king's college london research methods

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Research Methods: A Practical Guide to Peer and Community Research

King's College London via FutureLearn Help

Learn how to conduct research to initiate positive social change.

This practical, ten-week course from King’s College London provides an overview of all aspects of research, with the principle aim to support and empower people to conduct their own research to initiate positive social change.

Using an extensive range of research steps, practical exercises and links to a multitude of comprehensive resources, you’ll develop your own ethical research project, with the overall aim being to share your findings with those that really matter.

Plan, conduct, and disseminate good quality ethical research

You’ll cover the concepts of diversity and inclusion, as will see how to tie these in to research methods such as critical perspectives - or when research critically analyses empirical data without being emancipatory in nature.

You’ll then cover the subject of research ethics, the moral principles and actions guiding and shaping research from start to end.

Identify and choose research methods to address your question

You’ll then identify specific research questions in order to address your question, and will get an introduction on how to evaluate and analyse qualitative, survey or routinely-available data results.

You’ll then get to grips with how to look after yourself as a researcher, and will identify how best to share your findings via campaigning, presenting and publications.

Learn from research methods experts at King’s College London

You’ll be learning from research methods experts at King’s College London, and will also be getting advice from leading academics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience. The course itself will also be getting feedback from Black Thrive and Thrive LDN; two organisations striving to tackle mental health issues.

This course is targeted at people interested in becoming peer researchers, community researchers, service user or survivor researchers in fields such as psychology or social science.

It will also be useful to all researchers looking to use quantitative methods, presenting a step-by-step, structured and practical approach.

• Introduction to Community Research
• Welcome to the course and Week 1
• Defining communities
• Summary of community research
• Equity, diversity & inclusion
• Understanding key terms
• Critical perspectives in research
• Learning to think of equity, diversity, and inclusion in research
• Summary of considering equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Introduction to research ethics
• Informed consent
• Applying ethics in community based research
• Summary of ethics in research
• Identifying research questions and methods
• Research topics and questions
• Choosing the right research method
• Summary of research questions/ methods
• Community research methods - Part 1
• Understanding interviews
• Conducting a good interview
• Understanding focus groups
• Summary of interviews and focus groups
• Community research methods - Part 2
• Understanding ethnography and participant observation
• Participant observation
• Community mapping
• Summary of ethnography and alternative qual methods
• Community research methods - Part 3
• Understanding surveys
• Doing surveys
• Overview of all research methods
• Summary of surveys and other research methods
• Data analysis
• Qualitative data analysis
• Quantitative data analysis
• Summary of data analysis
• Researcher support
• Why protect yourself as a researcher
• Accounting for safety
• Summary of safety and peer researcher support
• Sharing knowledge and course conclusion
• Share your findings
• Practical help on sharing findings
• Summary of sharing knowledge
• Course overview and conclusion

Charlotte Woodhead

• united kingdom

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Searching for Systematic Reviews & Evidence Synthesis: Further information

• Define your search question
• Searching Databases
• Drawing up your search strategy
• Advanced search techniques
• Using Filters
• Grey Literature
• Recording your search strategy and results
• Managing References & Software Tools
• Further information
• Library Workshops, Drop ins and 1-2-1s
• AI tools in evidence synthesis

Further reading

• Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions is the official guide that describes in detail the process of preparing and maintaining Cochrane systematic reviews on the effects of healthcare interventions. more... less... The current complete version of the Handbook is 5.1 (updated March 2011), edited by Julian Higgins and Sally Green.
• 4.S1 Technical Supplement to Chapter 4: Searching for and selecting studies [Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions]

Social Science Systematic Reviews

Systematic review (sr) toolbox- currently off-line temporarily, may 2024.

Systematic Review (SR) Toolbox  is a searchable online catalogue of tools to support systematic reviews, which aims to help reviewers find appropriate tools based on their needs. It uses a simple, yet flexible, classification system to classify tools based on how they provide support for the systematic review process.

Undertaking a systematic review involves the systematic storage, management, validation and analysis of large quantities of data; activities that can be error prone and time consuming. Automated tools (i.e. software), therefore, can be used to support many aspects of the systematic review process.

For example, the SR Toolbox contains details of Risk of Bias software and websites including RoB 2, ROBINS-I and other risk of bias tools and checklists.

