Working with us

There are various ways of how your business can work with us. Whether you are a small, medium or large-scale organisation, contact us to discuss your ideas, needs and how we can advise on the most appropriate route for each project and assist you in accessing the right research expertise.

Collaborative research

These projects are ideal for a company who wishes to work on a research problem by jointly working with experts from the Liverpool Department of Physics.  There are many schemes available, primarily through the Science and Technologies Funding Council (STFC) and Innovate UK. These research projects are usually co-funded and formal collaboration agreements will set out the partners’ right to use the research outputs for future development and exploitation.

Contract research

Industry clients are welcome to commission research work, fundamental or applied, carried out by researchers in our Department. The contracted work will meet the specific research needs of your business and will be provided via a fee-for-service model in which you own all new intellectual property generated through the provision of our contracted work.

Consultancy

This is project work which will suit a company that requires expert advice and input from the our experts to provide a solution to a particular technology problem that it faces.

Student projects

We participate in different types of student projects, including CASE awards and summer placements. We also offer companies the opportunity to propose projects for final year undergraduate and PhD students.  All placements should be a mutually beneficial experience for both the student and the host organisation. The curriculum project work (except Year in Industry) is unpaid and the student will be accompanied and assessed by a link academic. If you have ideas for student projects which you would like to discuss, contact us.

• Summer Placements – any extra-curriculum 4-6 weeks full time project work open for all year 1 to Year 4 students. Placements up to 4 weeks maximum can be unpaid. It is important that students receive a letter of reference reflecting their work and learned skills.
• Physics Research Internship work: 4 weeks full time in June-July for year 2 to Year 3 students (Bachelor or Master students), ca. 6.5 hours per day (full time) work on a shorter STEM-related project with a focus on skill to enhance employability. Project proposals have to be developed between August and January.
• Physics Year in Industry Placement - 8 to max. 12 months placement for year 2 to Year 3 students (Bachelor or Master students), ca. 7-8 hours per day (full-time) with a focus on skills to enhance employability and a detailed STEM-related project. Project proposals have to be developed between August and January.
• MPhys curriculum Projects - final Year 4 project work, 2 days per week for 20 weeks starting from mid-October to beginning of May. Open-ended, research-led projects with the option for multi-disciplinary team work. Project proposals have to be developed between May and September.
• Bachelor of Science curriculum Projects - final Year 3 project work, about 1 day per week for about 12 weeks starting from end of January to the beginning of May. More confined and selected (not open ended) projects. Option for multi-disciplinary team work. Project proposals have to be developed between May and October.
• Bachelor of Science curriculum Group projects - final Year 3 project work performed in small teams of 3 to 6 students, about 1 day per week for about 12 weeks starting from end of January to the beginning of May. Option for multi-disciplinary team work. Project proposals have to be prepared between May and October.
• MSc in Radiometrics Instruments and Modelling and NTEC programmes. Project work full time from June until mid-September with a number of partner companies. Option for multidisciplinary team work. Project proposals have to be prepared between November and March.
• PhD placements: Computer/big data-based industry placements for LIV.INNO students up to 6 months for PhD students.