medical research council doctoral training partnership

Address key healthcare challenges

MRC Doctoral Training Partnership

Start your training on the mrc dtp, why undertake a mrc dtp phd.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) offers studentships for postgraduate researchers undertaking PhDs in biomedical, clinical and health services areas.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Carry out a funded PhD project addressing some of the key priorities of the MRC.
• Learn how to fulfil unmet healthcare needs in the UK and globally.
• Enhance employability through training in cross-cutting skills such as informatics, in vivo and computation.
• Receive support in raising awareness of your research through external conferences, digital media and networking events.
• Develop interdisciplinary research skills by learning from biological, computational, material, physical, chemical and social scientists.
• Access competitive internal funding schemes for exceptional training opportunities, clinical and industrial placements, and post-submission career development projects.

On this page:

Making an application

Postgraduate researcher support, undergraduate summer placements, what's involved.

We provide a framework of postgraduate research training that supports the development and career progression of all our MRC-funded postgraduate researchers over four years.

The MRC DTP studentships provide full funding for tuition fees and a stipend at the Research Councils UK (UKRI) rate for four years.

Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in a relevant subject. A master's qualification in a related area could be beneficial, as could additional relevant research experience.

For full details on eligibility, see the ' Making an application ' section below.

MRC DTP funding schemes

As you progress through your degree, you could also benefit from our competitive internal DTP funding schemes.

• The Flexible Training Supplement Award can provide funding for exceptional training opportunities.
• The Innovation and Translation Springboard Award can provide funding for clinical and industrial placements.
• The Pathways to Impact Scheme can provide funding for up to six months after submission of your PhD to complete a project designed to facilitate your transition into the next phase of your career, the nature of which will depend on your individual career ambitions.

What our postgraduate researchers say

Read blog posts from our postgraduate researchers to find out what they think about the programme.

Read the blog

Explore your interests

We offer PhD opportunities across a range of biomedical, clinical and health services areas. Projects span the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, the Faculty of Science and Engineering, and the Faculty of Humanities.

Our MRC DTP projects focus on three overarching themes, and each project must cover at least two of these:

• Discovery of Disease Mechanisms
• Detection and Diagnosis
• Developing Interventions

The training provided in our project reflects the MRC's skills priorities. All of our projects are required to include interdisciplinary training, generally through the composition of the supervisory team.

In addition, each project must include training in Quantitative Skills, and/or Whole Organ(ism) Physiology.

Application pathways

The MRC intake for 2024 offers three application pathways to choose from, with all of our MRC postgraduate researchers forming one unified cohort, irrespective of the pathway through which their project was developed. 

Please carefully consider the pathway you want to follow, as Project Supervisors can only submit one nomination . 

Currently, only supervisor-led CASE projects remain for September 2024, with projects being listed and applications opening in April 2024. 

Supervisor-led DTP project

Applications for this pathway are closed for 2024

Via this traditional pathway for our DTP, the supervisory team develops a suitable project.

You should contact the lead supervisor directly to discuss the project(s). It is your responsibility to arrange meetings with supervisors. Invitations to our interview days are dictated by supervisor nominations. This means that you are unlikely to be nominated by a supervisor unless you have made contact with them, in addition to submitting an online application.

As part of the selection process, you will be requested to submit a piece of written work directly to the Project Supervisor, who will advise of the exact requirements.

View projects

Supervisor-led CASE project

Projects for this pathway will be listed and applications will open on 15 April 2024; applications will close on 13 May 2024

A suitable project is developed as a collaboration between an academic supervisor and an industrial partner, who offer enhanced training via placement and additional support.

Student-led project

You can select from a pool of supervisors who are willing to help formulate a project in their research area, with a focus on your individual interests.

You should contact the supervisors directly to develop a suitable project proposal together. This project will not be advertised, and you will be nominated by the supervisor to be shortlisted for an interview. You must submit an online admissions application form by the deadline.

Supervisors 

• Clair Baldock
• Margherita Bertuzzi
• Giuseppe D'Agostino
• Phillip Day
• John Knight
• Isabel Pires
• Rachael Powell
• Andrew Povey
• Talveen Purba
• Karel Dorey
• Stephanie Shoop-Worrall
• Martie van Tongeren
• Drupad Trivedi
• Pam Vallely

Learn new skills

Training within each of our research themes embeds cross-cutting skills alongside those central to your research. This includes hands-on  in vivo  skills training in areas such as surgical and pre-clinical skills, complex experiments, novel imaging technologies and other innovative techniques.

Working collaboratively

You will develop interdisciplinary skills in chemical or physical engineering and social, economic and clinical areas, for example, imaging, health economics, antimicrobial resistance, and translational medicine. Your training will be led by various interdisciplinary supervisory teams often comprising different research groups and settings.

Planning ahead

Alongside your PhD training, you will also receive bespoke training specifically designed for the MRC DTP. This training will expose you to different career options after your PhD. It will explore public and patient engagement and involvement, business engagement, policy, and leadership.

Interrogating data

You will develop your quantitative skills including mathematics, statistics, computation, and developing digital excellence as applied to a variety of data sources, from 'omics to health records.

Transferable skills

Our Faculty graduate training programme will see you learn alongside other postgraduate researchers at Manchester and benefit from career-focused seminars in areas such as presentational skills, publications, public engagement and getting the most from research conferences.

Tailor the programme

You will have the opportunity to attend specific training events tailored to areas of importance to aspiring biomedical and health services researchers. You will be able to influence our training provision by telling us about the seminars and workshops that would be most helpful.

Apply for the MRC DTP programme

Applicants must have obtained or be about to obtain a First or Upper Second class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of science, engineering or technology.

If you wish to be considered for an MRC DTP and/or MRC CASE studentship and meet our eligibility criteria, you must complete a single  online application .

Application process

Please follow the information and step-by-step guide on our main How to apply page. 

Specific details for this programme are noted below.

You must make one separate application for this programme (select MRC DTP on the online application form). If you select the incorrect programme your application cannot be considered.

Applicants can select up to two projects on one single application, noting the title of each project from the advert and the supervisor name. For student-led project applications, state the supervisor name and an agreed project title on the application form.

Due to the competitive nature of this programme, we ask that all interested applicants make direct contact with preferred supervisors before applying online. Our experience shows how important the applicant-supervisor relationship is and we encourage you to make contact directly; supervisors will then arrange informal discussions. You should follow this up with a formal online application once you have decided on your preferred project/supervisor.

If you need help with this stage of the process, or have any queries regarding your eligibility (such as if you achieved unexpectedly low degree results due to extenuating circumstances), please contact the Doctoral Admissions team for advice by emailing  [email protected] .

The MRC DTP offers three application pathways (standard DTP project, CASE project or student-led project), as outlined in the  Projects  section above. All MRC postgraduate researchers form one unified cohort, irrespective of the pathway through which their project was developed.

For the funding sources section on the online application form:

• Select 'Yes' from the drop-down
• Type of Funding: 'Research Council'
• Awarding Body: MRC DTP Studentship
• Status of Funding – Awarded
• Funding Covers – Fully Funded
• Leave the remaining boxes blank

MRC DTP CASE application deadline: 13 May 2024 (midnight)

Other application information

Applications must be submitted by the deadline, as late applications will not be considered.

Incomplete applications will  not  be considered.

MTC DTP CASE

• Projects advertised: From 15 April 2024
• Application deadline: 13 May 2024 (midnight)
• Interviews: W/C 17 June 2024

Eligibility

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and seek to create equality of opportunity for all our applicants and postgraduate researchers. See our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion statement .

Applicants must have obtained or be about to obtain a First or Upper Second class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of science or technology.

These studentships provide funding for tuition fees and stipend at the UKRI rate, subject to eligibility, for four years.

For full details on eligibility, including qualifications and residence criteria, visit the  UKRI website .

International applicant eligibility requirements

This scheme is open to both UK and international applicants. However, we have now met our overseas candidate quota for September 2024 and, therefore, the MRC DTP CASE pathway is open to home applicants only.

We are only able to offer a limited number of full studentships to applicants outside the UK. Therefore, full studentships are only be awarded to exceptional quality international candidates due to the competitive nature of this scheme, following interview days.

International applicants must ensure they meet the academic eligibility criteria (including English language) before applying. English language requirements can be found on the  How to apply page.

We will contact you directly if we wish to invite you to one of our interview days following supervisor nominations. 

If you are invited to one of our interview days, you will be notified directly by email. Interviews take place via Zoom and the MRC DTP Recruitment Committee will assess applicants based on CV, academic record and references. Interview panels will consist of up to three academic staff from across the University.

You will be required to give a short presentation (not exceeding 10 minutes) on the DTP project you are interested in. Presentations can be made in PowerPoint format or verbally. 

If you are not nominated by a supervisor for a panel interview, we will notify you directly that your application is unsuccessful.

Supporting you and your career

You will be able to access outstanding facilities, technical and experimental support and fellow early career researchers throughout the programme.

Our Doctoral Academy represents early career researchers and will further support your development. Opportunities to share research ideas and obtain advice are available on a national level as well as within Manchester.

You and your fellow DTP postgraduate researchers form a cohort of trainees, encouraging peer support, e.g. final year postgraduate researchers act as peer mentors for each year's new intake. The DTP also has a dedicated and proactive Postgraduate Researcher Committee that represents the cohort and helps develop training for MRC postgraduate researchers, as well as organising events such as the MRC seminar series, conference and residential.

Join the Graduate Society

We also have a graduate society you can join, which is led by postgraduate researchers, offering both academic and social events to further support interaction and a sense of community.

Find out more about societies and other student groups.

Career destinations

Our postgraduate researchers progress beyond their PhDs into a variety of positions and areas.

Typical destinations include:

• academic fellowships (MRC, Wellcome Trust, NIHR);
• clinical training;
• industrial research;
• health services consultancy and policy;
• medical writing;

Workplace experience

You can benefit from additional opportunities to gain experience in many of these areas. Some of our DTP projects involve placements in industrial settings during the PhD, while the MRC operates a successful Policy Internship Placement with the Academy of Medical Sciences, which is open to DTP postgraduate researchers.

Additional opportunities are provided in the context of our internal DTP funding for exceptional training opportunities, clinical and industrial placements, and post-submission career enhancement projects.

Try out a research project

We offer research placements within the MRC DTP to undergraduate students from across the UK.

The placements are an excellent way to experience research activity and determine your suitability and aptitude for further research.

The placements are funded and last for up to six weeks.

More information about the MRC DTP undergraduate summer placements.

Have any questions? Get in touch.

Further details on MRC DTP studentship funding, eligibility and opportunities can be found on the MRC website .

For queries about applications, please contact the Doctoral Academy:

Email: [email protected]

Doctoral Training Partnership in Biomedical Sciences

Our doctoral training partnership.

Located in the heart of London, King’s College London and our associated NHS partner hospitals provide a vibrant and globally recognised biomedical research community. Our integrated and multi-disciplinary approach to medical research provides a wealth of cutting edge training opportunities in fundamental discovery science, translational research and experimental medicine.

Our students undertake projects from across all our Health Faculties in areas as diverse as: structural biology, drug development, in vivo imaging, population genetics and clinical trials. The cohort-focused philosophy of our programme ensures that our graduates experience the diversity of our science, learn how to collaborate and think creatively, and leave King’s equipped to tackle key biomedical challenges of a rapidly changing world.

Students recruited since September 2016. Up to 30 fully-funded places annually

Bespoke training courses flexibly tailored to student interests and needs, king’s research is world-leading or internationally excellent, active biomedical academics at king’s college london, relevant research.

Human Health is a dominant and unifying theme of research, training and education at King’s. We have a distinguished history in biomedicine and continue to be at the centre of cutting-edge discovery and applied research. Innovation and cross-discipline collaboration sit at the heart of our postgraduate research programmes. Our International reputation as a centre of outstanding scholarship continues to grow.

Training Community

Our students drive the growth of the DTP. The enthusiasm of our students to deliver project engagement activities, lead social events, share research, and contribute to the wider programme with the support of our academic and managerial team is a real strength of the the DTP. We champion a student-led approach ensuring that student feedback informs the evaluation and development of activities.

Strategic Collaborations

The MRC DTP benefits from a wealth of external and internal partners. We collaborate with the KCL Health Faculties, NIHR Biomedical Research Centres, the Wellcome Trust, the EPSRC Centre for Medical Imaging, as well as numerous industrial and commercial partners. These collaborations make us uniquely placed to offer students a diverse selection of training and networking opportunities.

Our funders

Privacy Overview

• Barts Cancer Institute
• Life as a Researcher
• Centre of the Cell
• Walking Tour
• Patient and Public Involvement
• Our Heritage
• Research Centres
• Our Research
• Core Services
• Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine
• Scientific Advisory Board
• Staff Directory
• Centre Leads
• Group Leaders
• Postdoctoral Researchers
• Postgraduate Research
• Postgraduate Teaching
• Short Courses

MRC Doctoral Training Partnership Programme

In translational biomedical sciences, meet the students, programme information, guidance for applicants.

Queen Mary University of London  and the  University of Southampton are proud to run a joint Medical Research Council (MRC)-funded Doctoral Training Partnership. Starting in 2016 in collaboration with the MRC as "MRC DTP in Translational Immunology, Inflammation and Cancer" , we have established a successful 4-year MRC-funded MRes/PhD programme that identifies excellent students and matches them with outstanding research projects. After the successful renewal, the programme was renamed to "MRC DTP in Translational Biomedical Sciences” in September 2022 , incorporating the themes of cancer, neurological, inflammatory and infectious diseases, anti-microbial resistance and global health.

Recently we also appointed additional MRC-funded students to study projects addressing skills of national shortage and iCASE studentships who study in association with a commercial partner. Together with university funding, the joint programmes have appointed over 60 students to our MRC DTP to date. Our students experience a variety of research environments and skills that arm them for their future career in the field of science. We are enormously proud of our students, many of whom offer commentary on their experiences to date.

All studentships are fully funded including 4 years of stipend (equivalent to the Research Councils UK National Minimum Doctoral Stipend ) and fees, as well as some research funds.

There are two types of studentships available - MRes/PhD and iCASE:

The programme is 1 year MRes + 3 years PhD. The MRes/PhD is undertaken at either the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry , Queen Mary or the Faculty of Medicine , University of Southampton. In the MRes year (year 1) students study (at either Queen Mary or Southampton) three taught modules that include statistics, computational coding and quantitative biology skills. Additionally, students undertake three 12-week rotation projects (usually two wet-lab studies and one of which must be predominantly mathematics, computational biology or bioinformatics) which are each assessed by a mini-thesis report. On successful completion and award of the MRes, students select one of the projects as the subject of their 3-year PhD (year 2-4).

iCASE ( industrial Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering ) PhD projects are developed and carried out during the four-year PhD in close collaboration with a non-academic partner. The iCASE PhD is undertaken at either the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary or the Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton. Within your PhD you will spend a period of time with the non-academic partner (usually three to six months over the lifetime of the PhD).

Students, who choose the iCASE studentship may select their PhD project from year one, i.e., they don’t undertake the three 12-week rotation projects. Furthermore, participation in the three taught modules is voluntary and not compulsory as in the MRes.

Charterhouse Square Campus, Queen Mary University of London

Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton

Cohort 2022

Disha mehta (southampton) cancer immunology.

Which rotation did you decide to pursue for your PhD project and why did you choose it? My PhD research is focussed on understanding T cell exhaustion within the context of immunotherapy. Prior to selecting my rotations last year, I had a predetermined project offer that allowed me to explore rotations in my supervisor's labs. This approach aimed to provide me with a better understanding of their lab operations and foster closer relationships with them. I chose three rotations, each offering distinct skill sets ranging from bioinformatics coding and data analysis to in vitro wet lab techniques. The skills I acquired during these rotations significantly contributed to my final PhD project, particularly the first two rotations that involved extensive single-cell RNA sequencing analysis and bioinformatic trajectory inference analysis. These experiences have given me a head start in my first year of data collection.

What skills have you developed so far? All three rotations provided me with the opportunity to acquire new skills in Bioinformatics, including programming in R and conducting single-cell RNA sequencing analysis on datasets sourced from human patient samples. Additionally, I developed a novel tool designed to facilitate the understanding of gene-switching patterns along defined trajectories. In the wet lab, I gained proficiency in techniques such as Western blotting and flow cytometry, as well as in vitro methods like T cell proliferation assays and shRNA knockdown experiments.

During my first year, my organizational skills significantly improved as I learned to maintain a detailed and up-to-date lab notebook, and I became adept at preparing thoroughly before conducting experiments. Furthermore, my communication and interpersonal abilities underwent substantial development through numerous interactions with individuals in different labs. I also honed my presentation skills, confidently sharing my progress in weekly lab meetings, away day events, and various seminars.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP ? I have found the statistics module extremely useful and thoroughly detailed which has made it extremely easy to comprehend and apply different descriptive statistical tests using SPSS and GraphPad PRISM to plot my data efficiently. The computational component of the DTP has been the most useful as my project heavily relies on single cell RNA sequencing and I have enjoyed the practical sessions which has given me the opportunity to translate the theoretical knowledge onto actual datasets.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? After completing an intense year, I've come to the realization that I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of engaging in three different projects and acquiring new skills both in the lab and in dry lab analysis. The experience of learning something new every day, improving my presentation skills, and gaining the confidence to work independently was incredibly rewarding. Prior to this, I had no experience with R programming, but the structured quantitative computational component of the DTP facilitated my learning process, especially in areas like single-cell RNA sequencing, with interactive teamwork sessions enhancing my understanding.

The DTP has provided excellent opportunities, including online and in-person seminars and academic talks, which I found immensely helpful for my background research. I also appreciated the social events organized by the LSPS society, offering a fantastic platform to connect with fellow PhD students. Lastly, I am deeply grateful for the student-led away, particularly the media training sessions, which were truly insightful and the motivational talks left a lasting impression on me.

Ester Valero Hernández (Queen Mary) Cancer, Inflammation and Immunology

Which rotation did you decide to pursue for your PhD project and why did you choose it? For my PhD, I decided to pursue my second rotation, which I took in Prof Angray Kang’s lab in the Blizard Institute, in close collaboration with Prof David Baker. The aim of my PhD project is to investigate the mechanisms of autoimmunity induced by Epstein Barr virus, and how it might be related to multiple sclerosis. I chose this project because I found the topic to be highly exciting and of high importance, keeping up to the date to the state of current research, and the translational potential of the project made it very attractive to me.

What skills have you developed so far? During the MRes year I undertook three very different rotations in order to make the most of my experience. As such, I further developed my lab skills using techniques such as cell culture, PCR and qPCR, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence of cell cultures and animal tissue, cryosectioning, bacteria transformation and protein purification, and more.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? For me, the computational component has definitely been the most challenging aspect of the programme so far. The R data carpentry sessions they introduced this year were incredibly helpful to set the basics, but the module can be quite time consuming if you haven’t got a strong computational background. However, the practical workshops are well organised, and the module organisers are incredibly helpful and willing to solve any issues and answer questions.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging My favourite part about the programme so far has been the rotations taken during the MRes year. I especially value the opportunity to reach out to investigators of our choice and discuss the possibility of designing a new study based on your particular interests; that is how I found my perfect project! So far, the most challenging aspect has probably been balancing the workload of the rotations and taught modules altogether, but it definitely gets easier as you advance through the year.

Andrea Vinaga (Queen Mary) Cancer, Inflammation and Immunology

What is your current rotation? My current rotation is in Dr Jun Wang's group at the Barts Cancer Institute, where I am using bulk and single cell RNA transcriptomics to study oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. More specifically, I am trying to identify master transcription factors that may influence the tumour immune microenvironment. 

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? My current project is fully bioinformatics, which I had not had much experience in before starting this programme. I have developed a range of skills in transcriptomic analyses, which have made me more confident in this area. 

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP?   I enjoyed the Quantitative Cell Biology module in Southampton, although travelling there every week can be tiring. The course covers every aspect of transcriptomics, from bulk to single cell RNAseq. The lecturers are very knowledgeable and happy to help with any issues you may encounter during the course. This module starts with a week-long R course, which I found extremely useful.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging? My favourite aspect of the programme is the opportunity to do three rotations, which allows you to find the best project and group fit for you. This also allows you to create useful networks for the course of your PhD. There are a lot of projects to choose from, but you can also reach out to other labs. The first rotation is the most coursework heavy, and I have found the workload stressful and hard to deal with at times.

Alex Robinson (Southampton) Immunity and Infection

Which rotation did you decide to pursue for your PhD project and why did you choose it? I decided to merge my first and second rotations into a collaborative project between Professor Paul Elkington and Dr Liku Tezera of the Tuberculosis (TB) group, and Professor Tilman Sanchez-Elsner of the Junk DNA group. My project focuses on the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infected cells in regulating inflammation in TB, with the ultimate aim of characterising these EVs for blood-based diagnostics, and even therapeutics, in TB.

