Note to prospective students interested in applying for a studentship or funding:
Please note there is no route for prospective students to apply directly to BBSRC for a studentship. BBSRC provides UK universities with doctoral training grants to support BBSRC-funded studentships. The advertisement of opportunities and recruitment of studentships is managed by the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) or Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP). Any students interested in BBSRC-funded studentships should contact the research organisation or university at which they wish to study directly, including information on how to apply and eligibility.
BBSRC Collaborative Training Partnerships (CTP)
BBSRC’s CTPs co-invest in training the next generation of skilled people for the research base and wider bioeconomy. Our vision is to provide PhD students with a first-rate, challenging research training experience within the context of a mutually beneficial research collaboration, between academic and partner organisations.
Allocations are made to non-academic partners having established track records in collaborative doctoral training and businesses take the lead in arranging projects with an academic partner of their choice in research relevant to our remit and strategic priority areas.
CTPs are one of the main ways in which BBSRC funds collaborative training and enables businesses to better integrate studentships into their planning cycles.
BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTP)
Investments in doctoral training are a key component of UKRI and BBSRC’s overarching goals to develop research talent and skills. BBSRC’s vision is for an innovative, inclusive and outcomes-focused programme of doctoral training to build and maintain the capacity of bioscience disciplines and deliver skills for impact across the UK economy.
BBSRC DTPs provide PhD training in areas of research relevant to BBSRC’s remit and priority research areas. DTPs also provide a breadth of professional development training opportunities to enhance the capabilities of doctoral candidates and develop a world-class, highly skilled workforce for the UK.
DTP courses offer four-year PhD studentships, during which each student also undertakes a three-month Professional Internships for PhD Students (PIPS) placement. There have been three DTP calls, DTP1 (October 2012 to 2014), DTP2 (October 2015 to 2019) and DTP3 (October 2020 to 2024) with the latest funding opportunity supporting 340 students per year. The allocations held by the successful DTP3 grant holders are detailed below.
The disabled students allowance is available to DTP students and this should be applied for via the Research Organisation offering the DTP studentship.
Note: Please refer to the UKRI training grant terms and conditions and guidance for relevant information.
BBSRC Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering (CASE)
CASE studentships involve students enhancing their training by spending three to 18 months with a CASE partner in a workplace outside of the academic environment. This placement is flexible and does not have to occur in a single continuous period.
Institutions in receipt of DTP have a target of converting 25% of the funds into CASE awards (DTP CASE), whereas all CTP studentships are CASE studentships.
The aim of these studentships is to promote collaboration between the research community and end-users of research.
Although not mandatory, we encourage CASE partners to make a financial contribution to the project, such as covering the costs incurred by the student when visiting and working within their establishment.
The financial support also extends to the costs of necessary materials or facilities, or both, not possessed by the research organisation that are integral to the CASE studentship. Importantly, we expect CASE partners to provide co-supervision for the student’s research.
For further information, contact case@bbsrc.ukri.org
Professional Internships for PhD Students (PIPS)
PIPS are compulsory non-academic placements for students funded by BBSRC through DTP and Doctoral Landscape awards, lasting a minimum of three months. The objective is to expose students to a variety of employment sectors, including but not limited to:
- policymaking
- public engagement
- regulatory roles
- media
- marketing
- teaching
- industry
PIPS exposes students to diverse work environments beyond their academic research. This cultivates transferable skills, enhances understanding of various career paths, and contributes to personal and professional development.
Doctoral students on CASE studentships and CTP programmes spend varying periods of time on placement with their external host partner, focusing on projects directly related to their doctoral research.
See evaluation of the PIPS programme.