Although the focus of SR Toolbox is on identifying software to support systematic reviews, other tools or support mechanisms (i.e. checklists, guidelines and reporting standards) can also be found.

PROSPERO: Register your systematic review

PROSPERO is an international database of prospectively registered systematic reviews in health and social care. Key features from the review protocol are recorded and maintained as a permanent record. PROSPERO aims to provide a comprehensive listing of systematic reviews registered at inception to help avoid unplanned duplication and enable comparison of reported review methods with what was planned in the protocol.

Consider registering your systematic review and also searching to see whether a systematic review on your prospective topic has also been registered in order to avoid duplicating research.

PROSPERO includes details of any ongoing systematic review that has a health related outcome in the broadest sense. Systematic review protocols registered on PROSPERO can include studies of any design. Work is underway to facilitate the inclusion of reviews of pre-clinical studies. 

Other registers of systematic review protocols include the Cochrane Collaboration, Campbell Collaboration and Joanna Briggs Institute. There are also some journals which publish Systematic Review protocols e.g. BioMed Central's Systematic Reviews.

If your Systematic Review does not fit PROSPERO's criteria e.g. a review of pre-clinical studies then you could consider publishing your protocol on a site such as Research Gate , figshare or Open Science Framework (OSF ) or INPLASY (note there may be a charge for registering with this site).

Scoping reviews also can't currently be included on PROSPERO. The  PRISMA guidance for scoping review s (PRISMA SCr) suggests some locations for registering the protocol including  Open Science Framework .

Can't access the full text? Interlending and Document Delivery

All King’s College London staff and students as well as staff from King's Health Partners are eligible to make requests for books and articles for teaching and research purposes that aren’t available in the King’s collections.

Requests can be made for books, journal articles, theses, dissertations and other publications. 

Students and staff are allocated a number of free requests at the beginning of each academic year. For more information on how to place a request and to see the annual allocation please visit the  Interlending and Document Delivery page .

If you are aware that the systematic review you are undertaking will rely heavily on material that King's does not subscribe to or that you cannot gain access to via other libraries such as the Senate House Library or the British Library then you should first contact the Library  for advice and to discuss your specific needs . If you expect to make a large number of requests then it may be necessary to agree with you an approximate time frame for obtaining the requested material that will not adversely affect other customers of the service.  In the majority of cases you will find that the free annual allocation will be enough, particularly for systematic reviews limited to the English language in the health, clinical & life sciences fields.  

• << Previous: Managing References & Software Tools
• Next: Library Workshops, Drop ins and 1-2-1s >>
• Last Updated: Jul 9, 2024 11:55 AM
• URL: https://libguides.kcl.ac.uk/systematicreview

• Join our mailing list

Recording now available: Narratives Beyond Quantification with Joe Whelan

Working with Afghan Sanctuary Seekers: A guide for mental health professionals

New horizons and opportunities for qualitative research to improve mental health in later life

The Qualitative Applied Health Research Centre (QUAHRC) at King’s College London (KCL) promotes the rigorous and innovative application of qualitative research within the health field, raising the visibility of high-quality qualitative research and providing opportunities for knowledge exchange, training and support.

The Qualitative Open Mic Podcast

Our podcast asks why we do qualitative research, how do we do it well, and how it can be effectively applied

Controversies in Qualitative Research: Tiarna Lee on the machine behind the method

Controversies in Qualitative Research: Kirsten Bell on profit and pricing in academia

In July 2023, all 44 editors of the acclaimed Critical Public Health journal simultaneously resigned, citing concerns about Taylor and Francis' pricing system. They went to found a new independent journal, the Journal of Critical Public Health. We speak to one of the editors who resigned, who sheds light on the intricate dynamics between profit, pricing, and the neoliberal influence on qualitative health research.

Qualitative Open Mic: Making Interpretations Episode 5 - Joy Llewellyn-Beardsley on lived experience in interpretation

Upcoming seminars, journal club meetings, and other events at King's College London.

Improving care for women who use drugs during the perinatal period

The perinatal period is a time when women who use drugs are often keen to engage with treatment and ante-natal services, yet health and social welfare outcomes are highly variable for this group both in the UK and internationally. This one day conference will share findings from The Stepping Stones Study, which ran from October 2021 – April 2024, evaluating the different care models and pathways for pregnant women who use drugs, from early pregnancy to one year after the birth of their baby.

