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.
PhD Studentship: The innate immune response to respiratory viral infection in diabetes: is glucose control the key?
We are looking for a doctoral student to investigate the innate immune response to common respiratory viruses in people living with type 1 diabetes. The successful candidate will join Dr Margarita Dominguez-Villar’s group at Imperial College London (South Kensington campus).
Our lab is interested in investigating the mechanisms that control human immune responses in infectious and autoimmune conditions. People living with diabetes have an impaired immune system and they usually experience more severe symptoms during common respiratory virus infections. We would like to understand how they respond to these viruses (e.g. Rhinovirus, Influenza virus, common cold coronaviruses, etc.) as compared to people with normal glucose levels. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie the alterations in innate immune responses in people living with diabetes will allow us to better treat common respiratory infections in these individuals in a more personalised manner.
Read more in the full document here
Award:
- The studentship is anticipated to commence on 1 October 2026.
- The studentship is funded by Diabetes UK for 3 years and covers home (not overseas) tuition fees and a stipend of £20,900 per annum.
Eligibility:
- Applicants must have a First or Upper Second class undergraduate degree in immunology, biology, biomedical sciences, or other related field.
- While not mandatory, a master’s degree in Immunology or related biomedical sciences is expected.
- We would normally expect successful applicants to hold or be on course to achieve a Master's degree in a related field. 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/.
- All Imperial College London PhD entry requirements must be met.
How to apply:
- Please send your CV and a covering letter describing why you are suitable for the studentship and interested in the project and lab, along with the details of two referees to Dr Margarita Dominguez-Villar, m.dominguez-villar@imperial.ac.uk.
- Submission deadline is 17:00 on Wednesday 15 July 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.