Since 2012, following two separate rounds of funding from UKRI BBSRC (DTP1 & DTP2), EASTBIO has recruited eleven cohorts of students. EASTBIO has secured renewed funding from UKRI BBSRC to continue funding PhD studentships from 2020 to 2025. Additional funding will be drawn from across the partnership and industry to create annual cohort of over 60 students per year.
If you are interested in PhD studentships...
If you are a student...
EASTBIO studentships are awarded on the basis of specific PhD projects advertised in the autumn of each year. These projects are mapped on the BBSRC priority areas and on the basis of the quotas allocated to each partner university, as they reflect each university's research strengths. Students are invited to apply to projects advertised across the partnership after being nominated by the project lead supervisor.
Before you apply for an EASTBIO studentship, read carefully our guidance on how to apply (page currently offline until further notice).
If you are a supervisor...
If you are a prospective EASTBIO supervisor based in one of the EASTBIO partner institutions, please submit your PhD project proposal as instructed in the Project Call and circulated by the EASTBIO Management Group across the partnership in August 2022.
EASTBIO PhD Project Call - 2023 BBSRC EASTBIO Studentships
EASTBIO Collaborative Studentship Guidance for Industry
UKRI BBSRC Collaborative Projects information
UKRI BBSRC Collaborative Projects FAQs
Your project must be within the BBSRC remit, and align with one of the BBSRC priority areas. We encourage projects which are interdisciplinary collaborations between supervisors across the partnership or with industry involvement. Projects must provide an excellent training opportunity and have a realistic timeframe for completion; this allows time for the student to undertake required EASTBIO training, complete a compulsory 3-month non-academic internship - PIPS or industrial placement - and to write up the final thesis.
Please note: Supervisors may not lead an EASTBIO studentship project in two consecutive years.
If you wish to nominate an applicant for your PhD project, you should complete and submit a brief Support Statement (including guidance) after having met the candidate and considered their suitability for the project, academic merit and potential, and fit to the EASTBIO programme. If you would like to consult applicants' references, please note that we have requested applicants to use the EASTBIO Reference form.
By proposing an EASTBIO DTP project, academic supervisors and any non-academic partners commit to:
• actively support their PhD student’s career development and full participation in the EASTBIO training programme;
• attend the two key training events – EASTBIO Induction (early October) and Annual Symposia (early June);
• participate in the provision of training in the relevant BBSRC strategic priority area the PhD project is aligned with (4 annual thematic group sessions, each organised in Year 1 by one or more student-supervisor hosts);
• advise and support their supervisee in their planning of their mandatory placement and attend, if possible, the EASTBIO Placements Q&A event (early February);
• advise and support their student regarding any self-selected training that EASTBIO advocates within the BBSRC strategic researcher development objectives.
If you have further questions on the PhD Project Call or our recruitment, please email the EASTBIO academic representative at your local institution or EASTBIO.
