Postgraduate research

BBSRC Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership

Qualification: PhD

Department: College of Life Sciences

Application deadline: Applications are now closed

Start date: 22 September 2025

Overview

The Midlands Integrative Biosciences (Doctoral) Training Partnership (MIBTP) is a BBSRC funded doctoral training partnership between University of Warwick, University of Birmingham, University of Leicester, Aston University, Coventry University and Harper Adams University. The universities are separate entities, but there is large and growing cooperation between partners. We recognise that interdisciplinarity underpins most significant research and that critical mass is vital to ensure impact globally.

As an MIBTP Scholar you will join a comprehensive Training Programme that runs concurrently with your PhD. You can browse all projects via the research themes, divided into specific areas within each theme: Sustainable Agriculture and Food, Understanding the Rules of Life, Renewable Resources and Clean Growth or Integrated Understanding of Health

Please refer to the list of available projects below.

Refer to the 'how to apply' section before submitting your application using the 'apply' link at the bottom of the page.

Doctoral training partnerships

Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) are multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional schemes designed to support the training of the next generation of world-class researchers. The University of Leicester is a lead partner in four DTPs/CDTs through which we can offer funded PhD studentships in a wide range of research areas.

Studentships are available to highly motivated and qualified applicants and provide a generous support package usually including a full fee waiver, annual stipend, and research training support grant. Studentships are in most cases offered for September/October start.

MIBTP Projects for September 2025

Dr Doug Barrett:  Cognition across the lifespan, the influence of sleep and exercise on sustained attention and proactive control in young, middle-age and older adults. (word doc 21kb)

Dr Sandra Beleza:  Evaluating the epidemiology, genetic basis and molecular evolution of antimicrobial drug resistance in Helicobacter pylori in a populational model  (word doc 20kb)

Dr Aurelio Bruno: Visual Adaptation: a key to understanding the sensory mechanisms of reading ability (word doc 19kb)

Dr Amanda Chaplin: Redefining the molecular mechanism of DNA double-strand break repair in humans (word doc 1,586 kb)

Dr Ko-Fan Chen: A gut feeling for a sleepy season? Roles of gut microbiota in seasonality of sleep (word doc 83kb)

Professor Martha Clokie: Impact of Hypermutability and Restriction-Modification by Campylobacter jejuni, a foodborne pathogen, on Bacteriophage Control Measures (word doc. 19kb)

Professor Shaun Cowley: Understanding HDAC1 recruitment into diverse multi-protein complexes (word doc 654kb)

Professor Cyril Dominguez: Structure and dynamics of the intrinsically disordered regions of the RNA binding protein Sam68: implication for RNA binding and phosphorylation. (word doc. 20kb)

Dr Richard Doveston: Molecular Glues as Novel Tools for Tackling Big Challenges in Human Health ( 20kb)

Professor Ian Eperon: Mechanisms of cold-dependent neuroprotection (word doc. 18kb)

Dr Roberto Feuda: Illuminating Mosquito Vision: From Evolution to Disease Control (word doc. 22kb)

Dr Fabian Freund: Understanding within-host genetic diversity and evolution of human-associated bacteria (word doc. 18kb)

Professor James Higgins: Engineering meiotic resilience to climate change in plants (word doc. 19kb)

Dr James T. Hodgkinson: Developing novel proximity-inducing molecules to modulate post-translational modifications  (word doc. 19kb)

Dr Richard Hopkinson: Evaluating the impact of chemically reactive metabolites in premature ageing (word doc.19kb)

Dr Christian Jenul: Beyond known characteristics: Moonlighting activity of natural products (word doc. 18kb)

Dr  Abhinav Koyamangalath Vadakkepat: Structural and Functional Analysis of Copper-Transporting ATPases in MRSA: Targets for Antimicrobial Intervention (word doc 796kb)

Dr Hanna Kwon: Unravelling the Mechanisms of Heme Delivery and Its Role in Cancer Biology (word doc 18kb)

Professor Salvador Macip: Ameliorating ageing, age-related diseases and cancer by targeting senescence and the p53 pathway. (word doc. 19kb)

Dr Robert Mahen: Understanding centriole assembly in diverse human cells using advanced imaging and genomics (word doc. 462kb)

Professor Eamonn Mallon: The Epigenetic Basis of Longevity: Calorie Restriction and Ageing in Nasonia vitripennis (word doc. 20kb)

Dr Yolanda Markaki: Epigenetics of early human development: From molecular mechanisms to regenerative medicine (word doc. 21kb)

Dr Hollie Marshall: Transgenerational epigenetic consequences of pollution exposure (word doc. 18kb)

Dr Andrew Millard: Genetic engineering of bacteriophages to understand their biology and utilise in biotech applications  (word doc. 88kb)

