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Apply using the Applicant Portal
The Apply Now button on the right will take you to the Applicant Portal. There, you can create and submit your application and supporting documents, and you can also request your references.
An application is only complete when:
- you have submitted your application and supporting documents via the Applicant Portal
- you have paid the application fee if applicable. For further information on application fees, and which courses require an application fee, see here.
- your referees have provided their references.
If you miss the deadlines specified in this section, you will not be able to submit your application.
Applicants must secure the support of a supervisor within our department before their application will be considered.
This course is part of a scheme within the Postgraduate School of Life Sciences which enables three applications to be made with payment of a single application fee. A list of other eligible courses and further information can be found here.
Selection Process
Applications are considered in gathered fields which roughly correspond to the University’s central funding competitions and then on a rolling basis until the application deadline.
Shortlisted applicants are interviewed and interviews will last approximately 30 minutes and may be conducted in person, by Zoom or by Skype. Shortlisted applicants are interviewed by at least two academic members of the Department.
Applicants who apply by the January funding competition deadline will be reviewed in January and can usually expect to receive a decision in February. Around 90% of applications are considered by the department within 12 weeks. We aim to have all decisions made by 12 June 2025.
What Happens Next? | Postgraduate Admissions (cam.ac.uk)
Offers made of places on this course are conditional on clearing any security checks the University deems necessary. Security checks are routinely required for all individuals involved in research activities that include working with sensitive information; working with children and vulnerable adults; working with live animals or with tissues supplied from live animals or working in an environment in which such work is pursued by others; working with dangerous pathogens or in a category 3 containment laboratory; or working with some other sensitive technologies. Where necessary the University will ensure that applicants are not disproportionately impacted by the requirement for any security checks by allowing new students to take up places and start appropriate areas of their work prior to a check in other areas being completed.
Further information on How To Apply
Things You'll Need
In order to apply for this course you'll need to think about getting a few things ready before you apply.
- Two academic references
- Transcript
- CV/resume
- Evidence of competence in English
If required - you can check using our tool - Statement of Interest (mandatory)
- Proposed Supervisor (mandatory)
- Project Title (250 characters) (mandatory)
- Research Proposal (7500 characters) (mandatory)
- School of Biological Sciences - Widening Participation Questionnaire
Applicants to this course are asked to complete an additional form to provide contextual information about their previous study. Find out more about our use of contextual information here: postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/contextual-data.
Gates Cambridge Scholarships
If you wish to be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you will also need to provide the following:
See Gates Cambridge for more information.
How to Find a Supervisor
Applicants are required to identify a potential supervisor before submitting their application. Consult our project and research pages for information on possible research areas and supervisors.
You are recommended to only make a formal application, once an established supervisor has confirmed that they would be interested to consider a formal application.
We typically recommend that your research proposal is up to a maximum of 7500 characters.
Please note that applications without a named supervisor will be rejected.