What skills have you developed so far? Between the two labs, I have developed many skills, especially wet lab skills. I now have experience with techniques such as flow cytometry, qPCR, ELISAs, working in a category 3 lab. Alongside these are other basic wet lab skills such as planning experiments (from simple calculations and setups to more complex assays), time management, organisation, and develop my confidence in working independently. Through my third rotation, and with help from the Quantitative Cell Biology module, I have also greatly improved my skills in bioinformatics. I worked with large RNA-seq and scRNA-seq datasets in R and python, and used a wide variety of online bioinformatics tools.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? I have personally found the computational part of the DTP very interesting an enjoyable, opening a new area of bioinformatics to me which I previously thought was unattainable given I do not have a background in computing. This has translated into my third rotation project being a bioinformatic project, and even adding a bioinformatic element to my PhD research. I have also found the maths side of research to be one of the areas I struggle with, but there are plenty of opportunities to improve these skills through the introductory module and other courses on offer.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging? I have most enjoyed working in a collaborative lab environment here on Level E, meeting colleagues with very interesting research interests and making great friends in the process. The most challenging part of the PhD so far has been adjusting to the workload and expectation that a PhD demands, but it has been beneficial, and I can see the improvement in my quality of work as a result.

Liam Edgeway (Southampton) Immunity and Infection

What rotation did you decide to pursue for your PhD project and why?  I have joined Dr. Matthew Loxham’s group, where I will be undertaking a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the effects of airborne particulate matter on the human respiratory system, and how these effects may contribute to a disease state and an estimated 7 million deaths per year ( WHO, 2018) . I thoroughly enjoy using a range of methods and techniques when answering a question. The multidisciplinary approach in studying a major global health concern will not only allow for a varied and thorough understanding as to the composition and effects of particulate matter on the respiratory system, but will also help me to translate results to biological understanding, to guide policy, and potentially contribute to better health outcomes for the whole population.

What skills have you developed so far?  The three rotations in the MRes year provided me with training in cell culture, fluorometric microassays, RT-qPCR, western blotting, ELISA, histological techniques, mass spectrometry, and bioinformatics. Additionally, the MRC DTP away day, regular lab meetings, and poster presentation sessions have provided me with a platform to enhance my presentation and communication skills.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? Having zero experience with bioinformatics before the DTP, the QCB module provided me with an in-depth theoretical understanding of many methods. This not only aided me in my decision-making when using bioinformatic techniques but also allowed me to understand data presented in the results sections of scientific papers.

The practical aspect of the QCB module also provided my first coding experience. A thorough understanding of the tools allowed me to build a solid foundation in R, and further provided the resources needed to improve these skills.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging? I joined the iPhD with a defined project, where I knew I would be staying in Dr. Loxham’s group following the MRes year. However, the rotation projects provided an opportunity to learn the subject area from different angles, with fresh approaches to tackling questions. I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of techniques and topics that were recruited over the year. The coursework can be a bit difficult to juggle at times, although, it certainly requires and develops time management and organisation!

Cohort 2021

Amy hall (queen mary) cancer, inflammation and immunology.

What is your current rotation? I am currently undertaking my first rotation with Dr Mirjana Efremova. This project focuses on the analysis of single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-Seq) data from patients with triple negative breast cancer, aiming to characterise the heterogenic cancer cell states and the interactions with the tumour microenvironment. This data is from treatment-naïve patients and can later be compared to mid- and post-treatment samples.

What skills have you developed so far? So far, I have been focusing on learning how to use R to analyse the scRNA-Seq data. I have no previous experience using R or analysing large data sets. Therefore, it has been interesting to learn how to use R and how it can be used to analyse patient data.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? The bioinformatics sessions in Southampton have been useful as learning R in these sessions has helped me with my current rotation. The sessions themselves can be difficult, especially when learning something new. However, the session leads are helpful and explain the concepts well.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging? The best part of this scheme is being able to join multiple labs during the MRes year, as it allows me to work with multiple supervisors but also to try things which I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do if I went straight into a PhD. I have least enjoyed balancing travelling weekly to Southampton, the research methods module and my first rotation all at once. The prep work and coursework for research methods is quite time-consuming when balancing it with everything else.

Natasha Palmer (Southampton) Immunity and Infection

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? I have developed useful laboratory skills in immunological research, such as immunohistochemistry techniques, ELISAs, qPCR, flow cytometry and tissue culture. I am now focusing on developing my time management skills and working independently in the laboratory, as well as improving my presentation skills.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? The bioinformatics module has been incredibly helpful as I have no previous experience in this area. It’s interesting to not only learn the techniques but to be given examples of how they are used in modern medical research. We have practical workshops to try out the coding and analysis and the demonstrators in these are very friendly and good at explaining everything.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging? Working between two research groups has been exciting and I have loved learning different techniques from each group. I have particularly enjoyed getting to grips with flow cytometry as it was quite daunting to begin with, but now I feel more confident and conquering a new technique is very satisfying. My main challenge has been coordinating space, resources and time between the two groups, for example it can be hard to manage your time during weeks when you are meeting both supervisors or attending two laboratory meetings.

Akash Saha  (Queen Mary) Cancer, Inflammation and Immunology

I chose this project for several reasons, including the novelty of the work related to it since the main aim is to characterise exciting novel targets identified from two whole genome CRISPR functional screens performed in collaboration with the CRUK Functional Genomic Centre. As LIMD1 is a tumour suppressor gene frequently lost during the early stages of lung carcinogenesis, which results in a worse outcome in LIMD1 deficient patients, it is crucial to identify and target novel intrinsic vulnerabilities in these LIMD1 deficient lung cancers. Furthermore, this project also allows me to obtain my personal project licence to carry in vivo to validate the targets confirmed following the in vitro work.

Furthermore, a supplementary reason for me choosing this project was the lab group itself. In fact, being under the supervision of Prof. Sharp’s, as well learning from highly experienced postdoctoral researchers such as Dr. Kunal Shah and Dr. Paul Grevitt, were important aspects for me to consider for my optimal growth as a cancer researcher. 

What skills have you developed so far? As I progressed through my MRes year and during my current initial period of my PhD, I have implemented my skills in key techniques such as routine cell culture, western blot, cell titer-glo and qPCR, to state a few. However, I am also fortunate to be learning and practising new fundamental methods in research like CRISPR technology. Increasing my knowledge in these essential research procedures and being able to master them is highly valuable for me to get the best quality of data during my PhD. 

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? The taught computational component of the DTP delivered at the University of Southampton represents a highly valuable opportunity for me to widen my skillset in terms of data analysis of large datasets. I am finding this module extremely interesting, and I believe it will be greatly useful for my academic career due to modern day cancer research requiring interdisciplinarity from different fields of study, especially bioinformatics and computational modelling. 

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging? So far, I am really enjoying my PhD as I am starting to organise, schedule and perform experiments after carefully planning for them. I highly enjoyed all three of my MRes rotations, as each of them provided me with a new skillset that I previously did not possess. As a full-time PhD student, carrying out experiments and maintaining an organised schedule is essential, but the laboratory environment can quickly evolve to a very fast-paced one with lots of challenges, for which I must be prepared to face.

Elise Smith (Queen Mary) Cancer, Inflammation and Immunology

What rotation did you decide to pursue for your PhD project and why?   I am undertaking my PhD in Dr Mirjana Efremova’s group, investigating the effect of chemotherapy on the single-cell landscape of colorectal cancer liver metastases. I chose this project as I am very interested in understanding how different cancer cell and tumour microenvironment populations are altered by therapy through non-genetic mechanisms. The opportunity to work with data from patient samples, and the major computational aspect of this PhD, were also key motivations for me.

What skills have you developed so far? In my current project, I have learnt and applied different methods for analysing single-cell RNA-seq data, including integration of datasets, differential expression and abundance testing, and inference of cell-cell communication. I will also be learning new computational methods for analysis of ATAC-seq and spatial transcriptomics data. During my MRes rotations, I developed wet-lab skills, such as immunohistochemistry and RNA-seq library preparation.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP?  The Quantitative Cell Biology module in Southampton was very helpful for learning how to analyse biological data in R, which I have applied for analysis of my own RNA-seq data. It was very valuable to discuss new bioinformatics concepts with researchers in the field and other students. The Queen Mary statistics module was also useful for understanding how to apply different statistical methods.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging? I have really enjoyed applying a number of different computational methods to explore patient-derived single-cell data in my project. I have enjoyed working collaboratively with other researchers and learning about the diverse areas of cancer research at the Barts Cancer Institute. It has sometimes been challenging to determine the best approach for analysing my data, in cases where there is not a readily-available or accepted method.

Ludovica Tarantola (Queen Mary) Cancer, Inflammation and Immunology

What skills have you developed so far? Thanks to the rotational year, I had the opportunity to widen and further develop several laboratory skills, such as western blotting, PCR, imaging techniques and analysis. Also, I have learnt cloning techniques and how to perform gene knockdown in vitro . 

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? It can be quite overwhelming at first, especially because this is something I have never been taught before. However, having an understanding of bioinformatics is becoming always more important within scientific research. Therefore, the quantitative biology module in Southampton is an important opportunity for learning basic R coding, which is an incredibly valuable skill to acquire for the future.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging? I have really enjoyed the rotational year I have just concluded. It was extremely useful to widen my research skills and to create a good network with other researchers in other departments working on different fields. I also really enjoy my current lab and department. It is an amazing environment to work in, I feel inspired everyday by the research of my colleagues and they are all really supportive and helpful. I have just started my PhD years, so I guess I still need to face the real challenges, even though the rotational year was also quite intense, with the exam workloads, lab experiments and research project write-up all at once!

Cohort 2020

Jack fisher (southampton) immunity and infection.

What is your current project? I am investigating how a targeted cancer therapy used to treat B cell malignancies affects NK cell mediated immunity. As with many treatments, certain patients do not respond to this therapy, hence combination therapies are warranted. Targeted cancer therapies have been shown to modulate the NK cell immune response and given the promise of harnessing NK cells in immunotherapies, understanding how targeted cancer therapies modulate NK cell activity is key to optimising NK cell combination therapy approaches.

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? After one year I’ve learnt how to conduct complex flow cytometry experiments including NK cell activation and NK cell killing assays, perform western blots and tissue culture. In the future I am hoping to gain in vivo skills to study NK cell function in the tumour microenvironment and learn immunohistochemistry techniques to visualise NK cells in tissue. Alongside lab-specific skills, the programme has provided me with fundamental skills in scientific writing, enhanced my presentational capacity and improved my data handling in terms of storage, analysis and visualisation.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? It was a great opportunity to build upon the basic knowledge I obtained during my undergraduate studies. It was daunting at first, but after asking the incredibly helpful lecturers and student demonstrators (too) many questions it all clicked into place. I’ve not used what I learnt in my project yet, but so far it has been incredibly useful for understanding bioinformatic papers and when I do come round to performing bioinformatics I will certainly look back to this experience for guidance.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What has been challenging?  I really enjoyed being able to rotate labs, one of the main reasons for choosing the programme. It enabled me to meet people from across the department to which I am new, but more importantly it allowed me to understand the speciality of each lab, therefore any scientific or technical problem I may encounter I have an array of people I can approach to help. I have enjoyed every experience so far, but the most challenging aspect of the course was juggling the 10-week lab rotation, writing the lab report and submitting assignments. These certainly kept me busy, but I wouldn’t change the experience one bit and the summer holiday definitely made up for those really busy periods of the year.

Mosammat Antara Labiba (Queen Mary) Cancer, Inflammation and Immunology

What is your current project? I decided to pursue my first project with Dr Prabhakar Rajan and Professor Conrad Bessant as my PhD project. I will be using proteomics informed by transcriptomics (PIT) pipelines to identify putative neoantigens generated by alternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS).  During AS, genes are shuffled to produce a number of protein isoforms from a single gene, which increases proteomic diversity.  AS is disrupted in cancer, which may lead to new proteins that are processed as neoantigens for the cell.  Tumours with a high neoantigen burden, typically arising from mutations, are effectively targeted by immune checkpoint-based anti-cancer immunotherapy. Hence, a greater understanding of the role of AS in neoantigen generation may reveal novel anti-cancer therapies.

I chose this project as it applies computation pipelines and artificial intelligence algorithms, which will equip me with the important skills necessary to advance in cancer research. Finally, having both a clinician scientist and computational biologist as my supervisors has ensured I get the best well-rounded support during my PhD.

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? I have developed important independence and organisational skills when planning my PhD research. The rotations also gave me a chance to gain wet-lab experience which I had not previously undertaken. I am also hoping to continue building on my coding skills in different languages to advance in my research.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? I had previously completed an MRes in Cancer Informatics at Imperial College London, which equipped me with the necessary R skills needed for biological research. Therefore, the bioinformatics/computational component of the programme was not as demanding for me.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging?  I enjoyed the chance to undertake three different projects before choosing my final PhD project. I got the chance to try out new experiences for example in wet-lab which I may not have had I gone directly into a PhD. I think this opportunity to try out a lab before committing to the full PhD is indispensable and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. I also really enjoyed my optional module “Infection and Immunity” which was taught at Southampton (due to Covid it was online) alongside my second module. 

I least enjoyed the two taught modules during the first semester as I was unable to focus enough time on my rotation project in comparison to the other two projects.

Mara Gelmetti (Queen Mary) Cancer, Inflammation and Immunology

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? Thanks to the multidisciplinary aspect of the project, I have been fortunate enough to develop a wide range of laboratory skills. These include flow cytometry, immunostainings and some molecular biology techniques such as PCR. As the project develops, I hope to develop more bioinformatic skills to analyse scRNA-seq data.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? The bioinformatics modules were incredibly helpful. I am very grateful that we were given dedicated time and support in understanding bioinformatics concepts and then applying these to real data sets. Although challenging throughout, at the end of the course I really felt like I had a strong foundation to help me approach future analyses in R.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging? I really enjoyed the rotational aspect of the programme, and the opportunities to work with different teams. The infection and immunity module was also incredibly helpful as it was structured in the form of a weekly journal club. Although challenging to time-manage a research project and coursework, it was a great exercise for a scientific career.

Alba Gonzalez (Southampton) Centre for Cancer Immunology

What is your current project? My project aims to understand how monoclonal antibodies can boost the immune system to target tumours whilst minimising toxic effects. In particular, I am investigating the therapeutic efficacy of several monoclonal antibodies against a receptor called 4-1BB. This receptor is an interesting target because it is expressed on CD8+ T cells and can promote their cytotoxic potential and survival, improving their anti-tumour activity.

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? I have learnt a range of lab techniques such as flow cytometry, Surface Plasmon Resonance and molecular biology techniques including PCR. Also, during my second rotation I got to experience techniques involved in protein and antibody production, such as cell transfections and protein purification. I hope to further develop my molecular biology and cloning skills, as well as to using in vivo models to test the therapeutic efficacy of different antibodies.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? The Quantitative Cell Biology module has been very valuable to help me to gain an insight into large datasets. Also, it was great to get an overview of how to analyse genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics data. Although my PhD project is lab-based, knowing about bioinformatics has been really helpful to understand papers, seminars and talks!

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging? The best part of the iPhD programme is experiencing different labs during the rotation year. It’s a great opportunity to sample the projects but also to meet people in different labs and to learn different techniques that you can incorporate into your final PhD project. Also, being part of a cohort of 7 students was incredibly helpful to settle into the programme, especially during a global pandemic!

Rosa Alves Martins (Southampton) Centre for Cancer Immunology

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? I have developed a wide range of both wet and dry laboratory skills from completing three distinct rotation projects. For example, I learnt about flow cytometry, I familiarised myself with analysing transcriptome data with R Studio and I learnt how to process human leukocytes. Additionally, this programme has allowed me to improve my scientific writing skills and expand my knowledge of immunology. As the project progresses, I aim to develop skills in tissue staining, cell sorting, and spatial transcriptomics to better understand the hypoxic tumour microenvironment.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? I found the bioinformatics component of the programme to be beneficial, although it was also quite overwhelming at the beginning due to being a novice. Also, the programme leads were always available to help and with practice, it did become more intuitive. Indeed, I believe it is important for scientists nowadays to have some knowledge and understanding of bioinformatics and the role it plays in scientific research.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? What have you found challenging? I enjoyed the format of the rotation projects, getting to learn new techniques and gain a greater understanding of cancer immunology. It also helped me to become more confident in the lab as well as more independent. Additionally, because more people have done the programme previously, it meant I could ask for advice and support from students in the previous cohort, who are always more than happy to help. As with all experiences, there are some drawbacks, namely, I found the constant workload with few breaks overwhelming at times. However, I did find that the challenge allowed me to improve my ability to work under pressure and hone my time-management skills.

Cohort 2019

Amanda stafford (queen mary) cancer inflammation and immunology.

What is your current rotation? I am currently doing a rotation in Stephanie Kermorgant’s lab, investigating whether the cMet signalling pathway, stimulated by HGF, leads to an increase in PDL1 expression.

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? I have learnt how to perform western blotting. I think I will go on to develop skills in immunofluorescence and microscopy.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? It's been incredibly valuable to have assigned time to learn how to use R. It's something I think will be incredibly useful in my research career, and I just don’t think I could have invested the time independently to learn it.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? I've really enjoyed joining a PhD scheme with three other people. I think the taught computational module has been the most useful. I have least enjoyed the research methods module; it, and its coursework, are quite time consuming.

Kamila Bienkowska (Southampton) Cancer Immunology

What is your current rotation? I am currently undertaking a research project at Prof. Gareth Thomas' lab under the supervision of Dr Christopher Hanley. I analyse single cell RNA sequencing data from cancer patients and investigate the heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) found within the tumours. CAFs are components of the tumour microenvironment known to aid cancer progression. Understanding the mechanism through which they act could improve future cancer therapies.

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? I have learnt a few new research methods that I hadn't yet had the chance to perform, including flow cytometry and immunoprecipitation. I picked up bioinformatics during the rotations and I keep working on these new skills. Also, as a student for whom English is not their first language, I got to work on my writing skills which I think will be very useful in the future. As for the skills that I'd like to develop, I would enjoy the opportunity to work with, amongst others, immune cells and with primary cells.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? It felt a little overwhelming at first, but from the time perspective I am confident to say that it was very helpful in learning the basics of R coding. Nowadays, bioinformatics analysis is a desirable skill and so being introduced to it at the beginning of the PhD was important. Continuing my bioinformatics adventure during the rotation projects made me want to incorporate it in my final PhD project, despite being terrified of it at first.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? The best part of the programme is being able to test three different potential projects and choose the one that you like the most. The first three months of the programme were the busiest with assignments, so I enjoyed it the least, but I guess that's a "student's life."

Matthew Beck (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

I undertook my second rotation in Dr Gunnel Hallden’s lab at Barts Cancer Institute, working on oncolytic adenoviral therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. The aim of this project was to develop new methods, such as combining with peptides, to enhance the delivery of the therapeutic adenoviruses to the prostate cancer cell and ultimately increase cell killing.

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? I have been fortunate to develop a wide range of laboratory skills over the first two rotations. These include a number of fundamental research techniques such as cell culture, PCR, western blotting just to name a few, and I feel that this will stand me in strong stead for work that I will encounter throughout and beyond my PhD. As my third rotation will be in the form of a literature review, I really hope to be able to develop my ability to critically review other research papers.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? One hugely interesting aspect of this course is the taught computational module that is undertaken in Southampton. This was a real eye opener for me as I had previously no experience in this at all and went into the course fairly nervous about it. It was so encouraging that by the end of the module I felt I had a solid foundation understanding of bioinformatics and how it can be applied. I look forward to trying to develop this more during my PhD.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? I think the most enjoyable aspect of the programme is without doubt the opportunity to spend time in different labs doing completely different types of research. Not only do you learn a wide range of different skills and see how different researchers work, but it allows you to make a very informed decision on which project you wish to select for the PhD.

Steven Turner (Southampton) Cancer Immunology

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? I have continued developing my lab-based skills in western blotting, FACS, tissue-culture and more. I have also learnt completely new skills in molecular dynamics simulations and the associated analysis of protein trajectories. I hope to learn to apply advanced sampling methods to my MD simulations as well as conduct my own HDX experiments in the future.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? An introduction to basic R coding skills and getting to apply this to biological datasets is a useful foundation to modern data analysis that is becoming an increasingly more critical skill for research scientists to have. Consequently, without a strong grasp of the underlying statistics these methods can often be easily misrepresented, which is why I believe combining these two subjects into this course has been an invaluable addition to my skillset as an early career researcher.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? The opportunity to tailor my projects to what I believed benefited me most has put me in a position where I feel very prepared for my future PhD project. I have been able to gain experience in a wide array of subjects from lab-based biochemistry to pure computational chemistry, all of which have provided unique skills I plan to utilise in the future.

Emily O'Sullivan (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? So far I have developed both my cellular and molecular biology skills through experience with gateway cloning and immunofluorescence staining. I have also become far more confident with microscopy and tissue culture. Moving forward in the project I hope to develop skills in tissue staining and identifying TME components.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? I am thoroughly enjoying becoming confident working independently in the lab, developing my own ideas and expanding my current knowledge of the cell cytoskeleton. It has been a challenge to become accustomed to managing my own time and not allowing the work load to become overwhelming.

