Doctoral Awards usually cover your salary, tuition fees and research costs while you are studying for a doctorate. They can be for three years full-time or up to five years part-time. The Oxford BRC is no longer funding doctoral awards; however there are plenty of external providers who do provide funding. These include the following:
The NIHR Doctoral Fellowship is a three-year full-time award that supports individuals to undertake a PhD in an area of NIHR research. This fellowship may also be taken up on a part-time basis.
The NIHR Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship funds registered healthcare professionals to undertake a PhD by research and, concurrently, to undertake further professional development and clinical practice.
The Medical Research Council offers Clinical Research Training Fellowships (CRTFs) to support clinicians including MNAHPS to undertake a PhD or other higher research degree.
Wellcome PhD Training Fellowships for Clinicians offers clinicians the opportunity to undertake a PhD within a structured and mentored training environment. Includes salaries, fees and other costs. Application through the relevant programme.
The British Heart Foundation funds various PhD programmes for both clinical and non-clinical cardiovascular researchers. The awards may include stipend, tuition fees, research costs and travel.
Cancer Research UK supports over 550 PhD students in the UK. Recruitment for PhD studentships is usually managed independently by the institutions. In addition to the usual benefits they also offer networking meetings, training workshops and careers days.
Versus Arthritis offers PhD scholarships to encourage basic scientists and non-medical healthcare professionals to embark on a research career in any discipline relevant to arthritis and related musculoskeletal diseases. Applications should be made by the proposed supervisor.
The MS Society offers PhD Fellowships to encourage graduates to embark on a research career in MS. Applications should be made by the prospective supervisor, who should be associated with an established multidisciplinary research group, and include stipend, fees and running costs.
Diabetes UK offers PhD studentships. Applications should be made by the proposed supervisor and projects should have a clear relevance to the aims of their research strategy.
The British Geriatrics Society (BGS) and the Dunhill Medical Trust (DMT) offer front-line health professionals Doctoral Training Fellowships to undertake research relevant to age-related diseases and frailty. The grants cover salaries, tuition fees, running expenses and travel costs.
The Grand Union Economic and Social Research Council Doctoral Training Partnership unites Brunel University London, the Open University and the University of Oxford. The partnership offers 35 studentships a year across 23 training pathways including Health and Wellbeing.
Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council The Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience Doctoral Training Programme is led by the University of Oxford, in partnership with The Pirbright Institute, Oxford Brookes University, Diamond Light Source, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, STFC Central Laser Facility, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, the Research Complex at Harwell and the Novo Nordisk Research Centre Oxford (NNRCO).
Research areas include: Mechanistic Molecular and Cellular Bioscience, Transformative Technologies, Bioscience for Health, Industrial Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals.
Recipients of Oxford NIHR Fellowship and Funding
Owen Gustafson, an Adult Intensive Care physiotherapist at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) has been awarded an NIHR Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship.
Read his story
Jody Ede, a critical care research nurse was the first OUH nurse to receive funding for a PhD from the NIHR.
Read her story