A four day course that equips students with skills and understanding in the purpose and use of qualitative research methodologies in health care. 

“The whole course was excellent and I wish I had done it years ago!”

Impact in qualitative research blog.

The latest posts from our impact blog

Impact in Qualitative Research: Rachel Rowan Olive on multilingual voice-hearing

Rachel Rowan Olive is a research assistant with the QUAHRC and a survivor researcher using her experience of psychiatric systems to inform her work. In this blog she discusses presenting her applied linguistics research with multilingual voice-hearers to the South London and Maudsley Recovery College's Research Club.

Impact in Qualitative Research: Mikkel Kenni Bruun on the unintended effects of ‘evidence-based’ practice in NHS Talking Therapies

Impact in Qualitative Research: Gemma McKenzie on human rights in childbirth

Pitch us your podcast and blog ideas!

Unlocking qualitative data in mental health research

QUAHRC Alumna Cate McCombie and Director Vanessa Lawrence share their insights on Qualitative Diary Methods with the results of a recent scoping review.

Do you have an idea for a podcast or blog on qualitative research? We are inviting pitches for our Impact in Qualitative Research blog and our Qualitative Open Mic podcast. We'd love to hear from you - click here for more details.

Research projects

CommonGround: Online peer support for preventing comorbid depression in people with long-term conditions

Refocus on Recovery

Developing and testing a recovery intervention in NHS Adult Community Mental Health Teams

Digital personalised cancer care planning

Coproducing personalised care in a digital age: using the Adversity, Restoration and Compatibility (ARC) framework to inform the co-design of a digital care planning tool for people with colorectal cancer

The effects of the asylum process on mental health

This project aims to understand the mental health effects of the UK asylum process on Afghan and Iranians.

QUAHRC Team

Dr Vanessa Lawrence

Professor Alan Simpson

Dr Clair Le Boutillier

Dr Stan Papoulias

Dr Angela Sweeney

Sohail Jannesari

Dr Norha Vera San Juan

Dr Julie Williams

Rachel Rowan Olive

Catherine McCombie

Quahrc affiliated partners.

ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health

King's Clinical Trials Unit

NIHR ARC South London

• Terms of Use
• Acknowledging
• Getting Help
• Research Software Engineering
• Research Data Management

Research Software Engineering ¶

The e-Research Department at KCL was created to help enable and facilitate computational- and data-intensive research across the university. A core component of e-Research is supporting research through a Research Software Engineering (RSE) capability.

The RSE team within e-Research supports the development of research software at KCL and its partner institutions. We achieve this through:

• direct collaboration with researchers;
• embedding experienced Research Software Engineers (RSEs) within new and existing research project teams;
• helping to up-skill researchers through our computational skills training;
• providing short-term consultancy to those looking for advice on specific questions relating to their research software.

RSE time can be costed into research grants, and a proportion of the assigned RSE's time will be directly allocated to code development for this research project.

The RSE team consists of software engineers with a range of different academic backgrounds and expertise. For more information, see our People page on the KCL website.

The RSE team works closely with our RSE colleagues our RSE colleagues in domain specialist groups across King's, including King's Digital Lab and the Hub for Applied Bioinformatics . We also run regular community events to bring together RSEs and researchers interested in software development from across King's - see our community page for details.

Methodologies

• King's College London
• Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care

Research output

• 3745 Citations
• 276 Article
• 24 Review article
• 21 Editorial
• 5 Comment/debate
• 2 Book/Film/Article review
• 2 Other contribution
• 1 Conference paper
• 1 Digital or Visual Products

Research output per year

• 1 - 50 out of 368 results
• Publication Year, Title (ascending)

Search results

A consensus statement on perinatal mental health during the covid-19 pandemic and recommendations for post-pandemic recovery and re-build.