Timo Kuerten (Southampton) Centre for Cancer Immunology

What skills have you developed so far? I have learnt a wide variety of skills since starting this programme, whether that be wet lab, dry lab or transferrable skills. Wet lab skills that I have acquired or developed further include classical skills such as qPCR, molecular biology, western blots, fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, but also more specialised skills such as organoid growth and manipulation as well as time-lapse microscopy. I have also picked up brand new computational skills, specifically learning how to use the R programming language to perform transcriptomic analyses. In terms of transferrable skills, this programme has allowed me to develop my scientific writing skills through writing up a report for each rotation, and heightened my critical analysis skills through the critical examination of published high-impact papers. I have also been able to develop my immunological knowledge in more depth. Finally, collaborating closely with BioInvent has allowed me to experience the industry side of cancer research, which I am hoping to learn even more about on my trip to Sweden to work in their labs!

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? I believe one of the most valuable aspects of the integrated PhD programme is getting the chance to work on three different projects with three different PIs, and then choose the one that’s the best fit for you. This means that you’re almost guaranteed to end up working on something you enjoy, with a supervisory style that suits your own working/learning pattern. With the iPhD programme there is even the scope to design your own project if that’s up your alley! Personally, I’ve also really benefitted from the individual attention invested in each student, which really makes you feel like a valued member of the department. As with all things, there are ups and there are some downs. This is an intense programme, and the workloads and deadlines are not few. It can sometimes be hard to manage full-time lab work whilst also finding additional hours in the week to work on other deadlines such as conferences and progression reviews; but at least this is a good way to continue learning how to work under pressure and improve project-management skills in the process.

Molly Guscott (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What skills have you developed so far? So far, skills developed have been predominantly in the laboratory environment, particularly cloning techniques. As well as that, the Southampton computational module has been quite enlightening and I have come out with a working understanding of R coding as well as it uses for 'omics research.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? The bioinformatics component taught at Southampton is structured in a very good way and helps initially with getting to grips with R coding. However after this initial session with R the level of coding increases exponentially. Looking at single cell sequencing, principal component analysis etc is quite difficult to understand. The coursework for this section is quite helpful to get to grips with the techniques.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? The most enjoyable aspect of the course for me so far has been learning to use R to a standard which is actually useful. The least enjoyable aspect is balancing lab work with lectures and coursework.

Cohort 2018

Nicolas roth (queen mary) cancer inflammation and immunology.

Which rotation did you decide to pursue for your PhD project? I decided to continue with my third rotation for my PhD project, which looked at the role of HER2-CB2 heteromers in the progression of breast cancer. HER2 is an established prognostic marker for invasive breast cancers and HER2 expression in breast cancer can identify patients at risk of progressing to the invasive disease. The cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) is closely correlated with HER2 expression in breast cancer patients and administration of Δ9-tetrahydrocannbinol (THC) leads to the senescence of cancer cell growth and an increase in apoptosis. THC was found to cause the dissociation of the HER2-CB 2 R heteromer and lead to proteasomal degradation of HER2, preventing tumourogenic signalling. In this rotation I developed a 3D model of breast cancer using the breast cell line MCF10A, with inducible expression of HER2 and CB2, to investigate the functional role of these receptors in breast cancer progression. I decided to continue with this rotation for my PhD project due to the importance of 3D models in in vitro biology, the level of collaboration this project involves and the fascinating biology. I will continue to study the role of HER2 and CB2 interaction in breast cancer and how these receptors influence signalling, metabolism and the overall progression of breast cancer.

What skills have you developed so far? The rotation year offered valuable experience developing a wide range of lab skills and the ability to plan and carry out experiments independently. Throughout my PhD I expect to be competent at many techniques in the lab, whilst also developing my data analysis and interpretation, presentation skills and critical analysis of other scientists’ work.

Have you contributed to any publications so far? I currently am a co-author on a paper that is under review.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? I attended the Biochemical Society conference: Cell Signaling and Intracellular Trafficking in Cancer Biology: Interplay, Targeting and Therapy in Turin Italy on 21-24 October 2019.

Laura Reid (Southampton) Immunity and Infection Pathway

What did you choose as your PhD project and why did you choose it? My PhD project investigates the hypothesis that microRNA differentially expressed in COPD lung-derived EVs compared to healthy controls are selectively packaged and released from epithelial cells as a form of intercellular communication mediating chronic inflammation in COPD. I chose this project after being introduced to the field of EVs in my final MRes rotation project with the Pulmonary Immunology Group. Over recent years the role of EVs in disease has become an exciting and quickly evolving area of research with many novel diagnostic and therapeutic applications being investigated. In addition I chose to join the Pulmonary Immunology Group as they offered the knowledge and support required to complete a successful PhD project.

What skills have you developed so far? I have so far developed a wide range of technical and transferable skills relevant to my development as a professional researcher. During the MRes I gained valuable skills in statistical and bioinformatic analyses from the taught modules and rotation projects which are really useful both in terms of my current PhD project and future career. I have also gained experience in a variety of laboratory techniques including tissue culture, recombinant protein synthesis, western blot analyses and quantification of microRNAs using real-time PCR. Furthermore I developed skills including communicating with outreach and critical analyses of research. Over the next few years I wish to develop skills including microscopy and making an impact with my research.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? I presented at the IPhD and MRC DTP AwayDay in Southampton (2019) and attended the UK Extracellular Vesicles Forum (2019).

Have you completed any additional training? I have completed the Introductory course to 2D image processing and analysis.

What have you enjoyed about your experience so far? Overall what I have enjoyed so far about the iPhD programme is the support and opportunities available to allow you to identify and pursue an area of research you are passionate about.

Robert Hearnden (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What skills have you developed so far? So far during my rotations I have improved my abilities to communicate my research. I have gained experience in a number of techniques: immunohistochemistry, western blot, immunoprecipitation, primary cell culture, microscopy, flow cytometry, handling RNA sequencing data, qPCR. I have also developed my time management and organisation skills.

What skills do you think you will develop going forward? In the future I will gain technical experience in running samples on an orbi-trap mass spectrometer. I will further improve my analytical and experimental design skills. I will also gain skills in more advanced cell culture techniques, and metabolic profiling of cells. Lastly, I will be handling big data sets and developing my ability to extract useful information from these data sets.

How did you find the mathematics/computational component of the DTP? The bioinformatics component of the DTP was very useful, now I feel like, with a little bit of time, I’d manage to work through most data sets. It also gave me the confidence to proactively seek opportunities to use these skills in my rotation projects, and I hope eventually in my PhD project.

Have you completed any additional training so far? I have completed the Home office licensee training course (PILA-C) for my personal license.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? I have enjoyed most the opportunity to choose whatever three rotation projects I would like, and as a result, I now have vastly increased my network of scientists within the School of Medicine and Dentistry. I least enjoyed juggling my first rotation with one day a week in Southampton and the taught component on a Wednesday.

Gabriela Virdzekova (Southampton) Cancer Sciences Pathway

What is your PhD project? My project is studying T cells and how they kill cancer cells. I am looking at the role of Akt signalling pathway in CD8+ T cells. We are investigating whether modulation of this signalling pathway could be used to improve response to immune checkpoint blockers during cancer therapy. I am currently focusing on determining whether inhibition of Akt pathway changes CD8+ T cell ability to kill cancer cells and facilitate immune response in the tumour microenvironment.

Which skills have you developed so far? Through my PhD, I have developed a variety of lab skills, including western blotting, cell culture, flow cytometry, qPCR, polysome profiling and in vivo work. I have also developed skills in bioinformatics during the analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data. I aim to further expand my skills by analysing bulk RNA sequencing data during the remainder of my PhD. I have gained organisational and time management skills, writing skills and have become more confident during public speaking.

Have you completed any additional training? I have completed the Home Office licensee training course necessary for my research.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? I really enjoy working in a sociable and supportive environment and being surrounded by highly ambitious academics and students. Learning bioinformatics was a very enjoyable experience and I am planning to continue developing this skill in the future. I anticipate there will be more opportunities to do another internship to develop skills outside our department.

Reza Roozitalab (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

Which skills have you developed so far? I have developed a great deal of independence both at the bench and away developing and planning ideas. The three short rotation projects have taught me that, while things may not always go to plan, there is always a lesson to take away for next time.

Which skills do you think you will develop going forward? I think I will continue to become more independent in making plans and decisions that will shape my final PhD thesis and understand the commitment that is required to be in academia and lead a research group.

How did you find the mathematics/computational component of the DTP? The mathematics/computations component was a full on introduction to R with real datasets to manipulate and understand. While daunting at first for a complete beginner, it has opened my eyes to the value of computational biology in complementing our traditional research.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? What I have enjoyed most is being able to work on three short projects with an opportunity to tailor each in line with my specific interest. I would have enjoyed committing 100% of my time to my lab project rather than coursework etc.

Ottilie Swinyard (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

Which skills have you developed so far? So far during my MRC studentship I have learnt a lot of computational analysis from scratch, such as coding, statistics and AI image analysis. Along with laboratory techniques such as siRNA, CRISPR, RNA/RNA extraction and microscopy techniques.

Which skills do you think you will develop going forward? I'd like to learn single cell techniques like single cell RNA sequencing and further my computational analysis skills.

How did you find the mathematics/computational component of the DTP? The taught MRC computational module gives a very good grounding in the most common types of analysis carried out and basic R coding, which can then go on to be used and developed within the rotations performed.

Have you contributed to any publications so far? I am currently working on a review.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far?  I really enjoyed my three rotations in first year. I think this is an excellent opportunity to get to know what you like best and least in the laboratory and also experience many different ways of working within a lab, ways Principal Investigators work differently and various fields within cancer and immunology.

Shaun Maguire (Southampton) Centre for Cancer Immunology

What skills have you developed so far? In the lab, I have developed skills in flow cytometry, tissue culture, Biacore, 3D culture of organoids, DropSeq, western blots, analysis of single cell RNA seq datasets and IHC. Other skills I have developed include thesis writing, presenting and the critical appraisal of research articles. I hope to continue to develop my writing skills, presenting skills and in vivo animal work.

How did you find the mathematics/computational component of the DTP? Both RPB and RPC involved analysis of scRNA seq datasets which I really enjoyed. It was nice to develop these skills as computational methods are becoming more prevalent in scientific research.

How have you found your experience so far? There was a really interesting variety of projects available as part of my rotation year. Because of this, I have been  able to develop a variety of different skills. The support and guidance throughout has been excellent. I’m happy with how things are going and enjoying the research I am a part of. The away day in my first year was interesting, I got to see the scope of research being undertaken at both the University of Southampton and Queen Mary University of London.

George Elder (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What is your PhD project and how did you choose it? The diverse and highly complex nature of modern biological research produces a high volume of data. Thus, there is unprecedented need to develop tools and methodologies to explain and rationalise these results. The aim of my PhD project is to develop novel logic-based algorithms that overcome the limitations of existing tools used for analysis. Ultimately, the most challenging aspect of this work will be to develop an automated hypotheses generation and validation algorithm. This will be able to employ abductive reasoning in combination with scientific knowledge and expertise to logically analyse not only datasets which suffer from the issues mentioned above but others as well. The resulting hypotheses can then be validated entirely in silico based on information garnered from other databases. If this yields interesting and novel results these can ultimately be tested by carrying out the relevant physical experiments manually.

What skills have you developed so far? I have expanded my skills on general computer-based analysis. Namely, following various courses I have attended at Queen Mary, I have gained more advanced skills in Python-based data analysis. As the main focus of my project is applying a novel approach via logic programming, I have gained a substantial working background, which I am continuously expanding, on the use and application of the LP language Prolog, specifically its SWI-Prolog implementation.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? I attended two conferences in 2019. The first was the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Here I presented a poster detailing the initial stages of my work relating to explaining the phosphoproteomics dataset I am working on. The second conference I attended was the International Conference on Logic Programming (ICLP) at Las Cruces, New Mexico. As part of the conference I attended a 2-day intense course titled 'Autumn School on Logic Programming' as well as a 1-day workshop on Probabilistic Logic Programming. Through these, apart from a plethora of ideas to pursue as part of my own work, I made a number of connections with potential collaborators.

Have you completed any additional training? I have been accepted as part of the PhD Enrichment scheme at the Alan Turing Institute. For this I will be based at the Institute for six months beginning January of 2020. Here, I will have the chance to collaborate with the researchers within the Institute as well as the various Fellows that are part of it but based elsewhere.

Cohort 2017

Atiya sarmin (queen mary) cancer inflammation and immunology.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? I gave an oral presentation at Termis-EU 3D Bioprinting in Cancer Research (2019). I also gave an oral presentation at the International 3D Bioprinting Research Symposium (2019), where I was winner of the young investigator’s oral presentation competition. I gave a poster presentation at BioMedEng (2019).

What have you enjoyed the most and the least about your experience so far? I have mostly enjoyed learning a whole new area of research – bioinformatics. It has been very challenging, but it has been great to be able to use it in real research. It is hard to keep up with the workload as it is a very fast-paced programme, but it has been a new challenge and an enjoyable experience.

Charys Papagregoriou (Southampton) Centre for Cancer Immunology

What skills have you learnt so far? Since my project involves two separate aspects, I have gained a broad range of skills to date. I have had an intense training on molecular biology as a requirement to develop the therapy. I have also gained a variety of in vitro skills ranging from transcriptional assays to co-culture of mouse and human primary cells as well as a range of cell lines. I have also gained in vivo experience including tumour mouse models where I gained various competences to be able to handle mice for experimental studies. As part of the induction statistical course I have gained knowledge and practical skills on how to apply the appropriate statistical tests to support my biological findings.

Apart from my experimental skills, I have also gained other skills such as organisational skills, time management, writing skills, presenting skills and working as part of a team and independently. I also anticipate learning how to fully generate the therapy using viral vectors as well killing assays to enable the therapeutic efficacy of the therapy to be assessed.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? Throughout my PhD studies I have attended the following conferences: British Society of Immunology Congress 2019, Liverpool, UK; Cancer Science Unit Conference, Southampton 2018 & 2019; Humanised Mouse Symposium at Cambridge University, UK 2018 & 2019; The Institute for Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy Conference at the Royal Society in London, UK.

I presented a poster and received first prize for my poster presentation for two consecutive years at the Cancer Science Unit Conference, Southampton 2018 & 2019. In order to attend the BSI congress 2019 in Liverpool I received a BSI bursary to cover most of the expenses.

Have you completed any additional training? I have gained additional training on structural biology by using a Small-angle X-ray scattering beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France.

Sheila Olendo Barasa (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What is your PhD project and how did you choose it? My PhD focuses on the role of long noncoding RNAs and the Tumour Microenvironment in High Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma. I considered a variety of factors when choosing my project. I compared the novelty of the research questions between each of my rotations. I also considered the resources that I would have access to, the research skills that I would learn and the ratio of computational to wet lab work involved. Furthermore, I tried to get the closest match between my learning style and my potential supervisor’s project management style.

How did you find the mathematical/computational component of the DTP? Coming from a background with minimal bioinformatics knowledge and skills, the taught bioinformatics module offered at Southampton University as part of the MRC DTP programme provided me with a solid foundation and reinforced my understanding of bioinformatics techniques, which I used in my rotations.

Do you have any publications? I contributed to Workforce Diversity: Let’s talk about race . I also have a pending publication.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? I attended and presented a poster at the 2019 EMBO/EMBL The Non-coding Genome Symposium, 16 th - 19 th October, in Heidelberg, Germany.

What have you enjoyed the most and the least about your experience so far? I was extremely pleased to learn that the MRC DTP programme offered PhD internships in conjunction with other organisations/industrial partners, both in the UK and abroad. My hope is that the opportunity for more internships develops to the extent that it becomes embedded in the MRC DTP programme, as an optional component, especially given that this will enable us to make informed decisions about our careers and increase our employability prospects post-MRC DTP.

Annabelle Minton (Southampton) Cancer Sciences Pathway

What is your PhD project? My PhD project is examining the role of B-Cell receptor driven Autophagy and Phagocytosis in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL). I applied for this project as my undergraduate project was examining the role of Autophagic cell death following endocannabinoid treatment, so I was already familiar with the types of pathways and assays utilised, and was interested in expanding upon this background knowledge. I already had an MRes before applying for a PhD, which was a single project rather than rotation based, and my PhD funding was for 3.5 years on an allocated project. So I went straight into this project.

What skills have you developed so far? Recovery and handling of primary CLL cells, immunoblotting, immunoflurescence, flow cytometry, phagocytosis and endocytosis assay development, development of a high-throughput autophagy assay. I have also developed my public speaking at both external and internal conferences.

I expect to more fully develop my ability to work independently toward assay optimisation and development in the final year of my PhD, since I will be starting a new chapter examining antigen presentation in CLL. This will involve collaboration with another institution, and setting up a previously untried assay for use with a reporter T-Cell clone.

Do you have any publications? BCR signaling contributes to autophagy regulation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.  Leukemia 34, 640–644 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-019-0557-y . This paper contains many results generated from the first year of my PhD.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? I attended the Autophagy UK 2018 conference and the UK CLL Forum 2019, where I gave a 15 minute oral presentation.

What have you enjoyed the most and the least about your experience so far? I enjoyed the support given during the first year of my PhD project by our lab group, and the CLL group in general. We have regular meetings and opportunities to present, and I think this is really something that has been well supported throughout the PhD- the opportunity to gain experience presenting at both internal meetings / conferences and external conferences.

Stephen Murtough (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

How did you find the mathematical/computational component of the DTP?  The Quantitative Cell Biology module at Southampton was a fantastic introduction to bioinformatics, coding, and R Studio. Previously, I had never analysed large datasets or attempted any coding, and so this was a completely new skillset for me to develop. It is evident that this is a must-have skill for the modern biologist in the era of ‘Big Data’, where datasets of ever-increasing size and complexity are becoming commonplace in the laboratory. Therefore, exposure to this expertise at Southampton throughout the beginning of the DTP has been a privilege, gifting us a necessary vital edge.

Do you have any publications? I have no publications to date; however, I have had two abstracts published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. These are as follows: iRhom2-mediated immune dysregulation: Impact on the skin and oesophagus, May 2019, Volume 139, Issue 5, Supplement, Page S78 (2 nd Author); and Type 2 Immunity Linked to iRhom2 and Tylosis with Oesophageal Cancer, September 2019, Volume 139, Issue 9, Supplement, Page S287 (1 st Author).

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? In 2019, I attended the following conferences: Keystone Symposia: Skin Health and Disease: Immune, Epithelial and Microbiome Crosstalk, Hannover, Germany, April 8-11. Here, I presented both a poster and a short talk. Additionally, I received a travel grant from the ESDR to attend this conference for the value of €1000; 49 th ESDR meeting, Bordeaux, France, 18-21 September. Here, I presented a poster as part of a poster walk; and William Harvey Day at Queen Mary University of London where I presented a poster.

Have you completed any additional training? I have obtained my animal licence, and I have also visited the Gilliet lab in Lausanne where I learnt how to perform the tape-stripping skin wounding protocol.

What have you enjoyed the most and the least about your experience so far?  The most enjoyable aspect so far has been to delve into new exciting areas of biology and research. The least enjoyable aspect has been the flipside; that the rotations are short and you have to move on, even when progress in an interesting area is being made.

Sara Ferri (Southampton) Institute of Human Development and Health

What is your PhD project and how did you choose it? My PhD is about the development of a new treatment to enhance the bone fracture repair process. The aim of the project is to produce drug loaded microbubbles and to deliver them to a fractured bone. The drug is then released upon exposure to ultrasound in a non-invasive way. In this way, only the target site is exposed to the drug and off-site side effects are avoided. I chose this project because I’ve always been interested in bones, bone fractures and biomechanics.

What skills have you developed so far? Since I started my PhD almost three years ago, I’ve gained confidence in working in a lab and in trying to validate experimental data with computational ones and vice versa. I’ve always been an organised person, and my PhD has given me the chance to further improve my organisational skills and time management. I’ve also improved my abilities to communicate my research, pitching it to different audiences.

Have you attended any conferences or contributed to any publications? I am currently working on two papers. I have attended several internal and external conferences, including: Faculty of Medicine Conference 2018 (Southampton General Hospital, winner of ”Best Poster Prize”); Modelling and Experiments in Drug Delivery Systems (MEDDS 2018, University of Glasgow, oral presentation); Cardiff Institute for Tissue Engineering and Repair Annual Scientific Meeting (CITER 2018, Cardiff, oral presentation); VII Faculty of Engineering Conference (Southampton 2019, winner of ”Best Oral Presentation Prize”); 24th European Symposium on Ultrasound Contrast Imaging (Rotterdam 2019, poster); 19th International Symposium of ISTU (Barcelona 2019, poster); Acoustical Society of America Annual Meeting (San Diego 2019, oral presentation); 25th European Symposium on Ultrasound Contrast Imaging (Rotterdam 2020, poster).

