Centre for Trophoblast Research (CTR) funded PhD Studentship

Centre for Trophoblast Research fully funded 4-year PhD studentship (home or international rates)

The Centre for Trophoblast Research (CTR) was founded in 2007 as a Centre of excellence to promote scientific study of the placenta, early development and maternal-fetal interactions during pregnancy. It brings together over 30 Principal Investigators, many of whom are recognized international experts in their fields. The CTR was one of the University of Cambridge’s first inter-school initiatives.

The CTR offers excellent opportunities for training in research, leading to the degree of PhD (Doctor of Philosophy). The CTR PhD studentships may be held in the Departments of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pathology, Genetics and allied institutes, including Metabolic Science, the Babraham, Gurdon Institutes.

A PhD in the CTR is achieved by supervised research and is under the jurisdiction of the Degree Committee for the Faculty of Biology at the University of Cambridge. The Postgraduate School of Life Science also helps, by providing additional transferable skills training. CTR studentships are generously co-sponsored by King’s College Cambridge and the Sir Robert Edwards Fund at Churchill College Cambridge, where our students will be based. Within the relevant Department or Institute that the student is affiliated with there is an internal Departmental Postgraduate Educational Committee who is responsible for all aspects of running of the degree. A suitable project falling within the interests of the CTR-affiliated supervisor, is agreed by both student and supervisor, and endorsed by the Postgraduate Committee at the point of admission.

Students attend a variety of CTR hosted seminars given by distinguished scientists along with seminars in the affiliated Department or Institute. Students are encouraged to present their research by giving seminars at our annual CTR Away Days and Annual Meetings. There are opportunities to participate and present in seminars hosted by the Cambridge Reproduction SRI. Students will have an opportunity to take part in our Placental Biology Course and attend international meetings.

Contract details

CTR PhD Studentships will cover all University and College fees for home and international students. Studentships are awarded for up 4 years and include a stipend and consumables.

Application process

We ask all applicants to please investigate research projects on offer for the 2022/2023 application cycle and to contact potential supervisors in advance of applying. Once you have identified a potential supervisor(s) and project(s), please make a formal application following the instructions and requirements detailed on our website: https://www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/phd-studentships.

The application deadline is 7^th November 2022. We will hold an initial round of Zoom interviews with potential PhD supervisors in mid/late November (2022). Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a second round of interviews in early January (2023).

Key experience and competencies

Applicants for this course should have achieved a UK Good II.i Honours Degree. If your degree is not from the UK, please check the link on the PhD Studentships Requirements page on the CTR web site to find the equivalent in your country.

We welcome applications from highly qualified students of all nationalities. All applications need to be supported by academic reference letters.

We are looking for strong candidates that will contribute to the science in the CTR and have potential as researchers. During the admissions process we will consider the academic record and the comments from referees as well as the research experience and achievements of the applicants. We are mindful that the extent of research opportunity can vary a lot depending on background and undergraduate training, for example some countries have longer undergraduate courses, different master requirements, offer short courses and practical research, etc, and all these are put into context when evaluating potential.

You can refer to https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/application-process/entry-requirements for further information regarding the University Entry Requirements

Questions

If you have any questions regarding the selection process, please refer to our website or email ctrphd@pdn.cam.ac.uk