Research output : Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Mental Health 100%
• COVID-19 100%
• Consensus 100%
• Healthcare 100%

Adopting, implementing, and assimilating coproduced health and social care innovations involving structurally vulnerable populations: Findings from a longitudinal, multiple case study design in Canada, Scotland, and Sweden

• Coproduction 100%
• Design Case Study 100%
• Health and Social Care 100%
• Study Design 100%
• Mental Illness 66%

Applying models of co-production in the context of health and wellbeing. A narrative review to guide future practice

• Wellbeing 100%
• Guides 100%
• Narrative Review 100%
• Production 100%

A qualitative study of the experiences of insulin use by older people with type 2 diabetes mellitus

• Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus 100%
• Older People 100%
• Self Care 30%
• Health Care Personnel 30%

Barriers and facilitators to parent-delivered interventions for children with or infants at risk of cerebral palsy. An integrative review informed by behaviour change theory

Research output : Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

• Infant 100%
• Children 100%
• Motivation 25%
• Checklists 25%
• Coaching 25%

Beta-blockers or Placebo for Primary Prophylaxis (BOPPP) of oesophageal varices: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

• Randomized Controlled Trial 100%
• Prophylaxis 100%
• Beta Adrenergic Receptor Blocking Agent 100%
• Esophageal Varices 100%
• Liver Cirrhosis 83%

Co-designing complex therapy interventions with parents as partners in the care of children with cerebral palsy: An Experience-based Co-design study in England

• Healthcare Professional 25%

Constraining co-creation? An ethnographic study of Healthwatch organizations in England

• Organizations 100%
• Co-Creation 100%
• Creative Activity 100%
• Governance 50%
• Coproduction 25%

Costs of UK community care for individuals with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: Findings of the Prospective Epidermolysis Bullosa Longitudinal Evaluation Study

• Evaluation Study 100%
• Health Care Cost 100%
• Epidermolysis bullosa 100%
• Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica 100%
• Community Care 100%

Designing, developing and testing a chatbot for parents and carers of children and young people with rheumatological conditions (the IMPACT study): Protocol for a co-designed proof of concept study

• Parent 100%
• Young People 100%
• Chatbot 100%

Developing effective In-Service Education for intensive care nurses: Exploring the views of clinical stakeholders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

• Intensive Care Unit 87%
• Hospital 12%
• Case Study 12%

Effectiveness of a home-based peer support programme for Chinese mothers with low breastfeeding self-efficacy to increase the exclusivity and duration of breastfeeding: study protocol of a randomised control trial

• Control 100%
• Self-Efficacy 100%
• Breastfeeding 100%
• Peer Group 100%

Empowering parents to optimize feeding practices with preschool children (EPOFeeding): A study protocol for a feasibility randomized controlled trial

• Feeding 100%
• Preschooler 100%
• Feeding Practice 100%

Enhancing care in the initiation and management of insulin in older people with diabetes: A collaborative journey with older individuals and their caregivers using Experience-Based Co-Design

• Experience 100%
• Diabetes 100%
• Caregiver 100%
• Journey 100%

Exploring Elinor Ostrom's principles for collaborative group working within a user-led project: lessons from a collaboration between researchers and a user-led organisation

• Research Worker 100%
• Collaboration 100%
• Working Group 100%
• Knowledge 100%

Healthcare experiences of pregnant and postnatal women and healthcare professionals when facing child protection in the perinatal period: A systematic review and Critical Interpretative Synthesis

• Protection 100%
• Health Care Personnel 100%
• Systematic Review 100%

Impact of personal health literacy on pregnancy outcomes in socioeconomically disadvantaged and ethnic minority populations: A scoping review

Involvement of lay assessors in the inspection and regulation of public services: a systematic review.

• Expectations 66%
• Quality 33%
• Meta-Analysis 33%
• Training 33%

Learning from obstetric violence in UK births at home: reaffirming and challenging current understanding of abuse during the maternity period

• Healthcare Professional 100%
• Home Setting 100%

Mothers working to prevent early stillbirth study (MiNESS 20-28): A case-control study protocol

• Pregnancy 100%
• Stillbirth 100%
• Case-Control Study 100%
• Prenatal Care 28%
• Analysis 14%

Perinatal healthcare for women at risk of children’s social care involvement: a qualitative survey of professionals in England

• Experience 50%
• Health Care Personnel 33%
• Analysis 16%

Perspectives of pharmacy staff on provision of self‑care and minor ailment education in primary schools: a qualitative study

• Self Care 100%
• Pharmacy 100%
• Qualitative Study 100%
• Pharmacology 100%

Piloting creative engagement strategies to explore themes of parenthood with fathers

• Engagement 100%
• Strategy 100%
• Fathers 100%
• Fatherhood 100%
• Parenthood 100%

Prostagram magnetic resonance imaging in a screening population: Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System or Likert?