Michaela Balderstone (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What is your PhD project? I am based in Dr James Whiteford’s group in the Centre for Microvascular Research within the WHRI. My PhD project is on angiogenesis (the development of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature) in the context of eye diseases, such as Diabetic Retinopathy. I am currently focusing on the protein-type tyrosine phosphatase receptor CD148, to determine whether by targeting this we could halt the disease progression in eye diseases where angiogenesis is a feature.

I enjoy working in my lab, it is a supportive and sociable environment.

Do you have any publications? I was involved in, and so am named on, the review ' Syndecan-3 in Inflammation and Angiogenesis.'

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? In the last year I have attended two conferences. At the September 2019 British Society for Matrix Biology meeting “Cell Adhesion Networks in Health and Disease” I presented a poster on my latest research.

Have you completed any additional training? In November 2018 I completed the Home Office course to gain my personal license.

What have you enjoyed the most and the least about your experience so far? My favourite experience so far on the DTP has been meeting other members of my cohort in Southampton in February 2019 and learning more about them and their research. My least favourite experience was when I first started and attended the Christmas meet and greet in December 2018, as I had no idea what the programme was about nor who the other people in attendance were, so it was very disorientating. Fortunately, since attending the Southampton Away Day in February 2019, other aspects of the DTP were introduced to me through other students on the programme.

Caitlin Davies (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

How do you think having a relationship with a company already at this stage of your PhD will help your career development?  It’s a great opportunity to gain understanding of scientific research outside of academia, and to forge new professional relationships with people outside of the BCI. I will hopefully learn new, translation techniques that I can’t learn elsewhere that will aid my own research.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience so far? I have most enjoyed learning and improving my skills as a scientist, and meeting new and interesting people.

Justina Then (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What is your PhD project? I am based in Dr James Whiteford’s group in the Centre for Microvascular Research at the WHRI and my PhD project currently is in arthritis investigating the mechanisms involved fibroblast invasion and destruction into cartilage and how to target these for therapeutic treatment focusing on the relationship between syndecan-4 and PTPRsigma.

What skills have you developed so far? I have developed a range of skills so far, ranging from laboratory based techniques such as adhesion and phagocytosis assays. I hope to further develop my skills in transfections and in vivo models.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? So far, my favourite experience has been meeting the people on the programme and hearing about their research. My least favourite experience has probably been my transfer from one lab to another.

Cohort 2016

James davies (southampton) immunity and infection pathway.

What skills have you developed so far? I have developed skills in cell culture, processing human skin samples, flow cytometry and FACS, Drop-seq, molecular methods (cDNA library processing for sequencing and qPCR), bioinformatic analysis using R and mathematical modelling methods (signalling Petri nets). I aim to further expand my skills using mathematical modelling during the remainder of my PhD.

How did you find the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? The DTP introduced me to computational biology with the first-year quantitative cell biology module and bioinformatic rotation projects. This has subsequently become a major element of my PhD research project. I am therefore very grateful that the DTP has given me the opportunity to learn these new skills and explore and appreciate an area of biomedical science I may have not shown interest in previously.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? I have attended a variety of conferences during my time on the programme. Most recently I have attended the 16th International Workshop on Langerhans Cells (2019) where I gave an oral presentation (travel bursary awarded); the British Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting 2019 where I gave an oral presentation (travel bursary awarded); and the University of Southampton Medical and Health Research Conference 2019, where I won the award for the Best Oral Presentation.

Did you carry out any additional training? I was a Biotechnology YES Young Enterprise Scheme competitor in 2017, for which I was awarded a BBSRC sponsorship. I attended the In Silico Systems Biology Course in 2017 at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus.

Do you have any publications? I am first author of a preprint entitled 'Single cell transcriptomic analysis indentifies Langerhans cells immunocompetency is critical for IDO1- dependent ability to induce tolerogenic T cells.' bioRxiv (2019) .

Charlotte Smith (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What is your PhD project and how did you choose it?  I chose to continue my final rotation in Molecular Oncology at BCI in the Martin lab as my PhD project. In this project, we aimed to establish the precise impact of DNA repair loss and DNA damage on PD-L1 expression and ultimately sensitivity to immune checkpoint inhibitors, and how this can be exploited therapeutically. I chose this particular project not only because I am fascinated by the research, but also because I felt like I would work well within the supportive and knowledgeable team and within a diverse and friendly large department.

What skills have you learnt so far?  I have developed many skills throughout my MRes rotational year, which I would not have otherwise gained. New skills include InCell imaging, cloning, FACS and Flow Cytometry, Confocal Microscopy, tumour digestion and establishing primary cell cultures. I also have built upon existing skills and have had the opportunity to share these with members of my teams.

As my PhD unfolds I will gain more experience, namely in Mass Spectrometry. I also have had the privilege of gaining a sponsored CASE studentship from Astra Zeneca, who are interested in developing my project, providing me with the opportunity to work with them alongside the BCI.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? I recently attended the Gordon Research Conference on DNA damage, mutation and cancer in Ventura, California USA. I presented a poster titled: 'Identification of DNA mismatch repair mutational signatures that predict response to immune checkpoint blockade.' I’m also attending an EACR conference on DNA damage responses and cancer in Cambridge in April 2020, where I’m also presenting my poster.

Jodie Ackland (Southampton) Immunity and Infection Pathway

What is your PhD project and how did you choose it? My PhD project is ‘Investigating Host Pathogen Interactions in the Asthmatic Airway.' This project was extremely appealing to me as it encompasses both fields of Infection and Immunity, which are where my interests lie. Southampton is renowned for both respiratory and translational research, which is of course important as at the end of the day, our research aims to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

What skills have you developed so far? During this PhD I have developed a variety of laboratory techniques including primary human and bacterial cell culture, in vitro infection assays, flow cytometry, qPCR, FISH, ELISA, gentamicin protection assays and cell cytotoxicity/proliferation assays. I have also been able to build on the skills learnt during the computational taught module by analysing a RNASeq data set that I generated as part of my project.

Have you undertaken any additional training? I have had additional training on IRIDIS, the University of Southampton high performance computing system, which is required for analysis of large data sets.

How did you find the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? The computational component introduced me to big data sets and the different ways of analysing such data. This was incredibly useful as a huge component of my PhD was to generate and analyse an RNASeq data set.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? I have attended several internal and external conferences, most recently including: the ERS Lung Science Conference, Estoril, Portugal (March 2019) and the Southampton Medical & Health Research Conference, Southampton (June 2019) where I gave thematic poster presentations; and the ERS International Congress, Madrid, Spain (October 2019) where I gave a poster discussion presentation. I won the British Association for Lung Research (BALR) travel award twice to attend the ERS International Congress in 2017 and 2019.

Have you won any prizes for your presentations? I won the ‘Best Poster Presentation’ Prize at the Southampton MedConf 2019 and ‘Outstanding Poster Prize’ at the Network for Anti-Microbial Resistance and Infection Prevention festival 2019.

What have you enjoyed the most and the least about your experience so far? I have really enjoyed the opportunity to develop my skills as a scientist through a combination of the lab rotations, taught modules and additional training courses provided by the IPhD programme. The nature of the IPhD also allows you to be able to interact with your cohort and other research groups, which helps you to establish a professional network that is crucial going forward in your scientific career. In addition, the IPhD Away Days give an excellent opportunity for all students to present in a safe and friendly environment, which allows you to see the breadth of research your fellow students are undertaking.

Lauren Cutmore (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

It was really hard for me to choose as I enjoyed all of my projects, but I chose this one because I am really interested in CAR-T cell therapy and liked the translational theme of the project.

How did you find the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? I think the bioinformatics part of the course was really valuable to me as it has allowed me to have a better understanding of what is possible to find from large data sets that already exist. Using the skills I have developed, I have been able to do some work independently and I hope to develop my skills further to incorporate more bioinformatics into my project in the future.

Do you have any publications? Pancreatic Cancer UK Grand Challenge: Developments and challenges for effective CAR T cell therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Pancreatology (2020) pii: S1424-3903(20)30042-9. PMID: 32173257 ; A Day in the Life: 6 Cancer Researchers in 6 Different Countries ; S tanding up for Science – A Voice of Young Science Workshop.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences/meetings? I was selected to attend a Voice of the Future event as a member of the Biochemical Society where I was part of a televised question time style interview of members of a Government Select Committee (13th March 2018). I attended an Art and Science workshop held by the biochemistry society in collaboration with UAL (27th March 2018). I presented a poster at the London Pancreas Workshop in May 2018. I presented a poster at the BACR student conference in November 2018. I was invited to a Stand up for Science workshop in Manchester about science policy (April 2018). I am also a STEM ambassador and volunteer at the Centre of the Cell , working with school children learning about science.

Have you completed any additional training? I have got a Home office licence and I have completed phlebotomy training.

What have you enjoyed the most and the least about your experience so far? My experience of the DTP program has been really positive, I have met a lot of really great people and been allowed to develop a wide range of skills. I have really enjoyed the extra courses and teaching provided by the course, for example the media training day. One of the less enjoyable parts of the course was the first term when we had a lot of coursework and teaching in combination with the lab project, which made planning your time difficult. Overall I’m really happy I chose the DTP program at Barts and I am loving my PhD.

Cindy Jawahar (Southampton) Centre for Cancer Immunology

What is your PhD project and how did you choose it? My PhD project is entitled 'Vaccine Strategies to Target the Cancer Mutanome' and it explores how tumour-specific mutations can be exploited to develop more effective vaccine-based immunotherapeutic strategies. I chose to continue my first lab rotation for my PhD as I found the team supportive, the project fascinating and liked the balance between the dry and wet lab work involved.

What skills have you developed so far? I have learnt a variety of skills so far - molecular biology, PCR, tissue culture, epitope prediction, ELISpot, in vivo work, DNA and RNA transfections, nuclofection and FACS, basic bioinformatics and understanding of genomics and transcriptomics data, basic understanding of R, in vitro mRNA synthesis. In the future I hope to develop a better understanding of genomics and transcriptomics analysis and tumour dissociation. I have had some additional training on immunology and using the high performance computing system at Southampton.

How did you find the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? The computational component on the DTP has been very valuable. It has given me a greater understanding of large data sets. I have also had the opportunity to familiarise myself with various packages on R, which I am using in my PhD. This experience was extremely useful in introducing me to coding, and analysing genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics data. It was also extremely useful in helping me understand when to use various statistical tests.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? I have attended a variety of conferences throughout my time on the programme. I have delivered poster presentations at these conferences, including at the Southampton Medical and Health Research Conference (2017), the Cancer Sciences Unit Conference, the 2nd Annual Next-Gen Immuno-Oncology Congress and the Southampton Medical and Health Research Conference. I gave an oral presentation on Targeting mutanome in multiple myeloma at the 11th Cancer sciences Unit Conference. I won the prize for Best Poster at the Wessex Immunology Group Annual Spring Meeting in 2017.

Have you won any other awards? I was awarded Third Place at the Faculty of Medicine 3 Minute Thesis in 2019. I have also won an internship by the Academy of Medical Sciences to work with the UKRI Medical Research Council Policy Team.

Minal Patel (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

How did you find the mathematic/computational component of the DTP?  The mathematic/computational component of the DTP programme and taking bioinformatics rotations has definitely helped me with the bioinformatics part of my PhD project.

Do you have any publications? I have contributed to two publications during my PhD: The Identification and Interpretation of  cis -Regulatory Noncoding Mutations in Cancer (Review).  High-Throughput (2018) 8(1). PMID: 30577431 ; Signatures of inflammation and impending multiple organ dysfunction in the hyperacute phase of trauma: A prospective cohort study. PLOS Medicine (2017) 15, 10. e1002694. PMID: 28715416

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? I attended the National Cancer Research Institute conference in November 2018. I presented a poster at the Somatic Evolution and Tumour Microenvironment Symposium at the Francis Crick Institute on 2 nd Dec 2019.

Did you carry out any additional training? I attended a course in Python programming language in October 2017.

What have you enjoyed the most and the least about your experience?  Overall I’ve enjoyed the varied experience I have gained rotating through three different laboratories and meeting new people. I have least enjoyed presenting my work, however, this is necessary and good experience.

The DTP and PhD has been enjoyable and challenging. I have learnt/developed many transferable skills and new laboratory techniques with the support of my supervisors and fellow colleagues.

James Dickie (Southampton) Centre for Cancer Immunology

What is your PhD project and how did you choose it? My project is to identify novel cancer vaccine targets, which can be utilised in an oral cancer vaccine. I wasn’t sure what sort of project I’d work on when I started, but during the initial iPhD lab rotations I found a particular interest in cancer vaccines, and identified an approach I could take to employ bioinformatics to contribute to an ongoing project.

What skills have you learnt so far?  Bioinformatics mostly, including all sorts of big data processing and analysis. I’ve also become a very confident presenter, happily speaking to groups and crowds about my work and my field. My science writing is markedly better than when I began, I can comprehend far more from fields both familiar and novel than before, and I’ve learned to work independently, forming my own ideas and acting upon them. A bit of everything really.

How did you find the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? The Quantitative Biology module at the University of Southampton was a good training in the basics of bioinformatics and data analysis. It sparked my interest and increased my confidence to steer my PhD studies into mathematical and computational biology, as an independent scientist.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? Academic freedom has been amazing for me. Being free to create my own questions, and find my own way of answering them, is incredibly satisfying. On the flip side of that though, my least favourite part is the inevitable dead ends. When you spend weeks if not months working on an experiment only to find nothing of any value. It’s frustrating, but you just have to accept it as unavoidable.

Sarah Johnson (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What skills did you develop during the rotations? Through the rotations, I developed varied lab skills from western blotting, cell culture, immunohistochemistry, molecular biology, microscopy, and experience with CRISPR/Cas9 systems. To complement this, the course is structured such that the taught modules run in parallel to rotations to give a core foundation in the theory of research methods and also computational biology. For me, the content on bioinformatics has been invaluable.

Do you have any publications? I have contributed to two review/comment publications during my PhD: Watching cancer cells evolve through chromosomal instability. Nature (2019) 570(7760):166-167. PMID: 31182831 ; The emerging links between chromosomal instability (CIN), metastasis, inflammation and tumour immunity. Molecular Cytogenetics (2019) 12: 17. PMID: 31114634

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? At the beginning of my final year, I got the opportunity to travel to Paris for a conference where I gave a talk presenting my PhD work. This was made possible by a BCI travel bursary covering all expenses.

Do you have any additional comments about your overall experience? My experience of the course has been excellent throughout. The collaborative nature of the course between the two universities offers unique opportunities to benefit from expertise from leading researchers at both Queen Mary and Southampton. Then the course itself is structured so that the MRes gives you a strong foundation which sets you up in the best way to excel in your PhD research, both from the taught modules and your rotation projects which expose you to a wider set of laboratory techniques and put your research in context of the field. To anyone considering a PhD, I would 100% recommend this course.

Chiara Banas (Southampton) Immunity and Infection Pathway

My PhD comprises studies of human lung disease. For my first rotation project, I investigated the effect of double-stranded RNA on extracellular matrix deposition in an in vitro virus infection model of the airway mucosa. I chose this project as I was able to learn multiple wet lab techniques including human cell culture, transepithelial resistance, western blot, ELISA and immunofluorescence microscopy. I presented this project as a poster discussion (2-minute talk followed by poster presentation) at the end of Year 1 when I attended my first international conference, European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress 2017, in Paris, France. I received the ERS Young Scientist Award for outstanding submitted written abstract, which included free registration and €600 to cover travel and accommodation.

I chose to do a bioinformatics-based second rotation project, where I analysed the transcriptomic and epigenetic cytokine production by human skin Langerhans cells. I was able to utilise and further develop the bioinformatics skills I learned from the Quantitative Cell Biology module.

Following this, I knew I wanted my PhD to have elements of both wet lab techniques and bioinformatics in airway disease. I then decided to do my third rotation project on a subject that would then lead on to my PhD project. My third rotation project and PhD investigates the global response of mast cells by RNA sequencing. I was able to use my wet lab techniques to optimise the conditions for preparing the samples and studying mast cell responses. I am looking forward to using my bioinformatics skills to analyse the data from RNA sequencing.

My PhD project is entitled: Role of IL-33 on human mast cell responses to rhinovirus infection in asthma.

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences? I attended the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Paris, France – 2017. I won an ERS Young Scientist Award for outstanding submitted written abstract.

I have presented a poster of my PhD at the ERS Lung Science Conference 2018 in Estoril, Portugal. I received an ERS travel bursary award for my submitted abstract to present in Portugal. The award included free registration, €600 and a mentorship lunch at the conference. I attended the European Mast Cell and Basophil Research Network (EMBRN) 2019 meeting in Uppsala, Sweden. I used my MRC conference allowance, along with €300 I won from the Biolegend’s junior investigator travel award.

How have you found your overall experience of the programme so far?  Overall, the integrated PhD programme has given me plenty of support in my training and has helped to develop my skills. The opportunity to do an oral presentation in front of my peers at the Integrated PhD Away Day from year one has helped me to gain confidence in my communication skills. I found the Quantitative Cell Biology module extremely helpful as it allowed me to incorporate the bioinformatics skills into my PhD. Furthermore, I was able to attend career events and MRC seminars, which have been informative and enjoyable experiences.

Kalum Clayton (Southampton) Immunity and Infection Pathway

I chose this project because of the computational biology aspect allowing me to further develop my bioinformatics skills and generating my own data in the wet lab. I really enjoyed working with the Systems Immunology Group for two of my rotations where I developed a keen enthusiasm for skin biology and bioinformatics, and had some fun along the way!

What skills have you developed so far? My undergrad background was molecular microbiology so my PhD project has really given me the opportunity to add human tissue culture such as developing reconstituted epidermal models and host-microbe co-cultures, and bioinformatics skills, such as coding, standard bulk and single-cell sequencing pipelines, and machine learning to my CV.

Do you have any publications?

Clayton K, Vallejo AF, Sirvent S, Davies J, Porter G, Lim FL, Ardern-Jones M, Polak ME. (2019) Machine learning applied to atopic dermatitis transcriptome reveals distinct therapy dependent modification of the keratinocyte immunophenotype.  MedRxiv

Clayton K, Vallejo AF, Davies J, Sirvent S, Polak ME. (2017) Langerhans Cells-Programmed by the Epidermis.   Frontiers in Immunology  8:1676 . Review

Clayton K, Polak ME, Woelk CH, Elkington P. (2017) Gene Expression Signatures in Tuberculosis Have Greater Overlap with Autoimmune Diseases Than with Infectious Diseases.  American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine  196(5):655-656

Have you attended, presented a poster or spoken at any conferences?  In 2017 I attended the Wessex Immunology Group Annual Conference (short talk presented); Faculty of Medicine Conference (poster presented). In 2018 I attended the British Society for Investigative Dermatology (poster presented); Faculty of Medicine Conference (poster presented); Wessex Immunology Group Annual Conference (short talk presented); Unilever Microbiology Symposium (short talk presented). In 2019 I attended the British Society for Investigative Dermatology (talk presented); Faculty of Medicine Conference (talk presented).

How have you found your overall experience of the programme so far? I have really enjoyed my PhD, which I think is mainly down to choosing to do a DTP with an MRes at the start. This allowed me to get a feel for different research projects and groups, where I could develop a project with a PI and group I knew I would enjoy working with. Doing bioinformatics was really out of my comfort zone at the start but I have developed an exciting project with some good results and useful skills that should come in handy for a career in research!

Marcos Burger Ramos (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What is your PhD project? Broadly speaking, my PhD project with Dr Oliver Pearce is about targeting the extracellular matrix (ECM) in order to increase immune infiltration in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Like many other solid tumours, this subtype of breast cancer often shows poor cancer immunity which renders otherwise promising immunotherapies, such as CAR-T cell therapy, ineffective. One of the main barriers to immune infiltration is a very dense tumour ECM. With my PhD project, we will use tumour colonizing bacteria designed by Neobe Therapeutics to degrade certain ECM molecules in a decellularized tissue model of TNBC, and characterize their effect on CAR-T cell trafficking and cytotoxicity in this model.

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? Given that I only started about a month ago the list of skills I have developed as part of this PhD is not very long. However, it was good to do some bacterial work again as I had forgotten most of the practical techniques used for bacterial culture! One technique I am particularly looking forward to is live imaging of the CAR-T cells and the bacteria in my TNBC tissues which sounds quite complex but I think having videos of how these cells move through the tissues and potentially even how the bacteria express their payload will be incredibly interesting.

How do you think having a relationship with a company already at this stage of your PhD will help your career development? I think the intersection of academia and industry is an incredibly exciting space to be working in and being able to learn about the regulatory guidelines research in industry has to adhere to gives scientists a much better understanding of how their work can be translated and incorporated into patient care. For me, I think learning about these things this early on will help me a lot in producing impactful work and will also give me a much clearer picture of what type of research I’d like to do after my PhD.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? What I’ve enjoyed the most so far is definitely how welcoming and helpful everyone is in the lab! It’s been very nice settling in when there are loads of people around to help show where things are etc. I’ve also really enjoyed my practical work with Neobe Therapeutics and hearing about the co-founders’ experiences starting a biotech start up in London. Something I maybe haven’t enjoyed as much is the slightly slower pace of my PhD  in the first month but actually this has been quite useful to do all my background reading and make sure I have a rough plan for the next couple of months so it really isn’t a bad thing after all!

