PhD Programme for Health Professionals

 Application will be open from 4th September 2023 for Fellowships in 2024 

Application deadline: Thursday 2nd November 2023 (midday UK time)

Please read the FAQs carefully before applying

All applications must be made via the University’s online Applicant Portal

To be eligible to apply for the fellowships, you must be qualified in clinical, dental or veterinary medicine, or be a non-medical health professional registered with a national professional regulatory body in the UK (please see FAQs for eligibility).

Medical and dental applicants must be eligible for/already have GMC/GDC registration and be in a training grade (i.e., not a Consultant, University Faculty or equivalent position) in the UK or RoI.

Veterinary applicants can have achieved board certification following completion of clinical residency but should not hold an academic position within the University.

Although veterinary applicants are not eligible for a Sanger Institute-funded fellowship, they can undertake research at the Sanger Institute supervised either solely or jointly by a Sanger faculty member, whilst supported by another fellowship from the programme.

Nonmedical healthcare professionals may be at different stages in their clinical careers, but should possess relevant research experience to be able to take advantage of this unique opportunity.  They also would not be expected to be University Faculty or equivalent positions.

It is important to note that fellowships supported by the Universities of Cambridge and East Anglia are only open to health professionals in clinical training in the UK and RoI. Wellcome Sanger Institute funded fellowships are open to health professionals in clinical training both in the UK and overseas. All successful candidates must be registered with their appropriate national professional regulatory body in the UK prior to commencement of the fellowship.

General Information

The Universities of Cambridge and East Anglia together with the Wellcome Sanger Institute invite applications for up to 7 fellowships in the PhD Programme for Health Professionals, to be taken up by the end of 2024. The fellowships provide funding for: clinical salary, University tuition fees and research consumables for 3 years*.  Prior to commencement, the Programme can provide up to three months of additional salary support, enabling successful applicants to undertake predoctoral research placements in different research groups, before choosing their project and PhD supervisor(s).

Fellowships based in campuses in Cambridge or Norwich offer diverse research training opportunities with world-leading researchers in The Schools of Clinical Medicine and Biological Sciences at the Universities of Cambridge, Wellcome Sanger Institute and other MRC, Wellcome & Cancer Research UK funded institutes, Centres & Units in the wider Cambridge area, as well as the School of Health Sciences and Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia with other partners on the Norwich Research Park.

In addition, the Wellcome Sanger Institute is a world-leading centre at the forefront of experimental, computational and translational genomic research. Faculty members use large-scale genomic tools to investigate important global health problems such as cancer, malaria, diabetes and infectious disease. Examples of potential Sanger-based projects.

The most important criteria we are looking for are academic excellence and the potential to pursue a career in academic clinical research.  Further details are available from the Programme Administrator, or Professor Vass Vassiliou for the University of East Anglia.

* Limit of tenure applies: 3 years

What funding is provided?

The Programme provides:

• A clinical salary
• University Composition Fee (UCF) 
• Research expenses
• Contribution towards expenses for research meetings
• Contribution towards general training costs

All fellowships are fully funded so there is no need to apply for additional funding (e.g., Gates Scholarship) to be considered for this PhD programme.

Home and Overseas Fees at the University of Cambridge and University of East Anglia

There are two tiers of fees: home/EU and overseas. Students from the EU (except Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland), other EEA and Swiss nationals will no longer be eligible for home fee status for courses starting in academic year 2022/23.

However, fellows who undertake their PhD at the Universities of Cambridge or East Anglia are employed for the duration of their fellowship and, as such, qualifying individuals are entitled to a reduced staff rate of one third, irrespective of whether they are classified as UK or Overseas.

The fees payable for any candidates to be registered with the University of East Anglia can be confirmed with the UEA Postgraduate Research Fees and Funding

When will interviews be held?

The interview panel will comprise the Programme Directors, faculty members from the University of East Anglia, University of Cambridge Department of Veterinary Medicine, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and also a selection of Theme Leads and Principal Investigators from the Programme. We may also invite a Director of another PhD Programme to join the panel.

Application will open at the beginning of September 2023 and must be via the University of Cambridge Graduate Admissions on-line portal. You will be asked to name two referees on the Applicant Portal. Both will be contacted automatically for their references so please ensure that you provide their correct email addresses. You should contact your referees as early as possible in the application process, before submitting your application, asking for permission to include their names and ensuring that they are able to submit their reference within the allotted time.

Closing date for applications: Thursday 2nd November 2023 (midday UK time)

Interviews to be held at the beginning of January 2024 – exact dates to be confirmed

Following the conclusion of the selection process, any successful candidates who will be registered at the University of East Anglia on the Norwich Research Park will be supported in making a formal application on the UEA online system by the Postgraduate Research Service at UEA. Please contact them via email for guidance and support in doing this.