Funding is often secured through Wellcome Trust or MRC DTP Fellowships. Further information about this and specific projects studying under the supervision of Departmental supervisors who have obtained funding are advertised below.
For up-to-date information on tuition fees, please refer to the College's Fees and Funding pages. It should be noted that supervisors may charge an additional ‘bench fee’ from sponsors to cover the costs of laboratory expenses (consumables and equipment) for postgraduate research projects.
Modelling RSV spread and escape before and after vaccine rollout
A 3-year full-time PhD studentship is available working across two departments at Imperial College London – The Department of Infectious Disease and School of Public Health. This project is in collaboration with UKHSA .
The project will be supervised by Prof John Tregoning Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London and Dr Conall Watson at UKHSA.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) causes a significant disease burden, particularly in the very young and the very old. In the last few years there have been large steps forwards preventing this virus, with the licensing of three vaccines and two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs nirsevimab (Beyfortus) and clesrovimab (Enflonsia/MK-1654)). A critical factor for the success or failure of both antibodies and vaccines for RSV will be virus evolution and escape. Understanding how these interventions affect transmission and mutation of the virus will enable better planning of the deployment of interventions to prevent RSV.
The project aims to integrate whole virus genome sequencing with mathematical modelling to map the spread of potential variants of concern within the UK following the rollout of vaccines and antibodies.
Find full information in the document here
Award:
- The studentship is anticipated to commence on 1st October 2026.
- The studentship will offer a stipend, currently £23,805 per year and reviewed annually.
Eligibility:
- As a candidate, you will be a motivated individual, wanting to improve patient outcomes. You will have a keen interest in undertaking research in the fields of virology and immunology with a focus on antiviral therapy.
- Applicants must hold (or obtain by Oct 2026) a first or upper-second-class honours degree or equivalent in a Life Sciences or health‐related discipline. A Master’s degree in immunology, mathematical modelling or a related field or equivalent research experience is desirable. Prior experience in bioinformatics is desirable but not essential.
- Applicants must also meet Imperial College’s English language requirements – further details can be found at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/requirements/english/.
Please note, this studentship is only available to home students who meet the following criteria:
- Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or
- Have settled status, or
- Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
- Have indefinite leave to remain or enter
How to apply:
- Applicants should submit their CV and a cover letter, including full contact details of two referees, to Prof John Tregoning (john.tregoning@imperial.ac.uk).
- For further information about the research or queries about the application process please contact John Tregoning (john.tregoning@imperial.ac.uk). We regret that due to the large volume of applications received, we are only able to notify those shortlisted for interview.
- The deadline for applications is 31 March 2026.
The David Holden PhD Studentship in Bacterial Pathogenesis
Applications are currently closed for the inaugural David Holden PhD Studentship in Bacterial Pathogenesis, based in the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London.
This prestigious studentship celebrates the scientific impact of Emeritus Professor David Holden FRS, the first Regius Professor of Infectious Disease in the UK and a pioneer in bacterial pathogenesis. The Holden lab at Imperial developed groundbreaking techniques, such as 'signature-tagged mutagenesis,' to understand the molecular mechanisms by which bacterial pathogens cause disease. This PhD studentship aims to continue this tradition, providing world-class training in bacterial pathogenesis.
The Department of Infectious Disease is at the forefront of research into bacterial pathogenesis. Our work ranges from deciphering the molecular mechanisms bacteria use to cause disease and exploring how the immune system and microbiome defend against infections, to developing innovative solutions to antimicrobial resistance. (https://www.imperial.ac.uk/infectious-disease/research/). The department offers excellent training and a strong community network for PhD students. Students receive cutting-edge training in bacterial pathogenesis and infection biology, within an open, friendly, and supportive environment.
The President’s PhD Scholarship
The College provides the home UKRI fee rate and a bursary. Departments pay the home tuition fee top-up i.e. the difference between the UKRI home tuition fee rate and the Department’s home tuition fee rate.
Application - Complete Imperial College’s online application by the deadline stated on The President’s PhD Scholarship Webpages.
Prior to applying - Applicants must have made contact with a supervisor who has agreed to supervise their research project. Supervisors are limited to supervise one student at any time. Once you have a supervisor who has agreed to support you, please email researchdegreeenquiries@imperial.ac.uk so your PhD scholarship application can be prioritised for review and shortlisting.
MultiSci MRC DTP Studentship
This is a 1+3 Studentship which provides funding for the MRes Biomedical Research in Year 1 and, after successful completion, 3 years’ funding for a PhD.
CSC Joint Funding
Imperial holds responsibility for fee payment whilst bursary payment is delegated to supervisors.
Students are not permitted to apply for fees-only studentships.
CSC Fully Funded Scholarship
Students should apply directly to the CSC usually through their ‘home’ Chinese institution. Further information is available from the ‘home’ Chinese institution.
Fees and stipend are paid in full by Central College funding.
AI4Health
This is managed by Britta Ross - CDT Manager - UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for Healthcare. The AI CDT is managed by Computing, Engineering where all students are registered irrespective of supervisors’ Departments. The 2:1 financial cost sharing model of the CDT is as follows: 2/3 of the PhD student costs are covered by the CDT and 1/3 (or 1/6 if two joint supervisors) of the PhD student costs are covered by the supervisors.