Matthew Milton (Southampton) Immunity and Infection Pathway

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? Looking back, I have learnt lots over the course of the iPhD so far. I have had the opportunity to gain skills and experience in everything from tissue culture through to bioinformatic analysis. I hope to soon get the training required to work in containment level 3 laboratories and learn how to conduct co-culture experiments incorporating live Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? Having never even attempted coding, I thought that I would find the bioinformatics and computing elements of the iPhD course the most difficult. However, from taught content of the iPhD course along with being fortunate enough to have completed a bioinformatics rotation project, my skills and knowledge of bioinformatics have grown enormously. Thanks to what I have learnt, I expect bioinformatic analysis to form a valuable component of my PhD project.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? Despite the rotation projects I have completed being spread across multiple different fields of research, they all provided an opportunity for me to gain valuable skills and experience which I am now using for my PhD project. However, completing three different rotation projects is a little like starting three new jobs in the same year, making the first year of the iPhD course quite intensive.

Dillon Popat (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What is your PhD project focused on and how did you choose it?  My iCase PhD involves the development of new drugs for the treatment of ACTH secreting tumours focussing specifically on the unique G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), MC2R, and its accessory protein, MRAP. The MC2R/MRAP complex is involved in the binding of ACTH and post activation leads to the production of the stress hormone, cortisol, from the adrenal gland. High levels of cortisol reduce the quality of life of the patient and worsen the prognosis of neuroendocrine tumours. We are working with a company called OMass therapeutics who specialise in native mass spectrometry for drug development of GPCRs.

I chose this project so I would be able to work with a group who works very translationally. We use advanced in vitro and in vivo models and have direct links to the clinic and industry, this allow us to bring our research from benchwork to bedside. Working with industry means I will be able to experience various research environments and understand small and large-scale industrial research projects.

My project will allow me to use a variety of tools and work across disciplines, from molecular biology techniques to physical chemistry and bioinformatics.

What skills have you developed so far? So far, I have developed various skills in molecular and cell biology, including several biosensor assays and techniques to study GPCRs which are the biggest pharmacological targets. I have also started to use advanced computational modelling techniques like Alphafold.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? I have most enjoyed working in an incredibly supportive department at the William Harvey Research Institute's Centre for Endocrinology, the people around me have made me a better scientist and have always encouraged new ideas.

Covid made it hard to initially start work in the lab and start to meet other people in the department, but now things have started to open we have been able to be more social.

Sahar Farag (Southampton) Immunity and Infection Pathway

What skills have you developed so far, and what skills do you hope to develop? Prior to starting this PhD I had no experience in flow cytometry.  I only had theoretical knowledge in its principles; however, its application is very different, and I can now design FACS experiments, use the FACSAria confidently and analyse subsequent data using FlowJo.  I have also learnt how to generate functional tetramers from protein inclusion bodies grown in bacteria, which is a cornerstone of my project.  Moving forward, I hope to build on my ability to carry out manual compensation when setting up flow cytometry experiments; as well as learn more effective methods of cloning T cells.

How have you found the mathematic/computational component of the DTP? I have recently completed an introductory course on RNA-seq which uses Kallisto and R.  Whilst my project does not necessarily include bioinformatics at the moment, it was really interesting to learn about how bioinformatics analyses are carried out, and be able to better understand published articles that include data derived from bioinformatics.  It would be useful to complete a more in-depth course and possibly incorporate it in my project.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? I have enjoyed learning completely new skills and techniques that I previously hadn’t been exposed to. I am also glad to be part of the group that I am in. As is the nature of science, not all experimental methods work which can be a little frustrating, but there are always other options to explore.

Sarah Hindle (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What is your PhD project and how did you choose it? My PhD project is based at the Blizard Institute and is supervised by Dr John Connelly. My research focuses on developing a vascularised and immune responsive in-vitro skin model using 3D bio-printing. I chose this project because I was interested in broadening my knowledge of 3D culture models and I was excited by the potential impacts of this research on the fundamental understanding of skin biology, in the discovery and testing of therapeutics and in the engineering of tissues for regenerative medicine purposes. Additionally, my project is an industrial CASE studentship, which means that I have an industrial partner, Kirkstall Ltd. Towards the end of my PhD I will be conducting a 3-month placement within their Research and Development team. During this placement I will gain an insight into the biotechnology industry and gain knowledge about fluidic cell culture systems and their applications for different tissue and disease models.

What skills have you developed so far? So far during my PhD I have learned to print in-vitro vascularised skin models using the 3D-bioprinter and have further developed my skills in adherent- and suspension-cell tissue culture, immunohistochemistry, confocal and epifluorescence imaging and data analysis.

Henry Gerdes (Queen Mary) Cancer Inflammation and Immunology

What skills have you developed so far? I have developed both laboratory and computational skills throughout my project. To generate proteomics data I use a technique called Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry. This technique generates large datasets which I process and analyse using coding languages such as r and python. I have also been the president of the BCI PhD forum which has helped me further develop my leadership, organisation and communication skills.

How do you think having a relationship with a company already at this stage of your PhD will help your career development? Working closely with my company has given me more insight into how industrial research is organised and prioritised. This experience has allowed me to communicate with experts in my field and expanded my professional network. I will also be carrying out a work placement in Cambridge which will allow me to get first had experience working in industry.

What have you enjoyed most and least about your experience so far? I have enjoyed expanding my knowledge of bioinformatics throughout my project. Using these skills I have written small programs which automate a lot of my data analysis. Not only has this made me more productive it has produced tools which are useful for other members of my laboratory. The impact of COVID-19 on my project has been challenging. Luckily there have been a lot of resources available from Barts Cancer Institute and my industry sponsors which have helped me adapt my project goals in response to COVID-19.

Biofilms and Microbial Communities - University of Southampton

The module aims to provide an understanding of bacterial biofilms and the environmental, industrial and health care problems related to complex microbial consortia of societal importance. Students will learn to describe and explain the basis for biofilm development in nature and in chronic infections, as well as to understand and interpret the outputs of modern techniques in microbial biofilm research.

Biofilms and Microbial Communities Module Details, UoS - MRC DTP

Biological Therapies - Queen Mary University of London

This module will provide an understanding of the science behind the biological therapies of cancer, and an up-to-date review of the current status of preclinical and clinical trials. The module will also provide an insight into the ways that laboratory research is translated into clinical trials. By the end of the module you will be able to: Understand the basis of biological therapy of cancer; Understand the role of non-malignant cells and mediators in cancer growth and progression

Biomedical Parasitology - University of Southampton

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the main clinically relevant parasite classes, it will consider their lifecycles, the human/veterinary pathology caused and the treatment methods both of the primary and where applicable intermediate hosts and environment. It will give an understanding of vector borne disease and consider the interaction and evasion methods used by parasites in respect to the immune system and chemical control

Biomedical Parasitology Module Details, UoS - MRC DTP

Cancer Immunology - University of Southampton

The Cancer Immunology module provides an engaging and stimulating exploration of how immunology is modulated in disease, with a focus on cancer. It demonstrates the use of this knowledge to design novel immunotherapies. Alongside this immunology-specific knowledge, you will develop key skills in critical appraisal of previously published research, constructive discussion in small groups and oral presentation. The training covers the hot topics in Cancer Immunology. Each topic is taught by an academic working at the cutting edge in each research area. The topics span key immune and cellular processes:

• Vaccination and humoral immunity
• Antigen processing and presentation
• Dendritic cells
• T cell ontogeny/self-tolerance
• Autoimmunity and anti-tumour immunotherapy

Each week you will receive an initial seminar on the topic material, accompanied by a related journal paper that you will critique in a short written report for the following week. Then there follows an interactive discussion session where the paper is presented by one or more students. This interactive format provides an excellent learning experience, highly valued by students.

Cancer Immunology Module Details, UoS - MRC DTP

Communicable Disease Control - University of Southampton

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Epidemiological methods to investigate and manage outbreaks.
• The principles of surveillance, the characteristics of different surveillance systems, their strengths and weaknesses and application to disease control.
• Application of communicable disease epidemiology to strategies for prevention and control leading to improvements in public health.
• The major methods for transmission of communicable disease.

Communicable Disease Control Module Details, UoS - MRC DTP

Immunity and Infection - University of Southampton

The Immunity and Infection module has been designed to produce the next generation of leaders in immunity and infection research, some of the major research strengths of the University of Southampton. The module aims to provide you with an understanding of basic immunity and the underlying mechanisms of infection pathology. The course explores how disease mediated changes are managed and the different techniques and tools available to study them in detail. The course will enable you to develop your critical appraisal skills in the interpretation of published research. It will enhance your ability to present scientific data with focus and clarity.

The topics included in this module are:

• Innate Immunity and Mucosal Defence
• Key receptor interactions of the immune system: T-cell receptors, antibodies and integrins
• RNA Viruses, replication, manipulation, translational conundrums and avoiding innate immunity
• Bacterial infection in the airways: Tuberculosis, the host immune system and epidemiology
• Gene expression disease profiling, GWAS, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, Proteomics - integration of Big Data in disease and inflammation.

Immunity & Infection Module Details, UoS - MRC DTP

Methods and Analysis of Global Health Trends and Differentials - University of Southampton

The primary objective of this module is to provide an overview of the conceptual, methodological and empirical basis for quantifying levels of health in individuals and populations, including the construction of a range of different summary measures that combine information on mortality and non-fatal health outcomes. The course aims to give students an understanding of the technical basis for measurement in international work on population health; and to give students an appreciation of the uses and limitations of these methods in policy-making and priority-setting, particularly in developing countries.

Global Health Module Details, UoS - MRC DTP

Neurodegenerative Disease - University of Southampton

This module describes the neurobiology that underpins the aetiology and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease that has been a focus of intense and exciting research activity over the last several decades. The course is largely a research-led unit whereby the contributing staff will where possible, lecture on topics that are their own research interests.

Neurodegenerative Disease Module Details, UoS - MRC DTP

Population & Reproductive Health - University of Southampton

The aim of this module is to enhance knowledge and understanding of the interrelationships between population characteristics, demographic, social and economic factors, and health. In this module we will take a global perspective to examine i) the influence of demographic patterns and change on health outcomes, and ii) the direct and indirect impacts on populations of changes in the burden of morbidity and mortality.

Population & Reproductive Health Module Details, UoS - MRC DTP

Quantitative Cell Biology - University of Southampton

Technological advances in nucleotide sequencing and proteomics are enabling scientists to study the molecular complexity of cellular systems, in biology and medicine, with unprecedented levels of detail. Whilst this greatly augments our ability to understand and treat disease, it also places new demands on biomedical scientists in how we generate, interpret and implement the very large, multivariate datasets that arise from such studies.

The Quantitative Cell Biology module is designed to allow you to begin to immerse yourself in this world, focusing on the practical use of the methods employed, so you can utilise their power to interrogate data in new and informative ways. Predominantly using "R" but with reference to other software tools, the module will provide you with an understanding of high-throughput “omics” technologies and the data they produce, allowing you to develop your skillset to analyse complex biomedical datasets.  Specifically, over 5, one-day masterclasses, you will learn how to extract and manipulate these data, undertake unsupervised analysis, including clustering and dimensionality reduction, as well as supervised learning and classification and ending with deriving networks, pathways and models:

• R coding with formative assessment
• Extraction, normalizing and statistical analysis of data
• Transcriptomics – RNAseq analysis of multicellular tissues and single cells
• Deriving data visualisation networks from large datasets: clustering and dimensionality reduction

Quantitative Cell Biology Module Details, UoS - MRC DTP

Each masterclass will begin with a taught overview of the material, followed by hands-on sessions in the computer lab, with technical and mathematical support. Here you will learn to use various methods to analyse different data types and explore their power and potential in illuminating correlations and patterns in larger datasets. Collaborative working between students undertaking these sessions, and networking with more mature students in the PhD programme are positively encouraged as this builds confidence, skills transfer and rewarding working practices.

Examples of study output

Transcriptional Networks in Cancer: The above Network map shows the relationship between different gene expression profiles measured by RNA-seq in multiple solid cancers. Genes with similar expression profiles represent functionally related “modules”, shown by the colour of each point (M1-12). This analysis identified four key modules associated with the tumour microenvironment (M1, M2, M3 & M5) and identified the enzyme NOX4 as a novel therapeutic target for inhibiting fibroblast activation in these tumours. Hanley et al. , (2018). Targeting the Myofibroblastic Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Phenotype through Inhibition of NOX4. J Natl Cancer Inst. 110:109-120.

Single cell Gene Expression Profiling of lymphoma after treatment with Anti-CD20 and/or Anti-CD27 in mice. Single cell RNA-seq was performed on spleens, with t-SNE plots showing the individual immune effector subsets assigned by comparison to the co-expression atlas of the Immunological Genome Project. Each population is denoted by a different colour and those marked with an asterisk (∗) are proliferating.

Research Methods - Queen Mary University of London

The Research Methods module covers an introduction to statistical methods and tools, and their practical applications for student projects. The module includes a series of detailed lectures on the scientific basis of science research methods and allied skills.

The document below outlines the elements and goals of the module.

Research Methods Module Details, QMUL - MRC DTP

Systems Neuroscience - University of Southampton

This module seeks to expose students to research level studies in a number of areas related to the function of the nervous system, necessary to understand the pathophysiology of neurological conditions. The course will describe CNS development, and the structure and functions of neural cell populations; research into the mechanisms underlying learning & memory; and analyses of neural circuits controlling behaviour.

Systems Neuroscience Module Details, UoS - MRC DTP

Annual Away Day at the University of Southampton

The MRC DTP Annual Away Day gives students from the University of Southampton and Queen Mary the opportunity to meet up and enjoy sharing their collective research experiences and challenges.

Students are empowered to help organise the day. The focus is on communication and interactions, where students present their research to their peers and supervisors, in a variety of formats. Students in their first year present one of their rotation projects, while students in their third or fourth year present data from their main PhD project. Moreover, students in the second year of the programme are tasked to present their entire PhD project to a non-specialist audience, in just three minutes with a single slide, which is very much enjoyed by everyone.

The Away Day is also an opportunity to gather some feedback on the programme. A lively forum is held that is attended by all participants. Here we discuss the programme openly together, with the aim of making positive changes to enhance the students’ research experiences and well-being and to talk about potential new opportunities with students.

Transferable Skills Training and Career Opportunities

Developing a broad range of research and transferable skills is one of the most important elements of studying for a higher research degree. In our programme, all the students are encouraged to develop their skills in a number of ways: practical research techniques in their chosen research topic, core transferable skills such as critical appraisal, data analysis and scientific writing. Presentation and critical analysis skills are developed through ongoing research work and taking part in research group meetings and journal clubs.

Students have access to a range of workshops and face-to-face training sessions. There are professional courses for graduate students, including e-learning resources, at the Doctoral College, University of Southampton. Generic skills training is encouraged, including team-working, time management, use of specialist software, effective communication and media training. Enterprise conferences and interactions with industry collaborators are organised by University staff. These include internships and placements, where students take a period of time, up to 3 months, to gain experience of complementary or parallel careers in science.

In today’s fluid and flexible jobs market, there is a greater need, than ever before, for students to have wide horizons and be cognisant of the career possibilities available to them. Regular workshops on opportunities and individual guidance are available to students through the Careers and Employability Service. The DTP Programme Team organises an annual conference showcasing Career Opportunities for PhD scientists.  Professionals from different sectors come to talk about their career paths after a PhD in science. Contributors are suggested by the students themselves, in addition to the staff. Students have the opportunity to network and gather information on varied PhD level career opportunities.

Career Opportunities for PhD scientists is one of the most popular events in the programme calendar:

• How to Survive (and thrive) as an Academic in Industry
• How to start your own Biotech company - and have fun doing it
• A day in the life of a Commercial Translation Manager
• Personal Branding – Think outside the CV
• Behind the scenes at Nature Reviews - from bench to desk-side
• Science meets Law: From PhD to Patent Attorney
• Medical and Scientific Communications
• Interacting with Industry from a Research Perspective

Guidance for Applicants

Applications open in around November each year, with the programme commencing in September of the following year.

Writing an application for a DTP programme is much like applying for a job, but you’ll want to really highlight any research experience you’ve had, to show your commitment to this path. Use the tips listed in the drop-down boxes to help you tailor your CV and personal statement to good effect.

You will also find some advice on making a good impression at interview.

Please note, some of the links are available only to Queen Mary University of London or University of Southampton students; if you are studying currently at another university, be sure to make good use of the Careers Service where you are.

Eligibility

As this studentship is funded by the MRC, part of UKRI, please see UKRI's International eligibility criteria for funded studentships below.

Please note that this guidance is for students who will be recruited to start from the 2023/24 academic year.

To be classed as a Home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or
• Have settled status, or
• Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter

  UK National

The UK includes the United Kingdom and Islands (i.e. the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man).

In terms of residency requirements for UK nationals, for courses starting from 1 August 2021, candidates will continue to be eligible for home fee status as long as:

• they were living in the EEA or Switzerland on 31 December 2020, and have lived in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar for at least the last 3 years before starting a course in the UK
• have lived continuously in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar between 31 December 2020 and the start of the course
• the course starts before 1 January 2028

Eligibility on these grounds will only be available for courses starting up to seven years from the last day of the transition period (i.e. on 31 December 2027 at the latest).

Children of UK nationals will also be eligible for support on the same terms, even if they are not themselves UK nationals, as long as both the UK national and the child meet the conditions listed above.

This is following the announcement made by https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-nationals-in-the-eea-and-switzerland-access-to-higher-education-and-19-further-education

This will not apply to Irish nationals living in the UK and Ireland whose right to study and to access benefits and services will be preserved on a reciprocal basis for UK and Irish nationals under the Common Travel Area arrangement.

EU Settlement Scheme

EU, EEA or Swiss citizens can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. If successful, applicants will get either settled or pre-settled status.

Settled status

Applicants will usually get settled status if they:

• started living in the UK by 31 December 2020
• lived in the UK for a continuous 5-year period (known as ‘continuous residence’)

Five years’ continuous residence means that for 5 years in a row they have been in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least 6 months in any 12-month period. The exceptions are:

• one period of up to 12 months for an important reason (for example, childbirth, serious illness, study, vocational training or an overseas work posting)
• compulsory military service of any length
• time spent abroad as a Crown servant, or as the family member of a Crown servant
• time spent abroad in the armed forces, or as the family member of someone in the armed forces

If they have settled status, they can spend up to 5 years in a row outside the UK without losing that status.

If they are a Swiss citizen, they and their family members can spend up to 4 years in a row outside the UK without losing their settled status.

Pre-settled status

If they do not have 5 years’ continuous residence when they apply, they will usually get pre-settled status. They must have started living in the UK by 31 December 2020.

Those with pre-settled status will qualify as a home student if they have 3 years residency in the UK/EEA/Gibraltar/Switzerland immediately before the start of their course.

It is then possible to apply to change this to settled status once they have got 5 years’ continuous residence. They must do this before the pre-settled status expires. They can stay in the UK for a further 5 years from the date they get pre-settled status.

If they have pre-settled status, they can spend up to 2 years in a row outside the UK without losing their status. They will need to maintain their continuous residence if they want to qualify for settled status.

Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or Indefinite leave to enter (ILE)

Indefinite leave to enter or remain (ILR) are types of immigration status.

It is possible to continue to live in the UK without applying to the EU Settlement Scheme if they have indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK. However, if they choose to apply (and meet all the other conditions), they will get ‘indefinite leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme’ - also known as settled status.

They can spend up to 2 years in a row outside the UK without losing their indefinite leave to enter or remain status.

International Student

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Queen Mary University of London and the University of Southampton are committed to making Equality, Diversity and Inclusion an integral component of University life. Both institutions hold Athena Swan Silver Awards and are Race Equality Charter signatories. We particularly welcome applications from those from minority ethnic groups, a disadvantaged background or having taken a career break. Flexible study is available and should be discussed at application (for UoS contact: Dr Sandrine Willaime-Morawek, [email protected]; for Queen Mary contact Dr Katiuscia Bianchi, [email protected] ). University benefits include onsite childcare facilities, state-of-the-art on-campus sports, arts and culture facilities and a full programme of events.

Writing your CV

Use headings well to highlight the most recent and relevant experience you’ve had

Provide well-chosen detail to give more information about the research projects you have undertaken at undergraduate, and possibly Masters, level

Split out your research skills - e.g. handling lots of information, lab skills, coding or data skills, project management skills: these are the skills that are really important in a PhD

Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing self-development, an important part of many PhD programmes, by showing what research methods or other training you have taken

Show how you have contributed to your current degree programme - e.g. organising department events such as journal clubs or something social - a PhD programme isn’t all research!

