will certainly be within London, time might be spent in research labs at any of the King';s Campuses.