Four-year PhD Studentship Programmes

Our flagship scheme that supports the most promising students to undertake postgraduate training.

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Purpose

This is a flagship scheme aimed at supporting the most promising students to undertake in depth postgraduate training.

We currently support 30 Programmes based in centres of excellence throughout the UK with specialised training provided in a range of important biomedical research areas:

developmental biology and cell biology
genetics, statistics and epidemiology
immunology and infectious disease
molecular and cellular biology
neuroscience
physiological sciences
structural biology and bioinformatics.

In addition, we also fund a Four-year PhD Programme at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Please contact the Institute directly for further information.

The first year of a Programme combines taught courses with laboratory rotations to broaden the student's knowledge of the subject area.

At the end of the first year, students will make an informed choice of their three-year PhD research project.

Note: if you are looking for the Trust’s recent call for four-year PhD programmes, please visit this page.

Programmes

For information on the 2012 uptake, please contact the following programmes directly:

Developmental biology and cell biology

Developmental Biology, University of Cambridge
Director: Professor Daniel St Johnston

Stem Cell Biology, University of Cambridge
Director: Professor Austin Smith

Chromosome and Developmental Biology, University of Oxford
Director: Professor Kim Nasmyth

Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, University College London
Director: Professor Claudio Stern

Genetics, statistics and epidemiology

Mathematical genomics and medicine, University of Cambridge
Director: Professor Simon Tavaré

Molecular, Genetic and Lifecourse Epidemiology, University of Bristol
Director: Professor George Davey-Smith

Genomic Medicine and Statistics, University of Oxford
Directors: Professor Jonathan Flint and Professor Gil McVean

Immunology and infectious disease

Computational Infection Biology, University College Dublin
Director: Professor Geraldine Butler

Combating infectious disease: computational approaches in translational science (CIDCATS), University of York
Director: Professor Deborah Smith

Infection and Immunity, University of Cambridge
Director: Professor Paul Lehner

Molecular and Cellular Basis of Infection, Imperial College London
Director: Professor Murray Selkirk

Immunology, Infection and Translational Medicine, University of Oxford
Director: Professor Keith Gull

Molecular and cellular biology

Dynamic Cell Biology, University of Bristol
Director: Professor Peter Cullen

Cambridge Institute for Medical Research Four-year PhD Programme, University of Cambridge
Director: Professor David Lomas

Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Dundee
Director: Professor Paul Crocker

Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh
Director: Professor Jean Beggs

Molecular Functions in Disease, University of Glasgow
Director: Professor Darren G Monckton

The Dynamics of Cellular Pathways, University of Manchester
Director: Professor Martin Lowe

Neuroscience

Neural Dynamics: from synapses to systems in health and disease, University of Bristol
Director: Professor Stafford Lightman

Integrative Neuroscience, University of Cardiff
Director: Professor Vincenzo Crunelli

Neuroscience, University of Oxford
Director: Professor Andrew King

The Pain Consortium, London
Directors: Professor Stephen McMahon and Professor Tony Dickinson

Neuroscience, University College London
Director: Professor David Attwell

Systems Neuroscience: From Networks to Behaviour, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Director: Professor Stuart Baker

OXION-Ion Channels and Disease Initiative - Graduate training programme
Director: Dr Stephen Tucker

Physiological sciences

Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Cambridge
Director: Professor Stephen O'Rahilly

Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool
Director: Professor Alexei Tepikin

Structural biology and bioinformatics

Interdisciplinary Programme in Structural, Computational and Chemical Biology, University College London, Birkbeck College and MRC National Institute for Medical Research
Director: Professor Gabriel Waksman

Molecular Basis of Biological Mechanisms, University of Leeds
Director: Professor Alan Berry

Structural Biology: From Molecules to Cells, University of Oxford
Director: Professor David Stuart

What's included

Support is provided for four years and includes:

a stipend
PhD registration fees at UK/EU student rate
contribution towards laboratory rotation expenses in the first year
research expenses for years two to four
contribution towards travel
contribution towards transferable-skills training.

Eligibility

You should be a student who has, or expects to obtain, a first- or upper-second-class honours degree or equivalent.

Application process

Students are recruited annually by the individual Programmes for uptake in October each year. Recruitment begins in the preceding December.

If you are interested in applying you should contact the relevant Programme directly. Please see their websites for more details (listed under the ‘Programmes’ tab).

Deadlines

Students are recruited annually by the individual Programmes for uptake in October each year. Recruitment begins in the preceding December.

Contacts

Enquiries should be directed to relevant Programme. Please see their websites for more details (listed under the ‘Programmes’ tab).

Please email any policy enquiries to 4yrphd@wellcome.ac.uk.