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging 100%
• Mass Screening 100%
• Likert Scale 71%

Reflections on the Opportunities and Challenges of applying Experience-Based Co-Design (EBCD) to Phase 1 Clinical Trials in Oncology

• Clinical Trial 100%
• Oncology 100%
• Standard 100%
• Care Coordination 50%

Separation at birth due to safeguarding concerns: Using reproductive justice theory to re-think the role of midwives

• Theory 100%
• Justice 100%
• Paramedical Personnel 100%
• Childbirth 100%
• Obstetrics 100%

The effectiveness of interventions on changing caregivers' feeding practices with preschool children: A systematic review and meta-analysis

• Meta-Analysis 100%

Translating patient needs into medical device development: co-design of a photoprotection visor for Xeroderma Pigmentosum using qualitative interviews

• Patient 100%
• Translating (Language) 100%
• Xeroderma pigmentosum 100%
• Development 100%
• Device Development 100%

Urban environment in pregnancy and postpartum depression: An individual participant data meta-analysis of 12 European birth cohorts

• Postpartum Depression 100%
• Confidence Interval 100%

"We are the Glue Between Expectations and Reality": Midwives' Perspectives on Personalised Maternity care in the UK.

• Midwife 100%
• Personalized Care 100%
• Thematic Analysis 14%
• Survey Method 14%

Women's views and experiences of breastfeeding during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A systematic review of qualitative evidence

(non-)disclosure of lifetime sexual violence in maternity care: disclosure rate, associated characteristics and reasons for non-disclosure.

• Lifespan 100%
• Interpersonal Communication 100%
• Maternal Care 100%
• Disclosure 100%
• Sexual Violence 100%

(Re)activation of survival strategies during pregnancy and childbirth following experiences of childhood sexual abuse

• Semistructured Interview 100%

A Case Study of a Five-Day Virtual Clinical Simulation with Pre-Licensure Nursing Students

• Case Study 100%
• Student 100%
• Nursing Student 100%

Addressing the Worldwide Nursing Workforce Shortage: "There's no justice... just us"

Research output : Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

A longitudinal qualitative study of women’s experiences of postnatal care following hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

• Disease 100%
• Postnatal Care 100%

A mixed methods systematic review exploring infant feeding experiences and support in women with severe mental illness

• Severe Mental Illness 100%
• Infant Feeding 100%

A Quantitative Evaluation of Thin Slice Sampling for Parent–Infant Interactions

• Longitudinal Study 33%
• Children 33%

Assessing safe and personalised maternity and neonatal care through a pandemic: a case study of outcomes and experiences in two trusts in England using the ASPIRE COVID-19 framework

• Newborn Care 100%

Associations between breastfeeding intention, breastfeeding practices and postnatal depression during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multi-country cross-sectional study

• Association 100%
• Cross Sectional Study 100%

A systematic review of photovoice research methods with people with intellectual disabilities

• Research 100%
• Scientific Methods 100%
• Research Worker 50%
• Databases 50%

At the Edge of Care: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of parent and practitioner views and experiences of support for parents with mental health needs and children’s social services involvement

Author's reply. re: effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of psychiatric mother and baby units: quasi-experimental study.

Research output : Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

Author’s reply. RE: Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of psychiatric mother and baby units: quasi-experimental study

Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of midwife-led care for childbearing women in low-and middle-income countries: a mixed-methods systematic review.

• Practice Guideline 18%
• Data Base 18%

Bidirectional Associations between Parental Feeding Practices and Child Eating Behaviors in a Chinese Sample

• Eating Behavior 100%

Changing bodies; a scoping review and thematic analysis of family experience during serious childhood illness

• Thematic Analysis 100%
• Scoping Review 100%
• Adolescents 12%

Circulating Chromosome Conformation Signatures Significantly Enhance PSA Positive Predicting Value and Overall Accuracy for Prostate Cancer Detection

• Cancer Diagnosis 100%
• Prostate Cancer 100%
• Prostate Specific Antigen 100%
• Accuracy 100%
• Chromosome 100%

Co-designing health services for people living with HIV who have multimorbidity: a feasibility study

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus 100%
• Health Service 100%
• Multiple Chronic Conditions 100%
• Experience 33%

Cognition, Risk, and Responsibility: Home Birth and Why Obstetricians Fear It

Research output : Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Laboratory of Bioinorganic Immunology & Drug Discovery

We are a dynamic and multinational team working in the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at King's College London

Our multidisciplinary research crosses the boundaries of bioinorganic chemistry and immunology/virology. We use a combination of molecular biology and cell biological methods, biophysical techniques, biochemical assays, and computational biochemistry. 