Doctoral Landscape Awards (DLAs)
In May 2022, UKRI announced its transition to collective talent funding across talent initiatives. Following this, in November 2023 the UKRI Doctoral Investment Framework was launched. This frames doctoral support around two types of award:
- doctoral landscape awards
- doctoral focal awards
DLAs provide:
- broad, flexible funding to support talented doctoral students to contribute to a vibrant, internationally attractive and world-leading research and innovation system
- breadth and diversity in the research supported and to ensure that as a community we are rapidly responsive to new and emerging research ideas and areas
- opportunities for a variety of engagement with non-academic partners
With a view to better attracting, developing, and retaining talented people and teams,
and to reduce the bureaucracy involved in accessing and managing funding, BBSRC and NERC have come together to deliver this funding opportunity.
This funding opportunity replaces our Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) awards.
BBSRC DLA allocations (2025 to 2029)
University of Aberdeen
Project co-lead: Queen’s University Belfast
Project title: Queen’s University Belfast and University of Aberdeen Research and Training in Life and Environmental Sciences (QUARTILES)
University of Oxford
Project co-leads:
- Diamond Light Source
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
- Oxford Brookes University
- The Open University
- The Pirbright Institute
Project title: BBSRC-NERC joint Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Science Landscape Award
John Innes Centre
Project co-leads:
- Earlham Institute
- Norwich BioScience Institutes
- Quadram Institute Bioscience
- Sainsbury Laboratory
- University of East Anglia
Project title: The Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NRPDTP)
Newcastle University
Project co-leads:
- Durham University
- Northumbria University
- Teesside University
Project title: North East England Doctoral Landscape (NEEDL)
Queen’s University Belfast
Project co-lead: University of Ulster
Project title: BBSRC NI Landscape partnership in AI for Biosciences
University College London
Project co-leads:
- Birkbeck, University of London
- King’s College London
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- Natural Resources Institute
- Queen Mary University of London
- Royal Holloway, University of London
- Royal Veterinary College
Project title: BBSRC LIDo4: Preparing bioscientists for a digitally augmented interdisciplinary future
University of Bristol
Project co-leads:
- Cardiff University
- Marine Biological Association of the UK
- Rothamsted Research
- Swansea University
- University of Bath
- University of Exeter
- University of Plymouth
- University of the West of England
Project title: BBSRC South West Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (SWBio4)
University of Cambridge
Project co-leads:
- Babraham Institute
- National Institute of Agricultural Botany
- Wellcome Sanger Institute
Project title: BBSRC Cambridge Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (CamBioDTP)
The University of Edinburgh
Project co-leads:
- Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre
- James Hutton Institute
- Moredun Research Institute
- Scotland’s Rural College
- University of Aberdeen
- University of Dundee
- University of St Andrews
- University of Stirling
Project title: EastBio: the East of Scotland Biosciences partnership
University of Glasgow
Project co-leads:
- Lancaster University
- Queen’s University Belfast
- University of Strathclyde
Project title: BBSRC NorthWestBio Doctoral Landscape Programme: Bioscience Discovery Training for a Sustainable World
University of Leeds
Project co-leads:
- Leeds Beckett University
- Sheffield Hallam University
- Teesside University
- University of Bradford
- University of Huddersfield
- University of Hull
- The University of Sheffield
- University of York
Project title: The Yorkshire Bioscience DTP
The University of Manchester
Project co-lead: University of Liverpool
Project title: BBSRC NorthWest Doctoral Programme in Bioscience (NWD)
University of Nottingham
Project co-leads:
- Centre for Process Innovation
- Diamond Light Source
- Nottingham Trent University
- Research Complex at Harwell
- Rothamsted Research
Project title: Nottingham DLA Partnership
University of Reading
Project co-leads:
- Aberystwyth University
- Brunel University London
- Cranfield University
- Queen’s University Belfast
- University of Lincoln
- University of Surrey
Project title: BBSRC FoodBioSystems Landscape Award Bid
University of Surrey
Project co-leads:
- Animal and Plant Health Agency
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
- The Pirbright Institute
- UK Health Security Agency
- University of Exeter
- University of Sussex
Project title: BBSRC Wessex One Health
The University of Warwick
Project co-leads:
- Aston University
- Coventry University
- Harper Adams University
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
- University of Birmingham
- University of Leicester
Project title: BBSRC Midlands Integrative Bioscience Training Partnership 2025
National Productivity Investment Fund Studentships
In 2017 and 2018, BBSRC was allotted additional studentships from the government’s National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) to provide high-quality doctoral training in STEM and interdisciplinary areas aligned to the Industrial Strategy. Projects in the 2017 tranche were required to be partnerships between academic and industrial organisations and came with flexibility to address an area of the Industrial Strategy. The total number awarded was 105 studentships. The 2018 allocation came with a specific focus on the Industrial Strategy Grand Challenge theme of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data-Driven Economy. This allocation totalled 31 studentships, with a minimum of 10 studentships ring-fenced for AI.
