MRC DTA Studentships: Eligibility Criteria
General Eligibility
- MRC Studentships are currently only available for studies which have not yet commenced. Those applying for a 3-year studentship must not have already started their PhD.
Academic Eligibility
- Applicants should hold, or expect to receive, a first class or a good upper second class Honours degree (or equivalent) in an area relevant to their proposed field of research.
- Where an applicant does not meet this requirement (e.g. they hold a lower second class undergraduate degree), they are eligible to apply for a 3 year studentship if they hold, or expect to receive, a first class or good upper second class Masters degree (in an area relevant to their proposed PhD) before starting their studentship.
- Studentships awarded based on predicted grades will be conditional upon final results.
Residence Eligibility
To be eligible for a full MRC studentship (stipend and university fees), candidates must be able to demonstrate a relevant connection to the United Kingdom at the date of application:
UK /EU Nationals
UK nationals who have lived most of their lives in the UK will have demonstrated a relevant connection and therefore be eligible to apply for a full studentship.
Individuals who were not born in the UK but have been granted UK citizenship or have come to settle in the UK (e.g. immigrant status, refugee or an individual granted humanitarian protection) need to demonstrate that they have a relevant connection:
- European Economic Area citizens who are migrant workers (or their spouse or children) and can demonstrate ordinary residence in the EEA are eligible
- EU nationals who have spent the three years prior to application resident in the UK (this can include residence while undertaking undergraduate study)
EU fees-only studentships
Please be aware that EU nationals who have not lived in the UK for a minimum of 3 years immediately prior to application will not be eligible for a full studentship, but are eligible to apply for a fees-only studentship award. This covers the cost of the main course fees but does not include the monthly stipend or travel and conference fund.
If you are applying for a fees-only studentship, please state this clearly in your application.
For more details information regarding residence eligibility, please refer to the MRC's Student Eligibility Requirements.
International (non-UK/EU) Students
Please note that International students (those from countries outside the UK or the EU) are not eligible to apply for Faculty of Medicine MRC Studentships. In exceptional circumstances, applications from International students may be considered if their research utilises the following 'scarce skills' as defined by the MRC:
- Advanced mathematics, statistics and computational skills
- Physical and engineering sciences
The skills must be critical to executing your PhD and well-integrated with your biomedical training and research.
If you believe that the criteria is relevant to your intended area of research, you must have spoken to potential supervisors within your area of interest before making your application to confirm that there is research available which utilises the scarce skills (supervisors must be within the Faculty of Medicine, not including the Clinical Sciences Centre). You will also need to include with your application a brief summary of how your research will meet the scarce skills criteria.
Other funding sources
If you are not eligible for an MRC Studentship, you may find an alternative funding opportunity listed under the college-wide Scholarships for Postgraduates. Each opportunity has different eligibility criteria so please check them carefully before applying.
Some departments within the Faculty of Medicine also have studentships to offer for specific areas of research, which they recruit for on a more local basis. Details of departmental studentships can be found by browsing the Schools, Institutes and Departments webpages.
Recipients of MRC DTA Studentships are not able to choose a research project or a supervisor within the Clinical Sciences Centre. If you wish to pursue research within this area please refer to the CSC 3.5 year PhD Studentships. For more information about research projects and supervisors, please see the FAQ (link below).
For queries regarding the MRC DTA Studentships, please check the Frequently Asked Questions.
For any remaining queries please contact Miss Julia Hogg j.hogg@imperial.ac.uk.
