PhD in Physiology, Development and Neuroscience

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:

1. you have submitted your application and supporting documents via the Applicant Portal
2. you have paid the application fee if applicable. For further information on application fees, and which courses require an application fee, see here.
3. 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.

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.

Interviews will last approximately 30 minutes and may be in-person or online. At least two academic members of the department will interview applicants.

Applicants who apply by the 2 December 2025 University funding deadline will be reviewed in December/January and can usually expect to receive a decision on their application in February. The department considers around 90% of applications within 12 weeks. We aim to have all decisions made by 15 June 2026.

Further information on How To Apply

Things You'll Need

You should start preparing the things that you'll need when you apply. These will be mandatory, unless specifically flagged as optional.

• Two referees willing to give you a reference
  Either academic or professional – please see our References guidance for more information about which type you need. Your referees will need to have submitted their reference by the course deadline.
• Transcript  
• CV/resume
• Evidence of competence in English
  If required - please see our Competence in English guidance for more information.
• Statement of Interest (mandatory)
• Proposed Supervisor (mandatory)
  Before applying, we recommend you contact a Supervisor and find out whether they are willing and able to supervise you. For more information on finding a Supervisor, see below.
• Project Title (250 characters) (mandatory)
• Research Proposal (mandatory)
• School of Biological Sciences - Widening Participation Questionnaire
  Applicants to this course are being asked to complete an additional form to provide contextual information about their previous study. Find out more about our use of contextual information here: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/how/contextual-data

Gates Cambridge Scholarships

If you wish to be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you will also need to provide the following:

• Gates Cambridge Reference  
• Research Proposal (PhD applicants only)

See Gates Cambridge for more information.

How to Find a Supervisor

Applicants are required to identify a potential Supervisor before submitting their application. For information on possible research areas and supervisors, please consult our project and research pages.

You are recommended to only make a formal application once an established Supervisor has confirmed that they would be interested in considering a formal application.

We typically recommend that your research proposal is up to a maximum of 12,000 characters.

Please note that applications without a named Supervisor will be rejected.