About the Project
The GW4 BioMed3 Doctoral Landscape Programme is offering up to 18 MRC funded studentships across a range of biomedical disciplines, with a start date of October 2027.
These four-year studentships provide funding for fees and stipend at the rate set by the UKRI, as well as other research training and support costs, and are available to UK and International students.
About the GW4 BioMed3 Doctoral Landscape Programme
The partnership brings together the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff (lead), and Exeter to train, support and develop graduates with strong research, critical analysis, creative problem solving and translational skills, equipping them for careers in the UK and globally. Our vision aligns research and skills development with UK Government priorities for the life sciences sector, while nurturing contributions to improve health outcomes and the economy worldwide.
Students will have access to the combined research strengths, training expertise, and resources of the four research-intensive universities, with opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary science. GW4 BioMed has previously awarded over 100 studentships across 6 cohorts in its first phase, along with 99 students over 5 cohorts in its second phase. GW4 BioMed3 will be our third, starting in October 27.
This project is in competition for place with the projects across the MRC GW4 BioMed3 Doctoral Landscape Award studentships. There are a total of 18 studentships available across the partnership.
The 134 projects available for application, are aligned to the following themes;
- Cardiometabolic Disease
- Infection, Immunity, and Antimicrobial Resistance
- Neuroscience and Mental Health
- Population Health Sciences
Applications open on Wednesday 9th September and close at 5.00pm on Wednesday 21st October 2026. Please note that we may close the application process before the stated deadline if an unprecedented number of applications are received– check our website for details.
Studentships will be 4 years full time. Part-time study may also be available.
Project Information
Most emerging bacterial pathogens originate from animal hosts (are ‘zoonotic’), yet it is hard to predict which pathogen species are likely to cross into human populations and why. This project will combine AI Large Language Models, extracting infection context from hundreds of thousands scientific publications, with comparative bacterial genomics, to identify molecular signatures of host switches. Integrating these complementary approaches will generate biologically interpretable models of zoonotic emergence and ultimately aid in developing new tools for human pathogen surveillance. This project offers training in bioinformatics, data science and microbiology, preparing students for impactful careers in infectious disease research.
For further information or to apply click here: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/funding/award/?id=5931
Funding Notes
A GW4 BioMed3 MRC DTP studentship includes full UK tuition fees, a stipend at the minimum UKRI rate (£21,805 p.a for 2026/27 updated each year). Additional Research & Training Support funding of up to £5,000 per annum is also available. Funding arrangements will be adjusted pro-rata for part-time studentships.
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