Useful links:

Applying for a PhD - The Careers Group

PhD Application Tips - Jobs.ac.uk

Queen Mary University of London Careers CV support

University of Southampton - Making successful applications

Writing your Personal Statement

• Use this structure to create at least three good paragraphs:
• Why are you interested in this PhD programme?
• Why do you want to come to Queen Mary or University of Southampton?
• Why do you think they should be interested in having you on their programme? This is where you get to mention some of the great things you have on your CV.
• Demonstrate the research you’ve done into doing a PhD, and into this programme. For example, mention that you’ve spoken to existing PhD students about their experiences, or how you’ve looked at some of the researchers’ work online.
• It’s important to be aware that moving into academia after a PhD is not guaranteed. Use your personal statement to show how becoming a really effective researcher with excellent transferable skills is important to you.
• Use enthusiastic and active language (‘developed’, ‘created’, ‘initiated’, ‘learned’) in your statement.
• If you can, tie your personal statement to what the PhD programme is specifically looking for. For example, if they are asking for ‘motivated students that can handle a lot of data with attention to detail,' explicitly provide examples of where you have demonstrated motivation, and where you have been successful in spotting errors or checking your work.

Queen Mary Careers CV support, including links to creating good cover letters

E-book on writing academic cover letters - Jobs.ac.uk

Tips for your interview

Congratulations on getting an interview! 

• Deal with your nerves. Some people find that going for a walk, taking deep breaths, or having a reward ready for after an interview can be really good. The best thing though, is to have a practice!
• Have your application documents, and the programme specification, to hand during your interview so you can refer to bits of it if necessary.
• Have some really clear examples of the key skills required for the PhD programme ready: use Context, Action, Result as a structure for your examples. Or think in 3s - ‘There are three reasons I want to embark on this programme.  Firstly….’.  Practice!
• Don’t worry if you can’t immediately think of an answer. Perhaps ask the interviewer to repeat the question, or answer the part of it you can – acknowledging it’s not the whole answer. Or, tell them how you would find out: problem-solving is a big part of a PhD.
• If you are asked to do a presentation, then rehearse it to make sure of your timings and try to ensure you show off the most impressive parts of your research. Try to present a logical, clear story of what you did, how, and why. You can rehearse timings in PowerPoint and even record it to watch it back.
• Did we say practice already? Your careers service may well have spots available or online tools for getting interview feedback.

Queen Mary Careers Interview support, including how to book practice interviews and practicing online

Jobs.ac.uk support for interviews . Be aware that this advice is geared towards those looking for jobs after their PhDs; don’t be daunted, but take only what’s relevant to you!

Useful links

• What is a PhD and Why Should YOU do one?
• PhD Application Tips
• Your PhD Journey - Top Tips
• 5 routes to getting a Doctorate

The Careers Group

• To PhD or not to PhD - That is the Question
• Applying for a PhD
• Career Planning for PhDs

University of Southampton

• International students

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Oxford-MRC Doctoral Training Partnership

Oxford MRC Doctoral Training Partnership

Our Students

Find out what our students are studying

MRC iCASE studentships 2024

The Oxford-MRC Doctoral Training Partnership provides comprehensive support for graduate students undertaking medical research

How to Apply

Find out how to apply, including information about funding

Find out what additional opportunities, not available to others, are on offer to MRC-funded students

Meet the students

• All Current Students
• Student Spotlight
• Alumni Spotlight

Current Students

• Training Opportunities
• Supplementary funding
• Sharing of personal data with the MRC

Director : Professor Ester Hammond

Enquiries : [email protected]  

Follow us on: Twitter  @Oxford_MRC_DTP

WMS MRC Doctoral Training Partnership

Frequently asked questions for applicants.

We hope that you find the information on this page helpful and accessible. If you cannot find the answer to your question here, please get in touch at: [email protected]. Link opens in a new window

General Information about the DTP

Q: What does MRC DTP in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research mean?

A: It's a very lengthy title which in full is Medical Research Council-funded Doctoral Training Partnership in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research, which is why we tend to shorten it to MRC DTP in IBR! It can be broken down as follows:

• Medical Research Council (MRC): there are nine research councils in the UK which exist to support research excellence in a number of ways, including providing grants to universities that enable them to recruit and support talented students through doctoral training partnerships. The Medical Research Council works to improve the health of people in the UK - and around the world - by supporting excellent science, and training the very best scientists.
• Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs): exist so that PhD students are part of academic communities of students and staff with shared research interests. For example, our Warwick DTP has three research themes: Molecular Basis of Human Disease, Combating Infection, and Precision Diagnostics & Data Analytics. See the Research Themes section of this website for further information.
• Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research (IBR): the Warwick DTP aims to train students to be confident in working across science disciplines to become innovative interdisciplinary scientists. We do this in a number of ways, including recruiting students from diverse scientific academic backgrounds, providing an interdisciplinary MSc year for all students, and ensuring our students undertake interdisciplinary PhD projects.

Q: What are the advantages of all students taking an MSc before starting their PhD projects?

A: The MSc year is an important part of the four-year programme, an opportunity for students to develop new skills complementary to their existing academic knowledge, e.g. students from physical/computational science backgrounds develop knowledge in experimental biology, whilst life scientists develop their coding and mathematical skills. Students work together on modules, sharing knowledge and expertise, and form a very strong network during the year.

Q: What are the benefits of being part of the MRC DTP community, instead of doing a standalone PhD project?

A: MRC DTP students join a well-established programme with a very strong sense of community and a collegial atmosphere. Our students benefit greatly from the support of their peers and also from the DTP staff team who are on hand to provide guidance. The Warwick DTP is quite a small one, which means it's informal and extremely friendly.

We have developed very effective ways of gathering and listening to student feedback and we strive to continually develop and enhance the programme in response. Students and staff work together closely to do this. Our students are members of many committees, including the Student-Staff Forum, DTP Management Committee and MSc IBR Teaching Committee, to ensure that the collective view of students is an integral part of decision-making processes.

A key element of our DTP is the additional learning opportunities that we offer to our students, from skills development workshops to student chalk talks and visiting speaker seminars. A highlight for us every year is our annual student conference when we all go away together for a few days to share science and spend time together as a community.

Q: Where can I find information about student life at Warwick?

A: You can find plenty of information here and here .

The Studentship

Q: How long is the programme?

A: It is at least 4 years, a 1-year MSc + a 3-year PhD, with the possibility of a 3-6 month Career Transition Fellowship to support onwards employment into academia, industry, the NHS or allied careers in science and medicine.

Q: Can the programme be taken part-time?

A: No, it is full-time only.

Q: What are the key differences between core, iCASE and Translational Medicine studentships?

A: Key differences between core, iCASE and Translational Medicine studentships are:

• Core students are not recruited to a specific project and instead have the opportunity to develop their research interests in the MSc year and co-write their two MSc lab projects and PhD project with academic supervisors. More information can be found here .
• iCASE students are recruited onto the programme to a pre-defined project with specific academic and industry supervisors. More information about iCASE studentships available for 2023 entry can be found here .
• Translational Medicine students are recruited onto the programme to a pre-defined project with specific academic and Institute of Precision Diagnostics and Translational Medicine, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust supervisors. More information can be found here .
• The stipend and consumables budgets are higher for iCASE than core studentships (see below).
• iCASE students will spend at least 3 months at the partner company with their industrial supervisor.

Q: What is included in the studentship?

A: Your studentship will cover:

• Your fees for all 4 years of the programme (MSc + PhD years).
• Student stipend for Core and Translational Medicine (£19,237 in 2024/25) and iCASE (£21,737 in 2024/25) studentships. A stipend is essentially a tax-free salary to cover living costs.
• Consumables for both core and iCASE studentships.
• An allowance to attend scientific conferences.
• Additional competitively awarded funds from the DTP for advanced training workshops, internships and career transition fellowships.
• The cost of a computer (which will remain University of Warwick property).

Q: Can I apply to both iCASE/Translational Medicine and core studentships?

A: Home students can apply to all studentships. International students can apply only to iCASE and Translational Medicine studentships due limits imposed by MRC.

Q: Does the programme cover accommodation?

A: No, you have to find your own accommodation. You can find help here .

Q: Does the programme cover the cost of accommodation or commuting?

A: The costs of your accommodation and commuting are paid by you from your monthly stipend. You can find more about student accommodation here .

Q: Can I do some additional paid work when I am in the programme?

A: Students can work for to 75 hours in a year as teaching assistants or demonstrators. Many PhD students assist in the running of the MSc course.

Q: Where can I find information about the MSc in IBR modules?

A: You can find information here .

Q: Is the MSc in IBR mandatory or can I directly join the PhD programme?

A: The MSc in IBR year is mandatory. You cannot begin the PhD programme without having first completed the MSc in IBR.

Q: Do I have to pass the MSc or do I automatically progress to the PhD

A: You must pass the MSc in IBR with at least a Merit (60%) and fulfil further criteria, which can be found here. If you are not successful, you cannot progress to the PhD and will have to leave the programme.

Q: Can I take only the MSc in IBR course?

A: The MSc in IBR can be taken as a stand-alone course , but only if it is self-funded.

Q: Is there an age restriction?

A: There is no age restriction to be accepted onto the course.

Q: What support is available for students with disabilities?

A: The University Disability Services Team provides advice and guidance for students with disabilities, including one-to-one support and making reasonable adjustments. The DTP team also work personally with students who have declared disabilities to discuss the support needed and to make sure that all required adjustments are made.

Entry requirements

  Q: I already have a Master's degree, can I still apply?

A: Yes, you can apply. In fact, about a third of the current students held a Master's degree before coming on the course, but you will still have to complete the MSc in IBR before joining the PhD programme.

Q: Can I apply with a non-biology undergraduate or Master's degree (Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science,...)

A: Yes, we encourage these applications, but you must provide evidence of your interest in biomedical research. Currently, more than 1 in 3 of our students have a non-biology background.

Q: I have not yet completed my current degree. How can I provide final transcripts?

A: We understand that, at the time of your application, you might not have completed your current degree. Please provide the grades you have obtained so far in your degree so that the course selectors have as much information as possible when considering your application.

Q: What are the Maths requirements?

A: At least grade B at A-levels or international equivalent (see International Students section).

Q: I did not get a B in Maths at A-levels (or international equivalent), can I still apply?

A: Yes, but you should have A levels at grade B or above in other science subjects such as Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Science, Engineering or Physics and have gained good grades in university modules involving mathematics, computing, statistics or other theoretical skills.

Q: I took Maths at GCSE level but not at A-level. Can I still apply?

Q: I don’t have any work or research experience. Can I still apply?

A: Yes. We understand that not everybody has had the same opportunities. If you have written a dissertation or done a literature review on a particular topic, do include a few sentences to explain what this was about and what you learnt from it.

Q: My degree includes a practical module but I am not sure if I can complete it due to the pandemic restrictions. Can I still apply?

A: Yes. We understand that the pandemic is hindering access to labs for under- and post-graduate students. Please include a few sentences to explain the research you were able to undertake or discuss what you would have liked to have worked on, had you been able to access the lab.

Q: I have research experience, but not in biomedical sciences. Is that okay?

A: Yes. Please summarise your research experience in a few sentences and any outputs or learning that you gained from this.

The Application and Selection Process

Please note that the next recruitment round for entry in 2024 will commence on 30th October 2023, and close on 4th December 2023. Applications will be open for Core, iCASE and Translational Medicine studentships.

Q: Do you have any international students on the programme?

A: Yes, we welcome international students on the programme and, have students from countries outside the UK each year, including Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Romania, Russia and Spain. However, please note that international students are only eligible for iCASE and Translational Medicine studentships.

Q: Can you explain how the applicants are selected?

A: All applications are screened for entry requirements. Applications that fulfil entry requirements are judged by a panel of academics and shortlisted candidates are invited for interview. Applicants who are successful at the interview will be recommended to the University for a place on the course. Applicants then have to apply formally to the programme via the University's online admissions system and meet all University entrance requirements.

Q: How competitive is getting on to the DTP program?

A: It is very competitive as our standards are very high and there are only 12 studentships available each year.

Q: If I receive an invitation to the interview, will I have to come to Warwick?

A: We normally do face-to-face interviews, but since the start of the pandemic we have held interviews online via Microsoft Teams conferencing, and this has worked well. We will hold face-to-face interviews for 2024 entry for students based in the UK if we are able to.

Q: Do I have to submit references with my application form?

A: We ask for references for shortlisted candidates only. Candidates are asked to contact their referees prior to being interviewed, and request that their references are sent directly to us.

Q: What do you look for in an applicant?

A: We are interested in applicants with exceptional potential who are interested in solving biomedical research problems. We are also looking for those candidates that understand and are enthusiastic about the ethos of the DTP; for example, the strong sense of community and teamwork, developing confidence in working across scientific disciplines, exploring their research interests, and co-designing their own PhD projects.

International Students

Please also look at FAQs relevant to international students that are answered in the studentship, entry requirements and selection process sections.

Q: I am an international/oversea student. Can I apply?

A: International students can apply to iCASE and Translational Medicine Studentships but not Core Studentships

Q: How many studentships are available for international/oversea students?

A: For 2024 entry, a maximum of 5 studentships are available for international students.

Q: Where can I find information about overseas qualification equivalence?

Q: Does the programme fund visa applications during and/or after the studentship?

A: No, the programme does not fund visa applications. You can find more details on visa status here .

Q: What are the English Language requirements?

A: The minimum requirements are Band A with specific components scores of at least 6.5 in reading and writing (IETLS). You can find more information here .

Q: Do I need a UK bank account?

A: Yes, you will need to open an account in a bank in the UK in order for your stipend to be paid to you.

Q: Where can I find information about the international student community at Warwick?

A: You can find some information about the life of international students at Warwick (including immigration advice) here . You can also ask a question here .

We have ordered the FAQs in broad categories:

Entry Requirements

The Selection Process

• Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding
• James Pantyfedwen Foundation Grants
• MBA Public Value Scholarships
• Tuition fees

MRC Doctoral Training Partnership

The Medical Research Council (MRC) GW4 BioMed DTP brings together the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff (lead) and Exeter to develop the next generation of medical researchers.

Students will have access to the combined research strengths, training expertise and resources of the four research-intensive universities, with opportunities to participate in interdisciplinarity and 'team science'. Many of the PhD projects supported by the DTP will be co-supervised across at least two of the partner universities, allowing students to join existing and emerging research partnerships.

In response to the new  UKRI eligibility criteria , we are pleased to announce that we will be offering International fee discounts for successful UKRI applicants. The fees will be discounted to the home fees level. This approach ensures that students regardless of nationality or financial means will be able to apply for our prestigious UKRI studentships. Successful applicants will receive a fully-funded studentship and will not be charged the international fee difference.

Research themes

PhD projects are aligned with one of the three strategic research themes that characterise the GW4 BioMed DTP:

• Infection, Immunity and Repair
• Neuroscience and Mental Health
• Population Health.

The portfolio of PhD projects available also reflects the collective strengths of the DTP: quantitative skills (including mathematical modelling), using data for discovery, in vivo skills, and interdisciplinary training and approaches, including imaging (physics, engineering), chemistry and health economics.

Partnerships

The GW4 BioMed DTP is a partnership between the Universities of Cardiff, Bristol, Bath and Exeter, in addition to the GW4 and the MRC.

Find out more

Please visit our DTP website for more details and how to apply.

Contact us and indicate your interest in this funding if you want to be kept up-to-date with any further studentships that are published under this scheme.

You can  search our studentships or  find out more about funding.

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MultiSci MRC DTP

A new MRC-funded doctoral training programme (DTP) in Multidisciplinary Science in Health at Imperial College

MultiSci DTP

The Imperial College London MRC DTP for Interdisciplinary Science in Health (MultiSci) has been established to enable graduates to undertake a 4.5 year training programme, including a research project plus training in research methods and transferable key skills, leading to the submission of a doctoral thesis and the award of a PhD.

Admissons for 2024-25 entry to the programme are now closed.

Why we’d like you to apply

The vision of MultiSci is to stimulate the creation of a new generation of life-scientists equipped with the quantitative, technological, and bioscience skills required to conduct cutting edge research across the fundamental and applied medical biosciences. To achieve this we want to recruit from as broad a spectrum of institutions and experience as possible. We welcome applications from any potential students who fulfil the eligibility criteria .

About MultiSci

All students who start MultiSci at the same time are trained together as part of the same cohort allowing you to build a peer network for learning and support.

Students with an undergraduate degree only must register for the MRes Biomedical Research for Year 1 of the MultiSci programme.

Students with/completing a master’s degree will be offered two choices for Year 1 of the MultiSci programme:

• register for the MRes Biomedical Research - The MultiSci Programme recommends that all successful students complete the MRes Biomedical Research. Or,

follow the MRes Biomedical Research curriculum – Includes completion of two lab rotations, grant writing exercise and all assessments. Students will not receive academic credit for this option.

All students  must complete MultiSci training in Year 1 and in subsequent years as PhD students.

Further details about MultiSci’s structure , as well as the training you would undertake as a student, can be found here .

MultiSci PhD projects

After your first year of training, all MultiSci students will undertake a 3.5-year PhD project.  Your PhD project will be designed by you, in collaboration with a supervisory team. Projects must align with one or more of the MultiSci’s research themes , and we encourage those that are multi-disciplinary. You will receive support and guidance in deciding on your PhD project during the first year of MultiSci, through project rotations and 1:1 meetings.

Support and mentorship

• 1:1 mentoring
• Wellbeing Action Plans
• Networking activities with other MRC-DTP students
• MRC-DTP student committee representation
• Imperial post-graduate events

Training and Development

• Adapt to Postgrad  pre-enrolment course
• Project rotations before starting your PhD
• Chemical Kitchen
• Attributes and Aspirations  (AA personal planning and development course)
• Cross-institution conferences

White City Campus

• A hub for for innovation, entrepreneurship and multidisciplinary research offering opportunities
• Community engagement
• Interaction with biotech startups
• Developing and prototyping new ideas
• Annual MRC DTP Colloquium

Admissions for 2024-25 entry to the MultiSci DTP are now closed . 

Financial package

Successful MultiSci students will be supported by a tax-free stipend (currently £20,622 per annum) , paid tuition fees, an annual research training and support grant, a conference fund and access to the MRC Flexible Award scheme to help fund a wide range of research and training activities.  See our FAQs page.

General enquiries

For enquiries about the the MultiSci DTP at Imperial College London, please contact:

FEO Postgrad Team [email protected]

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MRC invests £79 million to support doctoral training

The Medical Research Council (MRC) has announced that it will invest £79 million to support doctoral training for the next three years, through its Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) competition

The funding will go towards 17 DTP awards across 34 UK Research Organisations (ROs) to support high-quality doctoral training programmes that take a s tudent-centred approach , focusing on scientific excellence, positive research culture and wider training opportunities , from 2022 onwards.

They include:

• Discovery Medicine North (University of Sheffield, Newcastle University, University of Leeds, University of Liverpool, University of York)
• Imperial College London
• Institute of Cancer Research
• GW4 (Cardiff University, University of Bath, University of Bristol and University of Exeter)
• King’s College London
• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Lancaster University
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and St George’s University of London
• Trials Methodology Research Partnership (University of Liverpool, Institute of Cancer Research, Newcastle University, Queen Mary University London, University College London, University of Aberdeen, University of Bangor, University of Birmingham, University of Cambridge, University of Glasgow, University of Leeds, University of Plymouth)
• University College London and Birkbeck, University of London
• University of Birmingham, University of Leicester and University of Nottingham
• University of Cambridge
• University of East Anglia
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Manchester
• University of Oxford
• University of Southampton and Queen Mary University of London
• University of Warwick.

These awards will provide doctoral training for around 200 students per year.

This includes:

• Skills in data science at the interface of human health and biology
• Whole organism physiology to enable progress towards a cross-level approach to medical research in human health
• Interdisciplinary ways of working.

Professor Fiona Watt, Executive Chair, MRC, said:

“We are thrilled to announce our funding for the next generation of MRC PhD researchers through 17 new UK-wide Doctoral Training Partnership awards. Outstanding research is only possible when we invest in people to conduct that research.

“Our new awards are student-centred, setting out to increase the diversity of individuals pursuing research careers and providing opportunities for students to widen their horizons during and post-PhD.”

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UK Research Councils are the largest funder of PhD students at Cambridge, and provide studentships and doctoral training across seven subject areas (listed below).

Research Council funding comes from the UK government and provides: 

• tuition fees at the home rate*
• a 'stipend' to support living costs (also referred to as 'maintenance costs')
• some also offer support towards research costs

Research Council funding is associated with Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTP) and Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT), and provides studentship-holders with extra teaching to support their research and personal development. 

Applications for funding are made directly to the University (or partnership institutions) through the admissions and funding process. Some studentships require you to propose a project and others have set lists you can choose from.

Selection criteria is based on academic excellence and how your research project fits with the supervisor or research group. There is also a widening participation element that welcomes applications from students from underrepresented groups in postgraduate study.

Visit the UKRI website for more information.

* International students are now eligible for a limited number of Research Council studentships. International students in receipt of an eligible UKRI doctoral studentship will receive a University bursary to cover the difference between the Home and Overseas fee level.

