MRC Doctoral Training Partnership

About the programme

Programme overview

Our 4.5-year fully funded MRC DTP programme in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research (IBR) will train you across the disciplines of life and physical sciences to address important biomedical and health challenges.

Students undertake a 1-year MSc courseLink opens in a new window which combines taught modules and lab-based research projects, followed by a 3-year interdisciplinary PhD project, followed by a 0.5-year Career Transition Fellowship after thesis submission, offering students time to explore career options and gain experience.

The focus of PhD research is detecting, understanding and improving human health in one of the following two research themes:

Programme Overview DiagramLink opens in a new window

Available Studentships

There are 3 types of studentship available as part of the MRC DTP in IBR Programme. Please click the links below for more information on each type of studentship:

All students undertake a training year to complete an MSc in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research (IBR). Following that students either undertake a 3-year Interdisciplinary PhD project of their choice with two supervisors from two different disciplines (Core Studentships), a 3-year industry-linked PhD project with supervisors from academia and industry (Collaborative Studentships), or a Translational Medicine PhD project with supervisors from academia and the NHS. Details on the funding available for each type of studentship can be found here.

Fees & funding

There are 3 types of studentship available as part of the MRC DTP in IBR Programme. Please click the links below for more information on each type of studentship:

Core Studentships & Translational Medicine Studentships

Full tuition fees.
Annual stipend which will be £21,805 in 2026/27 (paid monthly) with annual increments
A Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) for consumables of £20,000 - £25,000 for the four years of the programme (dependent on the nature of the research).
A personal conference travel allowance of £1,200.
Students can also apply to the DTP for additional funding for high cost and exceptional training opportunities from the Flexible Training Award.

Find out more

Collaborative Studentships

Full tuition fees.
Annual stipend which will be £21,805 in 2026/27 (paid monthly) with annual increments
A Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) for consumables of at least £25,600 for the four years of the programme (with additional funding provided by industry partner).
A personal conference travel allowance of £1,200.
Students can also apply to the DTP for additional funding for high cost and exceptional training opportunities from the Flexible Training Award.

Find out more

How to apply

Applications to the MRC DTP Programme are now closed.

Before you apply

It is strongly recommended that you review the Frequently Asked Questions page, along with the Eligibility Criteria outlined below, before proceeding with your application.

Eligibility and selection criteria

Academic criteria

Eligible applicants must have or be expected to gain a First or Upper Second Class Undergraduate degree (or equivalent international qualification) in a Biological Sciences (Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Science), Physical Sciences (e.g. Engineering, Physics, Chemistry) or Mathematical (Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science) subject. Applicants that have undertaken a substantive research project, industry placement or possess a Masters level qualification are particularly encouraged to apply.

Maths A Level (grade B or above) or equivalent is preferred, due to the level of quantitative biology undertaken on the MSc course.

However, we understand that some disciplines place more of an emphasis on maths than others, and that all applicants may not have Maths at A-level. In the case that you do not have Maths at A-level (or equivalent), we would still encourage you to submit an application - but you should provide evidence of how you have enhanced your mathematical/quantitative skillset during your degree, for example through taking modules involving mathematics, computing, statistics or other theoretical skills.

In addition, in the absence of A-level Maths, we would expect applicants to 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.

Residency criteria

Applications are open to Home students only.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has updated its eligibility criteria. To be classed as a home student, an applicant must:

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

Who are we looking for?

We believe that what characterises a thriving PhD student is not just academic achievement but the following characteristics:

Curiosity and motivation
Trainability
Communication
An upward trajectory
Resilience

To better understand what makes a successful researcher at PhD level and beyond, take a look at the Vitae Researcher Development Framework.

One of our strategic priorities with this programme is to tackle the evidenced underrepresentation of British Black people in Biomedical Research. To do this, we each year have ringfenced studentships for British Black students. Please see the Widening Participation tab for more information.

Frequently asked Questions for Applicants

Skills & career development

The DTP provides a comprehensive personal development and skills training programme, building on training provided in the MSc year, which includes workshops and courses for enhancing scientific writing and presentations, to develop innovation and commercialisation skills and to promote team work, creativity and leadership.

The DTP also offers a Flexible Fund to PhD students to fund individual advanced training workshops, industry and international placements, and internships.