The research in our group is broadly divided into two themes: (i) Protein engineering to design and develop new therapeutics and (ii) Elucidating the function of iron-sulfur clusters, one of the oldest bioinorganic cofactors of life, at the crossroads of the immune response and cancer.

News & Events

A-ProX, a spinout based on the group discoveries and supported by King's Spinout Accelerator Program

MRC Gap Fund to Design and Develop Novel Multifunctional Antivirals.

M.Sc. Student Theo Situmorag Wins Best Thesis Prize

PhD student Thao Nghi Hoang's Review Article Published in Current Opinion in Chemical Biology

PhD Student Yujie Sheng Wins Best Poster Prize in COST Yong Investigator Meeting, TU Delft, the Netherlands

Royal Society Research Grant to Develop VITAS assay

Latest Publications

A Versatile Virus-Mimetic Engineering Approach for Concurrent Protein Nanocage Surface-Functionalization and Cargo Encapsulation

We mimic the HIV-1 Gag polypeptide precursors and create precursors of nanocages (PRECs). We show that in the presence of a protease, the precursors are cleaved to form subunits that are spontaneously self-assembled to generate PINCs (Protein-induced nanocages). The PINC formation is used to encapsulate a cargo and concurrently decorate the nanocages’ surface with a protein.

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• Student societies
• Diversity & inclusion
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Summer schools
• Work experience
• Open access labs
• Experiment at home

Postgraduate research courses

The department of chemistry provides a vibrant environment for postgraduate study. we foster an interdisciplinary approach to science, cutting across physical and life sciences to explore new chemistry frontiers and deliver fundamental solutions for a sustainable and healthy society..

Our researchers are using the transformative power of chemistry to advance understanding of the life sciences and building new materials with creative fusions of chemistry and biology. We also have active research programmes with King’s Division of Cancer Studies and with King's Institute of Pharmaceutical Science. To this, we add state-of-the-art biophysical approaches, complemented by computational and synthetic/biosynthetic methods.

We also have growing expertise in chemical biotechnology and green chemistry. Research projects may be co-supervised by staff from different Research Divisions and Departments at King’s, to support collaboration and application of chemical innovation especially in medicine and biology.

Master's research course, interdisciplinary chemical research mres.

Study MRes Interdisciplinary Chemical Research (Chemistry master's) at King's College London.

View course

PhD research course

Chemistry research.

Chemistry MPhil / PhD from the Department of Chemistry at King's College London.

Applying for a PhD

The Department of Chemistry welcomes applications and research proposals in a variety of areas, and is especially interested in receiving applications from students planning their research projects in fields that will enhance the strength of the Department’s research groups . Prospective students are also encouraged to explore potential supervisors and their research areas. 

Applicants should hold, or expect to gain, a first or upper second class degree in chemistry or a relevant related subject, and be exceptionally motivated for research.

We offer funded PhD projects across a range of research areas. Applicants can explore the various projects below and check the funding opportunities page regularly for new opportunities. 

This list is not exclusive and potential applicants can alternatively identify and contact appropriate potential supervisors to outline their academic background and research interests or to propose their own PhD project ideas.

