Widening Participation PhD Studentships

Department of Life Sciences Widening Participation PhD Studentships – October 2026 Start 

The Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London invites applications for a minimum two fully funded PhD studentships commencing 3 October 2026. 

This call forms part of our commitment to broadening access to doctoral study and runs in parallel with our main studentship competition. Both calls offer equivalent funding and opportunities. 

We particularly welcome applications from individuals who have completed their undergraduate and/or master’s degrees at non-Russell Group universities, and from candidates who identify as belonging to under-represented groups in academia, including those of Black, Asian, mixed, or other minority ethnic heritage, as well as White minority ethnic groups (e.g. Gypsy, Roma, Irish Traveller). 
 
This list is not exhaustive, and you will have the opportunity within your application to explain why you believe you are eligible for a Widening Participation studentship. The information provided will be used solely for assessment of eligibility under the WP scheme and will not be shared with potential supervisors. 

To support prospective applicants, we will host a Q&A session where staff will provide guidance on preparing strong applications and performing well in interviews. The Q&A session will take place online on Thursday, 27 November 2025 at 11:00.  

Interested candidates can register their interest here: Q&A session registration form  

Available research areas and supervisors 

A list of available supervisors can be found here, and an overview of research themes in the Department is available Research Themes 

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact supervisors directly for informal discussions and project-specific information before submitting a formal application. 

Funding  

The studentships will cover UK tuition fees and will provide an annual tax-free maintenance stipend at the standard UKRI level, currently at £22,780 (rising annually by an amount linked to inflation), in 12 monthly instalments. Studentships are expected to last for 36 months, subject to satisfactory progress. 

Eligibility 

• Applicants must hold (or expect to obtain) at least an Upper Second Class Honours(2:1) degree in a biological or related science. 
• Applicants must qualify for home fee status. (find out more about your fee status here)
• Unfortunately, international students are not eligible for this call.

How to apply 

• Attend the Q&A session for advice and guidance(optional).
• Contact supervisors from the eligibility list to discuss potential projects.
• Applications should be submitted to our application page where you will be asked to upload: 
  • Personal statement, (PDF file format only) 
  • CV (PDF file format only)
  • Your most recent academic transcript (PDF file format only)
• Application deadline 12/01/2026

For more information or general support please contact dtp@imperial.ac.uk  

Important further information  

This call runs in parallel with our main Standard PhD Studentships competition, which offers equivalent funding and opportunities across a wide range of research areas. 

Applicants may choose to be considered for both the Widening Participation and the Standard studentship schemes. Only one application form should be submitted, but you will be asked to indicate on the form whether you wish to be considered for the WP scheme, the Standard scheme, or both. 

Those applying for consideration under the WP scheme will be asked to provide a short statement outlining how they meet the WP criteria, or explaining why access to doctoral study has been particularly challenging in their case and why they should therefore be considered under the WP scheme. The information provided will be used solely for assessment of eligibility under the WP scheme and will not be shared with potential supervisors. 

Further information on the Standard Studentships can be found here.