Studentships at Cambridge

Select the relevant research council below for details of studentships available at Cambridge.

AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)

The Arts and Humanities Research Council provides funding via a consortium model: applicants are nominated from multiple universities and ranked into a single list.

Cambridge is part of the Open-Oxford-Cambridge Doctoral Training Partnershi p (OOC DTP); applicants may only apply to one of these three institutions for AHRC funding.

Find out more about the Cambridge AHRC DTP .

BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council funds approximately 14-18 Standard studentships, 7-9 Targeted studentships and 4 iCase studentships in the School of Biological Sciences, across the five BBSRC research themes:

• Understanding the rules of life
• Transformative technologies
• Bioscience for sustainable argiculture and food
• Bioscience for renewable resources and clean growth
• Bioscience for an integrated understanding of health

Find out more about the Cambridge BBSRC DTP .

ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)

The Economic and Social Research Council funds studentships in a range of broad social science areas:

• Sustainability, prosperity and wellbeing
• Inequality, equity, justice, and economic growth
• Conflict, culture, mobility and development
• Emerging technologies, human behaviour and productivity
• Cognition, behaviour, language and learning

There are 26 eligible departments from across the University that take ESRC students.

Find out more about the Cambridge ESRC DTP .

EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) and Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT)

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funds approximately 60 studentships a year across:

• Engineering
• Mathematics (Applied and Theoretical)
• Chemical Engineering
• Earth Sciences
• Computer Science
• and Materials Science

The Cambridge EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT) support a further 80-90 funded studentships. Each Centre recruits on average 12 students a year in the departments mentioned above. 

Find out more about the Cambridge EPSRC DTP and CDT .

MRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)

The Medical Research Council funds approximately 5 MRC industrial Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering (iCASE) studentships a year across the School of Clinical Medicine and School of Biological Sciences. Students must apply to specific projects that fall under the following themes:

• Data Science for Health
• Molecular and Cellular Medicine
• Neurosciences and Mental Health
• Infection and Immunity

Find out more about the Cambridge MRC DTP and iCASE Programme .

NERC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)

The Natural Environment Research Council funds approximately 12 studentships a year. Students are required to apply to specific projects that fall within three major research themes:

• Solid earth and geological hazards
• Climate Change and environmental processes
• Biology and conservation

Find out more about the Cambridge NERC DTP .

The Science and Technology Facilities Council funds studentships in

• The Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics 
• The Department of Physics
• The Institute of Astronomy

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100 Best universities for Mechanical Engineering in Russia

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in Russia ranked based on their research performance in Mechanical Engineering. A graph of 714K citations received by 136K academic papers made by 158 universities in Russia was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Moscow State University

For Mechanical Engineering

2. Tomsk State University

3. St. Petersburg State University

4. Bauman Moscow State Technical University

5. Ufa State Aviation Technical University

6. Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University

7. Tomsk Polytechnic University

8. Ural Federal University

9. South Ural State University

10. National Research University Higher School of Economics

11. Moscow Aviation Institute

12. Novosibirsk State University

13. ITMO University

14. N.R.U. Moscow Power Engineering Institute

15. National Research Nuclear University MEPI

16. Kazan Federal University

17. National University of Science and Technology "MISIS"

18. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

19. Samara National Research University

20. Moscow State Technological University "Stankin"

21. Novosibirsk State Technical University

22. RUDN University

23. Southern Federal University

24. Saratov State University

25. Ufa State Petroleum Technological University

26. Samara State Technical University

27. Siberian Federal University

28. Kazan National Research Technical University named after A.N. Tupolev - KAI

29. Perm State Technical University

30. Omsk State Technical University

31. Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University

32. Moscow Polytech

33. Saint-Petersburg Mining University

34. Magnitogorsk State Technical University

35. Saratov State Technical University

36. Moscow State University of Railway Engineering

37. Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod

38. Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University

39. Tula State University

40. Belgorod State Technological University

41. Far Eastern Federal University

42. Novgorod State University

43. belgorod state university.

44. Finance Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation

45. Moscow Medical Academy

46. Kazan State Technological University

47. Russian State University of Oil and Gas

48. siberian state aerospace university.

49. Tambov State Technical University

50. Voronezh State University

51. Siberian State Industrial University

52. Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology

53. Kalashnikov Izhevsk State Technical University

54. St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering

55. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia

56. Murmansk State Technical University

57. South-Western State University

58. Ogarev Mordovia State University

59. Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics

60. south-russian state university of economics and service.

61. Perm State University

62. Kuzbass State Technical University

63. Russian National Research Medical University

64. Plekhanov Russian University of Economics

65. Ulyanovsk State Technical University

66. Ulyanovsk State University

67. Penza State University

68. Kuban State University of Technology

69. Polzunov Altai State Technical University

70. Chelyabinsk State University

71. Yaroslavl State University

72. University of Tyumen

73. National Research University of Electronic Technology

74. Leningrad State University

75. Moscow State Pedagogical University

76. Udmurt State University

77. Irkutsk State University

78. North-Eastern Federal University

79. Bashkir State University

80. Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration

81. Kuban State University

82. Kuban State Agricultural University

83. St. Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation

84. Kemerovo State University

85. Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University

86. Orenburg State University

87. Baltic State Technical University "Voenmeh"

88. Tomsk State University of Architecture and Building

89. Chuvash State University

90. ivanovo state power university.

91. Irkutsk National Research Technical University

92. Orel State University

93. State University of Management

94. Tomsk State Pedagogical University

95. Volgograd State University

96. Petrozavodsk State University

97. Tver State University

98. Northern Arctic Federal University

99. Omsk State Transport University

100. Kaliningrad State Technical University

The best cities to study Mechanical Engineering in Russia based on the number of universities and their ranks are Moscow , Tomsk , Saint Petersburg , and Ufa .

Engineering subfields in Russia

Victor Mukhin

• Scientific Program

Title : Active carbons as nanoporous materials for solving of environmental problems

However, up to now, the main carriers of catalytic additives have been mineral sorbents: silica gels, alumogels. This is obviously due to the fact that they consist of pure homogeneous components SiO2 and Al2O3, respectively. It is generally known that impurities, especially the ash elements, are catalytic poisons that reduce the effectiveness of the catalyst. Therefore, carbon sorbents with 5-15% by weight of ash elements in their composition are not used in the above mentioned technologies. However, in such an important field as a gas-mask technique, carbon sorbents (active carbons) are carriers of catalytic additives, providing effective protection of a person against any types of potent poisonous substances (PPS). In ESPE “JSC "Neorganika" there has been developed the technology of unique ashless spherical carbon carrier-catalysts by the method of liquid forming of furfural copolymers with subsequent gas-vapor activation, brand PAC. Active carbons PAC have 100% qualitative characteristics of the three main properties of carbon sorbents: strength - 100%, the proportion of sorbing pores in the pore space – 100%, purity - 100% (ash content is close to zero). A particularly outstanding feature of active PAC carbons is their uniquely high mechanical compressive strength of 740 ± 40 MPa, which is 3-7 times larger than that of  such materials as granite, quartzite, electric coal, and is comparable to the value for cast iron - 400-1000 MPa. This allows the PAC to operate under severe conditions in moving and fluidized beds.  Obviously, it is time to actively develop catalysts based on PAC sorbents for oil refining, petrochemicals, gas processing and various technologies of organic synthesis.

Victor M. Mukhin was born in 1946 in the town of Orsk, Russia. In 1970 he graduated the Technological Institute in Leningrad. Victor M. Mukhin was directed to work to the scientific-industrial organization "Neorganika" (Elektrostal, Moscow region) where he is working during 47 years, at present as the head of the laboratory of carbon sorbents.     Victor M. Mukhin defended a Ph. D. thesis and a doctoral thesis at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (in 1979 and 1997 accordingly). Professor of Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. Scientific interests: production, investigation and application of active carbons, technological and ecological carbon-adsorptive processes, environmental protection, production of ecologically clean food.   

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40 facts about elektrostal.

Written by Lanette Mayes

Modified & Updated: 02 Mar 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Elektrostal is a vibrant city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia. With a rich history, stunning architecture, and a thriving community, Elektrostal is a city that has much to offer. Whether you are a history buff, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about different cultures, Elektrostal is sure to captivate you.

This article will provide you with 40 fascinating facts about Elektrostal, giving you a better understanding of why this city is worth exploring. From its origins as an industrial hub to its modern-day charm, we will delve into the various aspects that make Elektrostal a unique and must-visit destination.

So, join us as we uncover the hidden treasures of Elektrostal and discover what makes this city a true gem in the heart of Russia.

Key Takeaways:

• Elektrostal, known as the “Motor City of Russia,” is a vibrant and growing city with a rich industrial history, offering diverse cultural experiences and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
• With its convenient location near Moscow, Elektrostal provides a picturesque landscape, vibrant nightlife, and a range of recreational activities, making it an ideal destination for residents and visitors alike.

Known as the “Motor City of Russia.”

Elektrostal, a city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia, earned the nickname “Motor City” due to its significant involvement in the automotive industry.

Home to the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Elektrostal is renowned for its metallurgical plant, which has been producing high-quality steel and alloys since its establishment in 1916.

Boasts a rich industrial heritage.

Elektrostal has a long history of industrial development, contributing to the growth and progress of the region.

Founded in 1916.

The city of Elektrostal was founded in 1916 as a result of the construction of the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Located approximately 50 kilometers east of Moscow.

Elektrostal is situated in close proximity to the Russian capital, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors.

Known for its vibrant cultural scene.

Elektrostal is home to several cultural institutions, including museums, theaters, and art galleries that showcase the city’s rich artistic heritage.

A popular destination for nature lovers.

Surrounded by picturesque landscapes and forests, Elektrostal offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and birdwatching.

Hosts the annual Elektrostal City Day celebrations.

Every year, Elektrostal organizes festive events and activities to celebrate its founding, bringing together residents and visitors in a spirit of unity and joy.

Has a population of approximately 160,000 people.

Elektrostal is home to a diverse and vibrant community of around 160,000 residents, contributing to its dynamic atmosphere.

Boasts excellent education facilities.

The city is known for its well-established educational institutions, providing quality education to students of all ages.

A center for scientific research and innovation.

Elektrostal serves as an important hub for scientific research, particularly in the fields of metallurgy, materials science, and engineering.

Surrounded by picturesque lakes.

The city is blessed with numerous beautiful lakes, offering scenic views and recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike.

Well-connected transportation system.

Elektrostal benefits from an efficient transportation network, including highways, railways, and public transportation options, ensuring convenient travel within and beyond the city.

Famous for its traditional Russian cuisine.

Food enthusiasts can indulge in authentic Russian dishes at numerous restaurants and cafes scattered throughout Elektrostal.

Home to notable architectural landmarks.

Elektrostal boasts impressive architecture, including the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Elektrostal Palace of Culture.

Offers a wide range of recreational facilities.

Residents and visitors can enjoy various recreational activities, such as sports complexes, swimming pools, and fitness centers, enhancing the overall quality of life.

Provides a high standard of healthcare.

Elektrostal is equipped with modern medical facilities, ensuring residents have access to quality healthcare services.

Home to the Elektrostal History Museum.

The Elektrostal History Museum showcases the city’s fascinating past through exhibitions and displays.

A hub for sports enthusiasts.

Elektrostal is passionate about sports, with numerous stadiums, arenas, and sports clubs offering opportunities for athletes and spectators.

Celebrates diverse cultural festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal hosts a variety of cultural festivals, celebrating different ethnicities, traditions, and art forms.

Electric power played a significant role in its early development.

Elektrostal owes its name and initial growth to the establishment of electric power stations and the utilization of electricity in the industrial sector.

Boasts a thriving economy.

The city’s strong industrial base, coupled with its strategic location near Moscow, has contributed to Elektrostal’s prosperous economic status.

Houses the Elektrostal Drama Theater.

The Elektrostal Drama Theater is a cultural centerpiece, attracting theater enthusiasts from far and wide.

Popular destination for winter sports.

Elektrostal’s proximity to ski resorts and winter sport facilities makes it a favorite destination for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter activities.

Promotes environmental sustainability.

Elektrostal prioritizes environmental protection and sustainability, implementing initiatives to reduce pollution and preserve natural resources.

Home to renowned educational institutions.

Elektrostal is known for its prestigious schools and universities, offering a wide range of academic programs to students.

Committed to cultural preservation.

The city values its cultural heritage and takes active steps to preserve and promote traditional customs, crafts, and arts.

Hosts an annual International Film Festival.

The Elektrostal International Film Festival attracts filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing a diverse range of films.

Encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.

Elektrostal supports aspiring entrepreneurs and fosters a culture of innovation, providing opportunities for startups and business development.

Offers a range of housing options.

Elektrostal provides diverse housing options, including apartments, houses, and residential complexes, catering to different lifestyles and budgets.

Home to notable sports teams.

Elektrostal is proud of its sports legacy, with several successful sports teams competing at regional and national levels.

Boasts a vibrant nightlife scene.

Residents and visitors can enjoy a lively nightlife in Elektrostal, with numerous bars, clubs, and entertainment venues.

Promotes cultural exchange and international relations.

Elektrostal actively engages in international partnerships, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic collaborations to foster global connections.

Surrounded by beautiful nature reserves.

Nearby nature reserves, such as the Barybino Forest and Luchinskoye Lake, offer opportunities for nature enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the region’s biodiversity.

Commemorates historical events.

The city pays tribute to significant historical events through memorials, monuments, and exhibitions, ensuring the preservation of collective memory.

Promotes sports and youth development.

Elektrostal invests in sports infrastructure and programs to encourage youth participation, health, and physical fitness.

Hosts annual cultural and artistic festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal celebrates its cultural diversity through festivals dedicated to music, dance, art, and theater.

Provides a picturesque landscape for photography enthusiasts.

The city’s scenic beauty, architectural landmarks, and natural surroundings make it a paradise for photographers.

Connects to Moscow via a direct train line.

The convenient train connection between Elektrostal and Moscow makes commuting between the two cities effortless.

A city with a bright future.

Elektrostal continues to grow and develop, aiming to become a model city in terms of infrastructure, sustainability, and quality of life for its residents.

In conclusion, Elektrostal is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant present. From its origins as a center of steel production to its modern-day status as a hub for education and industry, Elektrostal has plenty to offer both residents and visitors. With its beautiful parks, cultural attractions, and proximity to Moscow, there is no shortage of things to see and do in this dynamic city. Whether you’re interested in exploring its historical landmarks, enjoying outdoor activities, or immersing yourself in the local culture, Elektrostal has something for everyone. So, next time you find yourself in the Moscow region, don’t miss the opportunity to discover the hidden gems of Elektrostal.

Q: What is the population of Elektrostal?

A: As of the latest data, the population of Elektrostal is approximately XXXX.

Q: How far is Elektrostal from Moscow?

A: Elektrostal is located approximately XX kilometers away from Moscow.

Q: Are there any famous landmarks in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to several notable landmarks, including XXXX and XXXX.

Q: What industries are prominent in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal is known for its steel production industry and is also a center for engineering and manufacturing.

Q: Are there any universities or educational institutions in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to XXXX University and several other educational institutions.

Q: What are some popular outdoor activities in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal offers several outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling, and picnicking in its beautiful parks.

Q: Is Elektrostal well-connected in terms of transportation?

A: Yes, Elektrostal has good transportation links, including trains and buses, making it easily accessible from nearby cities.

Q: Are there any annual events or festivals in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal hosts various events and festivals throughout the year, including XXXX and XXXX.

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Funding opportunity: ESRC Doctoral Training Partnerships: 2024

Apply for funding to provide PhD training and professional development opportunities to students.

ESRC Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) are designed to:

• enhance the capabilities of doctoral candidates
• develop a world-class, highly skilled workforce for the UK.

Your organisation must:

• be a UK research organisation eligible for research council funding
• have the infrastructure in place to provide postgraduate training.

Your proposal must be multidisciplinary across a range of social science disciplines.

We invite institutional level or multi-institution bids.

Update, 28 July 2022 We have:

• added a frequently asked questions document (see ‘supporting documents’ under ‘additional info’)
• updated the ‘delivery, management and governance’ section under ‘what we’re looking for’ in regards to consortia proposals
• added the webinar slides from 5 July 2022 (see ‘webinar for applicants’ under ‘how to apply’)
• updated the annex page limit information in the Je-S guidance document (see ‘supporting documents’ under ‘additional info’).

Who can apply

All UK-based research organisations that are eligible to receive research council funding for research, and have the infrastructure in place to deliver postgraduate training, will be eligible to submit a proposal for a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).

You do not need to be part of the ESRC doctoral training network to apply.

Research organisations are only allowed to be part of one DTP proposal. Proposals can come from both single research organisations and consortia. We want to support excellence in postgraduate training wherever it is found, so there will not be a limit on the number of research organisations which can be involved in consortia arrangements.

Non-academic organisations, such as those from industry, charities and public sector research establishments, may also form part of consortia bids for the delivery of training and would be expected to contribute resources and access for studentships.

All DTP proposals must be multidisciplinary across the majority of the social sciences. Single discipline or narrowly focused DTPs are not eligible to apply.

DTP proposals must be able to demonstrate high quality provision across the breadth of the social sciences.

The research organisations in a DTP will be expected to demonstrate full commitment to the partnerships in which they are involved. ESRC reserves the right to terminate any partnership that is performing poorly.

What we're looking for

Working in partnership.

Proposals are encouraged to represent a consortia of academic organisations to optimise the breadth and depth of training available to students.

Partnerships are also encouraged to:

• include smaller institutions, with what might be discipline-specific centres of excellence
• consider the strengths of regional partners to build connections in local communities and to support them to deliver the ESRC objectives.

Proposals including what might be discipline-specific centres of excellence will be recognised through the allocation process (see the ‘number of awards and funding available’ section).

Whether an individual research organisation or a consortium, partnerships must show:

• a clear vision and strategy for how they will work to deliver their goals
• how they will grow and mature collaborations over the funding period.

Proposals must:

• justify the partnership’s structure
• make a clear case for the size of the partnership, and the added value each partner brings to the delivery of training and to the doctoral candidate experience.

ESRC acknowledges that it may take time for a new collaborative arrangement to fully evolve and for partnerships to be consolidated. All would be expected to provide demonstrable evidence that they can deliver their goals.

We expect the proposed Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) to be a key part of their institution’s strategy. Applicants should demonstrate how the DTP will link into and access wider institutional resources to achieve their goals, such as:

• other research council doctoral training provision
• careers service
• knowledge exchange facilities.

Letters of support are required from each participating research organisation.

Non-academic organisations, such as those from industry, charities and public sector research establishments, may also form part of consortia bids, in agreement with the lead research organisation submitting the proposal. They would be expected to contribute resources (cash or in kind) for the delivery of training and access for studentships. The DTP must demonstrate the added value of their inclusion.

Content and delivery of training

ESRC expects partnerships to provide an excellent postgraduate training environment and deliver leading edge social science research training which is student centred and responsive to their prior experience and subject area.

The ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines 2022 detail how partnerships will be expected to provide conceptual, general, specialist and research in practice training.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate how they will meet these requirements and the quality of the research environment they can provide.

Conceptual, general and specialist research training

Partnerships should set out how they will meet our expectations for core conceptual, general and specialist research training.

This should include:

• an overview of their existing strengths
• where there is a need to develop their training offer
• how the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) will do this.

This can include working in partnership with other providers outside the DTP.

The ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines 2022 stress the importance of avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach that will require structural and cultural change within research organisations. Both elements should be addressed in the bid.

To support innovation in both the content and delivery of training to ensure a flexible and leading edge training offer, partnerships can bid for funding of up to £150,000 to support the development of new training content and delivery approaches.

This funding will be available for a period of three years from October 2023, a year ahead of the first cohort of students starting, to provide time to develop and test the new training.

The funding can be used to fund:

• development of materials
• delivery infrastructure.

We are keen to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and development of partnerships across DTPs to deliver high quality training. To support this ambition, DTPs will need to identify a training lead for this work who will form part of a ESRC co-ordinated DTP training network.

While the overall approach to developing the training should be included in the case for support, the detailed justification of resources should be provided as an attachment on the proposal.

In annex 1 of the case for support, partnerships should evidence the quality of the research environment they will provide for students at a disciplinary or subject area level. This should include:

• Research Excellence Framework (REF) metrics (output, environment and impact)
• supervisory capacity
• completion rates
• major grant funding or centres of excellence
• other indicators they believe demonstrate the quality of the research environment.

They should also provide examples which demonstrate the quality of their specialist training offer.

Research organisations are advised to play to their research strengths where they have world class expertise and infrastructures to develop expertise in their doctoral students. Where they are seeking to use the DTP to grow capacity in new research areas, they must detail their rationale.

ESRC wants to support a vibrant specialist training offer for all students. As part of their bid, partnerships should indicate where they will be able to make specialist training available beyond their DTP. We anticipate at least three per year.