Every student will be offered a Career Transition Fellowship to support their transition to next careers, be it in academia, industry or allied professions.

Student outcomes

Our growing community of MRC DTP in IBR alumni have moved into multiple sectors, including academia, industry technical support, science journalism and clinical trials. The below chart outlines the areas out alumni have progressed into upon completion of their PhD:

Some additional examples of specific areas our alumni have progressed into are outlined below:

Patent law

Academic research

Pharma

Grants management

Technology transfer

NHS

Clinical trial management

Biotech

Science education

Publishing

Science communication

Health policy

Student successes

We are proud of our past and present students' growing body of publications and prizes and awards.

In addition to these major successes our students have a significant impact both on the University of Warwick community and on the wider regional community, contributing to teaching activities, public engagement and widening participation events, and acting as role models to school students.

Below are a few examples:

Teaching and demonstrating on undergraduate modules across the Science, Engineering & Medicine faculty	Supervising undergraduate students and summer school students undertaking lab projects
Delivering public engagement events at the University, in local schools, at New Scientist Live and at science fairs	Acting as student ambassadors at recruitment events
Acting as STEM ambassadors	Contributing to Warwick Medical School Athena Swan initiatives
Contributing towards the bid / forming part of the interview panel for renewed MRC funding	Co-leading LGBTQ+ coffee mornings on campus

Widening Participation

We want talented researchers from all backgrounds to have the opportunity to contribute to and shape the future of biomedical research. We particularly welcome applications from British Black students, who remain under-represented in postgraduate biomedical research.

We recognise that persistent inequalities in access to and participation in postgraduate research are shaped by structural barriers, rather than by a lack of talent, potential or ambition. We are committed to addressing these barriers across the student journey. Through our annual Inclusive Education Action Plans, we use evidence and student experience to identify and address structural barriers to access, participation, progression and success across our programmes, including postgraduate research.

In tandem with this important long-term work, each year, we ringfence a number of studentships for British Black students and use a contextualised recruitment process designed to recognise applicants’ achievements, potential and experiences fairly.

This work forms part of Warwick Medical School’s wider commitment to inclusive education.

Through these studentships, alongside wider work to create a more inclusive research environment, we aim to widen access to postgraduate research and strengthen our research community by recruiting talented researchers who have historically been under-represented within it.

Our Research Themes

The MRC DTP Programme currently has two key Research Themes: Combating Infection, and Molecular Basis of Human Disease, both of which are complimented by the University of Warwick’s expertise and approach to Computational, Physical, and Analytical Sciences. Please click the links below to learn more about our Research Themes.

Combating Infection

Combating Infection studentships offer the opportunity of PhD research into the ways in which protozoan parasites, pathogenic bacteria and viruses emerge, evolve and spread, deploy the structures and strategies needed for survival within host cells and tissues and how these vary across populations with the emergence of anti-microbial resistance (AMR).

Molecular Basis of Human Disease

Molecular Basis of Human Disease studentships offer an exciting opportunity to investigate the principles and mechanisms of the dynamic spatial organisation of molecules, cells and tissues with a view to understanding the molecular basis of human disease.

Discover our MSc in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research

The MSc in IBR is an essential step of your 4.5-year training.
The MSc in IBR will equip you with advanced skills necessary for a career in interdisciplinary biomedical research and will enable discipline hopping from your current specialty.
The MSc in IBR combines taught modules and the opportunity to conduct two research projects in two different disciplines.

Find out more

Our DTP Community

We are constantly working to ensure the DTP is an inclusive, welcoming and supportive environment that enables students to flourish academically, personally and professionally. We welcome and encourage applications from students with diverse scientific backgrounds and especially from those groups under-represented in academia.

Students and staff work in partnership on many aspects of the DTP, including hosting external speakers, organising annual conferences and social events, and acting upon student feedback and surveys.

Find out more

The DTP enables you to pursue your scientific interests and discover new passions in fields you may not have been exposed to before. But most importantly, they introduce you to a community of like-minded students from different scientific backgrounds and really make you feel at home.

- MRC DTP student view

Contact us

Email

MRCDTP@warwick.ac.uk

Post

MRC DTP Programme

Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick

Coventry, CV4 7AL

United Kingdom

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