Non-Clinical PhD Studentships
Develop a career in cancer research through our fully-funded non-clinical studentships
Non-Clinical PhD Studentships
Our Non-Clinical PhD Studentships are open to recent graduates or final year undergraduates who have, or expect to achieve, a First or Upper Second-class honours degree in a relevant subject. A related Master’s degree is also an advantage.
Our studentships are highly interdisciplinary and so we welcome applicants whose background isn’t necessarily in an area of science but who have the ambition and motivation to develop a career in cancer-related research.
You’ll have the freedom to explore a wide range of opportunities in basic and discovery research and will gain the necessary skills and expertise to develop your academic career.
Fees and funding
Our Non-Clinical PhD Studentships are usually funded for three years, with funding covering:
- Project running costs
- University tuition fees university tuition fees (at the UK rate, with some scholarships available for high-performing EU/International candidates)
- An annual stipend to help with living costs
Studentships are highly competitive and so we encourage you to contact any supervisors who you are interested in working with before applying for our Non- Clinical PhD Studentships.
Entry criteria and information on the application processes differ depending on the research programme, so we advise checking with the programme provider.
Explore the Non-Clinical PhD Studentships available in Manchester
You can find most of the PhD studentship opportunities available in Manchester through The University of Manchester’s Doctoral Academy. These include both self-funded and fully-funded opportunities.
Additional opportunities available through our various partner organisations are also listed below:
The Manchester Cancer Research Centre’s Training and Education Team administers programmes offered through the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Manchester Centre.
Every year, the CRUK Manchester Centre offers MBChB students, recent graduates, post-registration clinicians and Allied Health Professionals the chance to further develop their academic career. These opportunities may be fully funded through grants from the Cancer Research UK Manchester Centre, Cancer Research UK RadNet Manchester, ACED Manchester, or through the CRUK Clinical Academic Training (CAT) award.
We also administer ad-hoc PhD and training opportunities, such as those associated with CRUK Accelerator Awards.
Please visit Cancer Research UK Manchester Centre Research Opportunities to find out more.
The CRUK Manchester Institute (CRUK MI) is a leading cancer research institute within The University of Manchester and one of only four Cancer Research UK core-funded institutes across the country.
The institute has an active postgraduate programme, designed to train the next generation of cancer-related scientists and clinical scientists, and offers students and clinical research fellows the opportunity to study a cancer-related PhD.
Further details about the CRUK MI programme, including details about funding, available projects, and how to apply can be found on the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute website.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is driving health improvements and lasting change for all through creative, inclusive and proactive research that identifies and bridges gaps between new discoveries and individualised care.
Manchester BRC offers a range of clinical and non-clinical PhD studentships to develop the next generation of cancer researchers with the knowledge and skills to undertake high-quality experimental medicine and translational research.
Entry requirements vary for non-clinical and clinical projects and eligibility criteria apply for studentships for non-UK applicants.
For the latest programme information, please visit the Manchester BRC website.
The Wellcome Trust 4-year PhD in Immuno-Matrix in Complex Disease is a basic science programme at the interface of immunology and matrix biology research. This programme will help you gain experience at the interface of matrix biology, immunology and complex disease.
For more information, including how to submit an application and the projects available, visit the Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health website.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), available through The University of Manchester, offers studentships for postgraduate researchers undertaking PhDs in biomedical, clinical and health service areas.
MRC DTP projects focus on the themes of Early Detection and Diagnosis, Understanding the Mechanisms of Disease and Therapeutic Interventions.
Studentships are fully funded at the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) rate.
For more information on available projects, visit the Doctoral Academy website.
Why study in Manchester?
Manchester is the ideal place to start the next phase of your cancer research academic career. Study with us and you’ll learn from world-leading researchers, have access to cutting edge facilities, and pioneer your own research discoveries to help in our fight against cancer.
Basic and discovery PhD research is vital in order to test new ideas and theories about how tumours grow, invade, spread and evolve. That’s why we support non-clinical researchers by providing a range of opportunities at every stage of your PhD and help empower you develop your future academic career.
Read more about why our students choose to study in Manchester
Adesewa Adebisi
Adesewa Adebisi is undertaking a Non-Clinical PhD, funded through the MCRC-CRUK Manchester Centre PhD training scheme. The aim of her PhD is to investigate how radiotherapy affects immune cells and their ability to fight off cancer cells in the body. Read more about her experience of studying a Non-Clinical PhD Studentship.
Danielle Love
Danielle Love is doing a Non-Clinical PhD, funded by Cancer Research UK. The aim of her project is to investigate the biological effects of proton therapy in lung cancer. Find out more about Danielle’s experience.
Dr Ben Abbott
Dr Ben Abbott completing his Non-Clinical PhD in December 2020 and is now an Associate Editor at Springer Nature publishing content across the entire spectrum of clinical and translational medicine. Read Ben’s story.
Study
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Manchester?
Nursing and Allied Health Professional Academic Pathways