• M olecular structure: revealing the molecular interactions underlying germ granule assembly by NMR spectroscopy
• Metallo-Peptide Cages - Peptides as Adaptable Building Blocks in Metal-Organic Supramolecular Self-Assembly
• New synthetic strategies for therapeutic and/or diagnostic applications
• New synthetic strategies for the practical synthesis of emerging anticancer therapeutics 
• Synthetic organometallic chemistry
• Chemistry CDT Project: Synthesis and application of modified nucleic acids in prebiotic chemistry and molecular biology
• Chemistry CDT Project: Bottom-up and top-down computational modelling of melanin
• Chemistry CDT Project: Rational design of semi-synthetic de novo protein nanopores
• Chemistry CDT Project Studentship: A Novel Biomimetic Approach to Natural Product Cyclic Peptide Libraries
• Chemistry CDT Project: Modular Metallofoldamers: A New Approach to the Design of Metal-Binding Ligands for Catalysis
• Chemistry CDT Project: Bimetallic complexes of main group and f-block metals: towards CO2 activation
• Chemistry: Exploring new reactivity in low-oxidation state main-group chemistry
• NMES Faculty Studentship - Chemical evolution of artificial oligonucleotide catalysts for ultra-specific RNA detection and knockdown

There are a number of funding schemes available. Some cover both stipend (to cover living costs) and tuition fees, while others may cover fees only. The main funding opportunities for the Department are listed in the projects section and below. More options are listed on the King's  postgraduate research funding pages  or FindAPhD.com . 

All scholarships, bursaries or other awards are offered on a competitive basis. Some King's funding opportunities may have earlier deadlines, so please check carefully. 

• Faculty studentships

The Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences offers studentships in the Chemistry, funded for 3.5 - 4 years, with a bursary starting at the standard research council rate, and which will cover the full cost of tuition fees for home and international students. 

Centre for Doctoral Training on Multiscale Models for Life

This cross disciplinary CDT based in the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Science offers support for 3.5 years including a stipend at the current UKRI rate, home rate tuition fees, research expenses and support for training and career enhancement.

It is open to those with an interest and aptitude for interdisciplinary research with a background in life sciences and physics, chemistry, maths, computation or engineering. 

• Find out more
• London Interdisciplinary Biosciences Consortium 

The London Interdisciplinary Biosciences Consortium (LIDo) is one of the largest BBSRC funded Doctoral Training Partnerships in the UK. LIDo is an exciting collaboration between UCL, King's College London, Queen Mary, Birkbeck, Royal Veterinary College and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, six of London’s world-class universities and specialist institutions. This unique consortium provides students with a remarkable opportunity to pursue innovative interdisciplinary research projects in the heart of one of the world’s most vibrant cities.

This four-year programme is aimed at graduates with a strong interest in multi-disciplinary research, from a wide range of academic backgrounds including biological, biomedical, veterinary, physical, computational, engineering or mathematical disciplines.

Please apply through the  LIDo website  where you can find more information. 

• King's-China Scholarship Council

King's-China Scholarship Council PhD Scholarship programme (K-CSC) is open to students from China. Details of this programme can be found on our  website .

 For further information on postgraduate research funding and scholarships please visit the Centre for Doctoral Studies pages .

Before applying for an MPhil/PhD you will need to consider a potential supervisor. Please consult the Department's  academic profiles  or research groups and labs for more information on the supervisory interests of staff. Please email a prospective supervisor, sending your proposal and a summary of your academic and/or relevant professional experience.

Applications should be be submitted via the  King’s College London online application portal.  When applying, please select the Chemistry Research MPhil/PhD (full-time) programme, mention your intended Supervisor and their project in the 'Research Proposal' area. 

Any written submissions required by the supervisor/department/research group should be submitted in  one  document. If you are applying to a specific research group, or if your supervisor belongs to a specific research group, you must include the name of the research group at the top of this document.

Are you interested in bridging the gap between in vivo biology, physical and computational sciences? The Multiscale Models for Life Centre for Doctoral Training aims to train cohorts of scientists to understand the complex interactions within organisms by modelling molecular and cellular biology at the tissue and organ level. Postgraduate researchers receive support for 3.5 years including a stipend at the current UKRI rate, home rate tuition fees, research expenses and support for training and career enhancement.

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Discover our research

Discover our research groups in the Department of Chemistry.

Net Zero Centre

Fostering an interdisciplinary environment for research in net zero.

Centre for the Physical Science of Life

Transforming our understanding of life through the innovative power of physical science

NMES Graduate School

The Graduate School in the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences is home to all PhD students studying in the Faculty. From training and funding opportunities, to career development and campus events, it offers a range of services to support the needs and interests of our graduate students, supporting them to achieve their academic and professional goals.

Our Department

Find out more about the Department of Chemistry, King's College London.

Meet the Department of Chemistry, King's College London.

Explore our research in the Department of Chemistry.