BBSRC’s Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTP) and Collaborative Training Partnerships (CTP) were invited to apply for an allocation of NPIF studentships via a competitive process. The allocations held by the successful NPIF grant holders are detailed below.
BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnerships Allocations (2020 to 24)
University of Edinburgh (Lead), University of Aberdeen, University of Dundee, University of St Andrews, University of Stirling, Scotland’s Rural College, IBioIC, James Hutton Institute, Moredun Research Institute, Scottish Life Sciences Alliance (SULSA), Cool Farms Alliance
University of Reading (Lead), Aberystwyth University, Brunel University London, Cranfield University, Queens University Belfast, University of Surrey, EIT Food CLCNW, British Nutrition Foundation, STFC Food Network+,Diamond Light Source
London Interdisciplinary Doctoral programme (LIDo)
University College London (Lead), Birkbeck University, Kings College London, LSHTM, QMUL, Royal Holloway of London, Royal Veterinary College, University of Greenwich, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Food Standards Agency, Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew), Unilever
Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership
University of Warwick (Lead), University of Birmingham, University of Leicester, Aston University, Harper Adams University
University of Liverpool (Lead), Newcastle University, Durham University, Newcastle Liverpool Durham (NLD) Dr Carolyn O’Leary University of Liverpool (Lead), Newcastle University, Durham University AHDB, AIMES, Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Livestock, Centre for Process Innovation, FERA Science Ltd, KWS UK Ltd, Proctor and Gamble, Tesco
John Innes Centre (Lead), University of East Anglia, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Earlham Institute, The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Food Standards Agency, Public Health England, IBM Research UK, Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa – ILRI Hub, The Forum Trust, The SAW Trust, Agri-Tech East, Anglia Innovation Partnership, New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership
Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience DTP
University of Oxford (Lead), Oxford Brookes University, The Pirbright Institute, Diamond Light Source, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Research Complex Harwell, STFC Central Laser Facility, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Novo Nordisk Research Oxford
University of Southampton (Lead), University of Kent, University of Sussex, University of Portsmouth, NIAB-EMR
South West Biosciences (SWBio) DTP
University of Bristol (Lead), University of Bath, Cardiff University, University of Exeter, Rothamsted Research, University of West of England, Swansea University, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Marine Biological Association, SETsquared Bristol, UCB Pharma
The University of Manchester DTP
Manchester Science Partnership, Bionow, University of Toronto, University of Melbourne
University of Nottingham (Lead), Nottingham Trent University, National Biofilm Innovation Centre, Rothamsted, Research Complex Harwell, Diamond Light Source, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, NIAB-EMR, Centre for Process Innovation, BioCity, Albumedix
White Rose Mechanistic Biology DTP
University of Leeds (Lead), University of York, University of Sheffield, Research Complex Harwell, Rosalind Franklin Institute, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies
BBSRC DTP National Productivity Investment Fund Studentships Allocations
East of Scotland Bioscience DTP
Imperial College London DTP
London Interdisciplinary Doctoral programme
Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership
Newcastle University DTP
Norwich Research Park
Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience DTP
South West Biosciences DTP
University of Cambridge DTP
The University of Manchester DTP