Research in practice

In their applications, DTPs will need to set out how they will embed research in practice as a core component of the doctoral experience for all ESRC funded students.

Research in practice should comprise of a suite of options aimed at developing students’ skills in a number of core areas relating to employability:

• ability to apply research skills in different research contexts
• ability to collaborate across sectoral and disciplinary boundaries
• communication with impact, developing networks, entrepreneurship and leadership skills
• ability to proactively engage in their own personal development and career direction.

Partnerships are expected to describe how they will ensure all students have access to high quality, innovative and experientially-based professional development opportunities throughout the doctoral experience which develop transferable skills and provide opportunities to apply knowledge in different contexts (more detail provided in the ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines 2022 ).

DTPs are encouraged to work in partnership with other training providers outside the DTP to develop and deliver opportunities and also consider opportunities for student-led activities.

Students will be expected to participate in a range of opportunities, tailored through the development needs analysis according to their previous experience, goals and development needs.

As part of research in practice, our ambition is that all students have the opportunity to complete a placement in academia, policy, business or third sector organisations. This will give them the practical opportunity to develop their transferrable skills and apply their research skills in different contexts.

Funding to undertake a three-month placement has been embedded within the standard PhD model, with all studentships having access to three and a half years of funding and £1,000 allocated to support the additional costs of undertaking a placement (for example, travel and subsistence). Those who do not take part in a placement will receive funding for three and a quarter years.

ESRC will also contribute up to £40,000 per DTP per year to the cost of administering research in practice. This will be provided from October 2023 to allow successful DTPs to establish structures and processes to develop these opportunities. These costs should be requested in the justification of resources additional document.

In their bid, applicants should provide evidence on how they will deliver research in practice, particularly how they will scale their placement offer and encourage students and supervisors to view them as a core and valuable part of their doctoral training. They should demonstrate how they will draw on connections they already have including ESRC Impact Acceleration Accounts and how funding will be used to develop new connections.

Our ambition is for all students to have the opportunity to undertake placements. By the time of the DTP mid-term review in autumn 2026, partnerships will need to demonstrate that they have the infrastructure, range and volume of opportunities to enable them to deliver this.

We are not mandating placements but do expect by the time of the mid-term review that DTPs can demonstrate the majority of students in the first two cohorts will be undertaking a placement as part of their studentship.

Applicants should also detail how they will link up the research in practice element with the development needs analysis (DNA) process. How will the DTP identify the needs of the students and ensure the suite of options available is suitable?

Capacity building in priority areas

The ESRC review of the PhD in the social sciences highlighted the continuing need for us to develop capacity in data skills and advanced quantitative methods (AQM) training and the importance of supporting interdisciplinary research which spans research council boundaries.

Partnerships are encouraged to demonstrate their strengths and how they will work to support studentships in these areas. More information can be found in the additional document appendix A – ESRC strategic steers (PDF, 116KB) .

To recognise the partnership’s strength, studentships will be ring fenced as part of the allocation process (see section on number of awards and funding available).

Collaborative studentships

Collaborative studentships with non-academic organisations are an important part of DTPs offering direct benefit to students and host organisations and providing important co-funding.

With the increased emphasis on providing research in practice placements, we do not want to lose the benefits collaborative studentships bring. We are therefore setting a target that at least 15% of the studentships we fund should be collaborative with non-academic organisations in the public, private or civil society sector.

Collaborative studentships can also include a placement as part of the opportunity. While co-funding is encouraged, it is not required.

In their bid, partnerships should indicate their commitment to meeting the target and how they will achieve it. Failure to meet the target may lead to a reduced number of studentships allocated after the mid-term review.

International engagement

We are keen to support researchers to develop the capability to operate in a global context. Therefore, we will continue to provide support for overseas fieldwork for doctoral students and provide extensions to allow time for difficult language training.

We will also provide funding for overseas institutional visits (OIVs) of up to three months to undertake specialist research training and to develop collaborative links.

Applicants are encouraged to highlight the international aspects of their training provision in their proposals, drawing particular attention to aspects which develop the cultural and methodological skills required for working with international partners.

Development needs analysis

Development needs analysis (DNA) is fundamental to achieving more flexible and responsive doctoral training. Students should benefit from a tailored DNA experience that allows for specific training needs, learning outcomes and research in practice elements to be clearly defined.

At the outset of the PhD, the DNA will be used to inform the structure of funding that is appropriate for each student, taking account of prior knowledge and experience and at a minimum we expect this to be reviewed annually.

In their bid, applicants must describe the processes they will put in place to meet our expectations for development needs assessments (full details can be found in the ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines 2022 ), including how they will engage with supervisors to ensure that they are aware of the different training opportunities.

The applicants will also need to explain how they will ensure consistency in the approach used across the partnership and how these processes will enable them to obtain an overarching view of training needs across the DTP.

DTPs will be required to report to ESRC on development needs and emerging gaps in provision through their annual report and ESRC will undertake assurance checks on a sample of DNA forms.

In response to the ESRC review of the PhD in the social sciences , ESRC commissioned a review of the existing literature and landscape of doctoral training needs analysis to identify best practice and areas for potential development and innovation.

The aim was to inform this opportunity and provide a resource for applicants and support innovation in practice. DTPs and students provided important input to the review and moving forward, we want to work collaboratively with our network of DTPs to share practice and learnings.

Applicants should therefore consider how they will evaluate and share changes to their approach. DTPs will be able to use the flexibility of their grant to support the development of their approach to development needs analysis.

Supervision

Effective supervision is critical to the success of a DTP, and details of our expectations regarding supervisory practice and policy can be found in the ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines 2022 . Applicants are required to describe the formal systems which are in place for:

• monitoring the performance of supervisors
• identifying their training and professional development needs
• ensuring that these needs are met.

Ensuring that supervisors are engaged with the DTP is essential to ensure that the student gets the most out of their ESRC studentship and the range of opportunities available to them. Applicants must set out a clear strategy for communicating with supervisors and ensuring that they are fully engaged with the aims and objectives of the DTP.

Applicants should also provide details on the professional development opportunities that will be available to supervisors and how they will encourage members of staff, including early career researchers, to join the supervisory teams.

ESRC is working with the UK Council for Graduate Education and the other research councils to explore existing best practice and how UKRI can further support high quality supervision as part of the New Deal for Postgraduate Research Programme.

We will continue to work with the DTP Network (and broader sector) once commissioned to share practice and support high quality supervision.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

ESRC is committed to increasing the diversity of our student population and ensuring that we provide an inclusive and supportive environment for all.

DTPs are asked to set out their strategy for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to support the participation of doctoral candidates from all backgrounds, as well as details of the support systems in place to protect and promote students’ physical and mental health and wellbeing.

The strategy must consider EDI broadly, recognising the full range of protected characteristics and the socio-economic backgrounds of students.

It should include the embedding of EDI principles at all levels and in all aspects of research and training practice in the DTP, including the selection and management of doctoral candidates and cohorts.

As part of their holistic strategy, DTPs should set out their approach to how they will make entry requirements more inclusive with greater focus on assessing potential. UKRI does support the use of positive action measures to encourage and support the participation of under-represented groups where there is clear evidence of under-representation and that it constitutes a proportionate response.

All institutions within the partnership must have procedures in place that allow them to capture EDI data on all applicants, for each stage of the recruitment process, from the outset of the DTP.

We want to collect socio-economic data based on the measures set out by the Social Mobility Commission and this will be built into the annual reporting template issued to partnerships.

Costs to support the development of internal systems to collect EDI and socio-economic data could be sought from the flexibility within the training grant.

Applicants must describe their strategy and actions in a dedicated EDI plan, as a two-page annex to the case for support (annex 2) submitted as part of the proposal.

Delivery, management and governance

Partnerships will be expected to describe the governance arrangements that will enable effective decision-making and engagement with all relevant stakeholders (including students) to deliver their objectives.

This should include how they will structure their training to ensure it is both responsive to the needs of the disciplines whilst facilitating opportunities for interdisciplinary engagement and ensure students benefit from being part of a cohort beyond their immediate department.

DTPs will be expected to respond in an agile manner to new training needs and need to ensure that the arrangements for sharing best practice amongst the partners is clearly set out. Partnerships must ensure ESRC receives value for money in the delivery of PhD training.

We expect the DTP to contribute to the institutional strategies for social science and as such governance arrangements should be embedded within, and reporting to, relevant institutional structures.

Clear communication plans must be in place to disseminate information across all partners in the DTP.

Full formal partnership agreements would need to be in place from October 2023. This should include a clear complaints and appeals process for the DTP.

Applicants will need to describe how the DTP will be managed and what support will be provided by the research organisations. A governance board must be in place, which provides robust oversight of the partnership and monitors progress against deliverables. Applicants will need to explain the suitability of the Director and the senior management team.

For consortia proposals, the Director of the DTP would normally be based at the host organisation. Exceptions can be considered for the director to be based at a partner institution, however the partnership would need to ensure that a robust governance structure is put in place.

There would need to be clear oversight for the full partnership as the host organisation is responsible for the management of the training grant and accountability for the funds provided, regardless of where the Director sits within the partnership.

Based on experience at a minimum, research organisations need to provide the following resourcing:

• a professorial (in exceptional cases senior) level DTP Director post (more than 20% FTE for single institution DTPs, more than 30% FTE for consortia institution DTPs)
• a Deputy Director
• an identified training lead
• an experienced senior level DTP Manager and a DTP Administrator (with administrators or points of contact based at each partner institution for consortia DTPs)
• Management Board commitment and support for finance and knowledge exchange
• other support will depend on the individual institutional configuration.

We expect that the Director will remain in place for the duration of the DTP and if they step down, then ESRC will be required to approve their replacement. Applicants should describe their approach to succession planning. The Director will be required to attend DTP Director meetings twice a year.

Internal allocation of studentships

The allocation of studentships will be devolved to the DTPs. To ensure an applicant’s potential is the primary criterion, we expect the majority of studentships to be allocated through a fair and transparent open competition, not based on internal quotas. As such, applicants must set out how they will run the allocation process, including how they will approach steered studentships.

Applicants wishing to build capacity in particular strategic areas or to strengthen partnerships can request that a small proportion of the studentships are ring fenced. DTPs will have the opportunity to update these ring fenced areas through the annual reporting process.

Monitoring progress and capturing impact

The monitoring of DTPs progress towards goals and evidence of impact are important.

Partnerships will be expected to describe:

• what success looks like for their doctoral candidates
• how the DTP will deliver this
• what evidence they will capture to measure progress and show impact towards their goals, and the process of capturing the data.

We acknowledge that it may not be possible for applicants to have all requirements in place at the point of application and that it can take time for new arrangements and processes to fully evolve. Applicants should therefore include details on how their offering for students will be developed over the life-course of the award.

ESRC wishes to continue a high level of engagement with successful partnerships in order to support research organisations in their postgraduate work. This will include the research organisations being able to seek advice on issues which may emerge in their management of the DTP, as well as enable ESRC to provide guidance on emerging skills issues and policy developments. This will take the form of the annual partnership visit and good practice sharing events.

All DTPs will be subject to a mid-term review in autumn 2026. The review will assess the progress DTPs have made in delivering their objectives and allow us to consider whether any adjustments are required to awards in response to the changing research landscape (for example, to address emerging research priorities and to increase our DTPs connectivity and alignment to other UKRI doctoral training investments as part of the commitment UKRI has made to increased collective working on talent).

Awards will be for five consecutive cohorts of students starting in October 2024. The first three cohorts are guaranteed. The final two cohorts will be dependent on the outcomes of the mid-term review.

In submitting a proposal to become a ESRC DTP, the research organisations involved thereby agree to comply with monitoring arrangements established by ESRC, and to work in partnership with ESRC to support its priorities for PhD training.

Number of awards and funding available

It is anticipated that up to 16 DTPs will be awarded.

Funding is available to support up to 500 studentships per year, for five consecutive cohorts (the first being 2024 to 2025 and the final cohort commencing in 2028 to 2029. Awards will be made in the form of a single profiled training grant. The normal flexibility of UKRI training grants will apply.

150 of the 500 studentships available per year will be allocated strategically by ESRC to reward strength in our priority areas and the extent to which they are inclusive partnerships. The remaining 350 studentships will be allocated responsively, across up to 16 DTPs and applicants are invited to set out as part of their bid how many students they can support.

We want to ensure that all DTPs have a viable cohort of ESRC funded students and that they have the supervisory capacity and infrastructure required to support the number of students requested. Currently, the overall allocation of studentships across the DTPs ranges between 28 to 45.

In determining the final allocation for each DTP, the commissioning panel will consider the following areas:

• the quality of training provided across the core and subject specific areas as well as the broader training being offered
• whether the partnership has the supervisory capacity and infrastructure required to support the number of students requested
• inclusive partnerships: DTPs incorporating partner institutions that offer excellence in social science training and research
• strengths in data skills, advanced quantitative methods (AQM) and interdisciplinary research.

As part of a separate annex in the case for support (annex 3), applicants must justify why they are asking for the specific cohort size and how they will support the cohort. Whilst co-funding of studentships is not a requirement of funding, applicants should provide details of co-funding arrangements if relevant. They will also need to set out how they will allocate the studentships in a fair, open and transparent way within the partnership.

The value of a studentship is calculated based on the following elements. DTPs will be expected to award studentships of varying durations that reflect a student’s prior experience and skills required to complete their PhD, up to a maximum of four and a half years.

Notional costs

Stipend calculation.

UKRI sets minimum stipend levels annually. The latest rate (for academic year 2022 to 2023) is £17,668.

Fees calculation

UKRI sets minimum fees levels annually. The latest rate (for academic year 2022 to 2023) is £4,596.

Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) calculation

£940 per student per year.

Overseas fieldwork calculation

£450 per student per year.

Student and cohort development calculation

£3,330 per student which includes £1,000 to support placement activities.

London allowance calculation

£2,000 per student per year for those studying at a London institution.

How to apply

Webinar for applicants.

We have scheduled an information webinar on ESRC Doctoral Training Partnerships for applicants for Thursday 22 September 2022 at 10:00 to 11:30.

ESRC staff and members of the PhD Review Steering Group will host the webinar.

View the slides from the 5 July 2022 webinar (PDF, 539KB) .

View the slides from the 22 September 2022 webinar (PDF, 341KB) .

Expression of interest

All applicants must submit an expression of interest (EoI) by email by 16:00 on 31 October 2022 to [email protected] , naming the Director and setting out which research organisations are involved in the proposal.

The EoI email should be limited to the above information only. The EoIs will only be used to help plan the peer review process.

Applying using Je-S

You must apply using the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system .

We recommend you start your application early. You can save completed details in Je-S at any time and return to continue your application later.

When applying, select ‘new document’ then:

• council: ESRC
• document type: Studentship Proposal
• scheme: Postgraduate Framework
• call/type/mode: Doctoral Training Partnerships 2024

Once you have completed your application, make sure you ‘submit document’.

You can find advice on completing your application in the Je-S handbook or opportunity-specific Je-S guidance (PDF, 497KB) .

Your host organisation will also be able to provide advice and guidance on completing your application.

Applications must be submitted by 14 February 2023 at 16:00.

You will not be able to apply after this time. Please leave enough time for your proposal to pass through your organisation’s Je-S submission route before this date.

You should ensure you are aware of and comply with any internal institutional deadlines that may be in place.

Attachments

The below attachments must also be included.

Case for support

Must include the annexes below:

• annex one: disciplinary research environment (for each discipline or subject area included in the bid)
• annex two: equality, diversity and inclusion plan
• annex three: allocation of studentships.

Justification of resources document

Setting out the costings for the training development and placements infrastructure (marked as ‘other attachment’).

For the DTP Director, Deputy Director post and Training Lead.

Additional information for collaborative bids

Information relating to collaborative bids.

Letter of support

From collaborative organisations (if a consortia).

Project partner letters of support

Only if applicable.

How we will assess your application

Assessment criteria.

Eligible proposals will be assessed by reviewers and panel members against the following criteria:

• working in partnership
• conceptual, general and specialist research training
• research in practice
• capacity building in priority areas
• collaborative studentships and international engagement
• development needs analysis
• supervision
• equality, diversity and inclusion
• delivery, management and governance
• allocation of studentships.

This includes:

• vision and strategy for the partnership
• how the partnership will deliver their goals
• details and justification for the structure and size of the partnership
• evidence and justification to demonstrate the strengths and areas of excellence that the partners bring to the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)
• evidence of linkage to institutional strategies and resources.
• details of how they will meet our expectations for the delivery of core conceptual, general and specialist research training within the DTP
• evidence of the partnerships strengths in providing this training
• their approach to developing new training
• evidence of the quality of the research environment, at a disciplinary or subject area level
• examples of where the partnership would make specialist training available beyond their DTP.
• strategy for how the DTP will deliver a suite of options that are open to all ESRC funded students
• evidence on how the DTP will draw on existing connections, how funding will be utilised to create new connections and a clear plan on how the placement offer will be scaled up for all cohorts
• clear details on the infrastructure needed to underpin the delivery of these options
• details on how the research in practice element will link up with the development needs analysis process and how the DTP will identify the needs of the students and ensure the suite of options available is appropriate.
• evidence of the strengths that the partnership has in the priority areas
• details on how the partnership will support studentships in the priority areas.

Collaborative studentships and international engagement

• evidence of the partnerships commitment to develop collaborative agreements with non-academic partnerships
• details on the international aspects of the training provision, including how this offering would be developed by the partnership over the lifecourse of the award.
• strategy for meeting our expectations in relation to DNA, including how the DTP will engage students and supervisors
• evidence of how a consistent approach will be managed across the DTP
• details on how the partnership will evaluate and share their approach to DNA exercises across the network.
• formal systems in place for monitoring performance of supervisors and identifying training and professional development needs
• a clear strategy for communicating and engaging with supervisors to ensure that they are fully engaged with the aims and objectives of the DTP
• evidence of the professional development opportunities available for supervisors and how the DTP will encourage members of staff to join supervisory teams.
• a clear equality, diversity and inclusion plan enabling to support the participation of all doctoral candidates from all backgrounds, including how they will embed EDI principles at all levels and in all aspects of research and training practice within the DTP
• evidence of support systems in place to protect doctoral candidates’ physical and mental health and wellbeing
• confirmation that all institutions within the partnership will have procedures in place that allow them to capture EDI data on all applicants, for each stage of the recruitment process, from the outset of the DTP.
• evidence on how the DTP will be governed and managed, including the details on the resourcing of the DTP
• evidence that the governance arrangements for the management of the DTP will enable effective decision-making, robust oversight of the partnership and monitoring of progress against deliverables
• how the DTP will engage with all relevant stakeholders
• how the structure of training will be responsive to the needs of the discipline whilst facilitating opportunities for interdisciplinary engagement
• how they will ensure students benefit from being part of a cohort beyond their immediate department
• succession planning for key roles within the DTP
• how they will respond in an agile manner to new training needs
• arrangements for ensuring good practice is shared among the partners
• evidence of support from all institutional partners.

Allocation of studentships

• rationale for the number of studentships requested, including details on how the DTP will support the cohort
• supervisory capacity and infrastructure required to support the number of students requested
• details of co-funding arrangements (if applicable)
• evidence to demonstrate strengths in priority areas (data skills, advanced quantitative methods, interdisciplinary research and administrative data)
• evidence of inclusive partnerships with pockets of excellence
• details on the internal allocation process for the partnership.

If a proposal meets the standard ESRC minimum quality threshold, applicants will be given the opportunity to respond to the peer review comments received. Proposals, along with the reviewer comments and grades and the applicants’ responses, will then be assessed by a specially convened commissioning panel.

The panel meeting will take place in the week commencing 26 June 2023 and will involve an interview with each DTP Director and up to three other members of the team including, where relevant, a representative from a discipline specific centre of excellence.

Only those proposals of a sufficient high level will progress to the interview stage.

The panel will then agree final grades and make accreditation recommendations to ESRC.

Applicants will be informed of decisions in August 2023, with pump priming grants commencing in October 2023. The first studentships will commence in October 2024.

Contact details

Get help with developing your proposal.

For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal, please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

Ask about this funding opportunity

Esrc skills and methods team.

Email: [email protected]

Get help with applying through Je-S

[email protected]

01793 444164

Opening times

Je-S helpdesk opening times

Additional info

ESRC currently funds studentships through 14 Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) covering the full range of the social sciences, as well as areas of interdisciplinary research.

The 14 DTPs are comprised of 73 high quality research organisations.

Since 2017, new studentship funding has been available through our DTPs and Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) , while the Doctoral Training Centres (DTC) network continues to support existing students.

Supporting documents

• Appendix A – ESRC steers (PDF, 116KB)
• Je-S guidance (PDF, 497KB)
• Equality impact assessment – revised strategy for doctoral training and development guidelines (PDF, 137KB)
• Equality impact assessment – ESRC call for Doctoral Training Partnerships 2024 (PDF, 188KB)
• Frequently asked questions (PDF, 264KB)
• ESRC review of the PhD in the social sciences
• ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines 2022
• Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) 2024 peer reviewer guidance (PDF, 225KB)

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