Programme Structure

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As a result of an award from the BBSRC, the University of Cambridge and Partner Institutes operate a Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTP) Programme, providing 4-year fully funded studentships leading to the degree of PhD (subject to eligibility).

Programme Structure

The Programme is four years in duration and is studied on a full-time basis. The first six months is spent completing training in Statistics, Computational and Systems Biology, and Research Skills (Exploiting New Ways of Working) and undertaking two 10-week rotation projects, either at the University or at one of the Partner Institutes. During this time you will choose your PhD project and complete a project proposal. Successful completion of these elements is required before you can proceed. You will spend the remainder of the four years completing a research project for the award of PhD. You will also undertake further research skills training and subject-specific training during Years 2-4 of the Programme and spend three months undertaking a Professional Internship for PhD Students (PIPS).

As the Programme is four years in duration students must submit their thesis no later than 48 months after their start date. For students starting in October 2018, the final date for submission of a thesis would be 30th September 2022.

Students are admitted to one of four BBSRC strategic research Themes and choose rotation and PhD projects from within this Theme, although under exceptional circumstances they may be allowed to transfer between Themes. As well as Theme-specific research events organised within Cambridge, there is also the opportunity to interact with students from other DTP programmes in the UK.

Research Themes

The Programme provides excellent postgraduate training, addressing the need for trained scientists in strategically-important research areas and skills. The Programme has four separate Research Themes addressing the strategic research priorities of BBSRC:

• Agriculture and Food Security
• Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy
• Bioscience for Health
• World-Class Underpinning Bioscience

Click here for more information about our Research Themes.

Rotations

Students will carry out two 10-week rotation projects during the first six months. The rotation projects allow students to gain experience of two different research environments and make an informed choice of their PhD project. The available rotation projects submitted by supervisors and other academic staff have been classified by strategic theme. Students are invited to express their preferences among these projects over the summer and the first of these will be allocated to students by the start of the Programme in October. 

Examples of past projects.

Choosing your PhD Project

The majority of rotation projects are linked to PhD projects and it is expected that most students will choose one of these to continue for a PhD. However, different projects with the same Supervisor, or different Supervisors, are also possible following consultation with your Theme Leader. In exceptional circumstances students may be permitted to change theme. 

Examples of past projects.

Professional Internships

As part of the Programme, each student will complete a 12-week internship (Professional Internship for PhD Students, or PIPS) outside their immediate research area with one of a range of companies, public institutions or charities. The objective of the PIPS is to give students an opportunity to gain experience in a non-academic environment. Students should therefore choose PIPS that are not related to their field of research. The PIPS cannot be done in the first training period of the DTP, but can once the PhD project is underway. Most students choose to carry out the PIPS in the second and third years of the Programme.

Examples of past PIPS placements.