Professor Galina Mukamolova: Self control: Regulating expression of essential protein kinases in mycobacteria (word doc. 20kb)

Dr Anna Nowakowska: Exploring Visual Search Efficiency in a Multidimensional Framework (word doc. 20kb)

Dr Helen O’Hare: Activation of protein kinase G from Mycobacterium tuberculosis – uncovering molecular mechanisms by CryoEM (word doc. 18kb)

Professor Kevin Paterson: Effects of Cognitive Aging on Language Use and Comprehension: Gaining Insights from Eye-Tracking and EEG (word doc. 19kb)

Dr Patricia Rodriguez Macia: New Approaches to Investigate Substrate Binding and Reaction Mechanism of CO2-reducing Enzymes (word doc. 20kb)

Professor Ezio Rosato: Establishing black soldier flies as an efficient biodegrading agent (word doc. 318kb)

Professor Thomas Schalch: Uncovering the mechanisms of epigenetic regulators using cutting-edge molecular biology and advanced imaging methodologies  (word doc. 133kb)

Dr Katrin Schilcher:  Dynamics of Multispecies Interactions within Polymicrobial Infections: A one Health Perspective (word doc. 19kb)

Dr Kayoko Tanaka: Obtaining insights into how a signalling hub protein Ras activates multiple effectors (word doc.19kb)

Dr Michael Tellier: Unravelling age-related gene expression dysregulation through system biology and mathematical modelling. (word doc. 305kb)

Dr Harvinder Virk: Development of a robust, validated, non-animal derived toolbox to study the ageing immune system (word doc. 23kb)

Dr Harriet Walter and Dr Yolanda Markaki: Imaging the consequences of CD20 cross-linking in B cells using super-resolution microscopy (SRM) and Cryo-Electron Tomography (CryoET) (word doc. 268kb)

Dr Kayleigh Warrington: Understanding the onset and trajectory of age-related difficulties in reading: A visual and cognitive perspective (word doc. 19kb)

Professor Sarah White: Visual and oculomotor limitations on time pressured text comprehension: Implications for decision-making (word doc. 19kb)

Dr Hasan Yesilkaya: How does stress make us sick? (word doc. 19kb)

iCASE Project

Dr Abhinav Koyamangalath Vadakkepat: iCase: Structural and Molecular Characterisation of Jumbo Phage SPFM10 for the Development of Phage Therapy Against Non-Typhoidal Salmonella

Funding

Funding

All MIBTP students will be provided with a 4 year studentship:

This includes:

  • Tuition fees at the UK fee rate*
  • a tax free stipend which for 2024/5 is £19,237 per year (2025/6 stipend to be confirmed)
  • a travel allowance in year 1
  • a travel/conference budget
  • a generous consumables budget
  • use of a laptop for the duration of the programme.

* International students are welcome to apply but applicants must be able to fund the cost of travel to the UK, their visa and associated costs, and the healthcare supplement. The University of Leicester will provide full overseas fee waivers for the duration of their study to all international students accepted at Leicester. The funder, UKRI, allows us to appoint up to 30% overseas students.  

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

  • Those who have a 1st or a 2.1 undergraduate degree in a relevant field are eligible.
  • Evidence of quantitative training is required. For example, AS or A level Maths, IB Standard or Higher Maths, or university level maths/statistics course.
  • Those who have a 2.2 and an additional Masters degree in a relevant field may be eligible.
  • Those who have a 2.2 and at least three years post-graduate experience in a relevant field may be eligible.
  • Those with degrees abroad (perhaps as well as postgraduate experience) may be eligible if their qualifications are deemed equivalent to any of the above.

For further information please contact MIBTP@warwick.ac.uk.

University English language requirements apply.

Informal enquiries

Informal enquiries

Project enquiries

  • Please email the relevant supervisor. Email addresses are on the project descriptions.

Application enquiries

You may find answers to your questions on the FAQs.

How to apply

How to apply

Select the project you want to apply for from the project options. Alternatively you can simply apply to join the programme without choosing a project at the application stage.

Please apply using the guidelines below:

  1. Check your eligibility.
  2. Complete and submit your Leicester PhD application using the Apply Button at the bottom of the page. Select September 2025 in the drop down menu.
  3. Please complete EDI form as an expression of interest in MIBTP. This helps us monitor our EDI commitments at every step of the application process.
  4. Review the MIBTP Data Privacy Policy to understand how we process your personal data.

*In your Leicester PhD application please include:

  • Your A levels (or equivalent) including Maths - if all of your A levels are on one certificate please only upload it once
  • Degree level study including study not yet completed. Upload copies of all transcripts and degree certificates if available
  • CV
  • In the personal statement section explain why you would like to study for a PhD and why you are applying for MIBTP funding. Articulate your case in light of your academic and/or professional experience, including extracurricular courses, activities, placements, etc. you might have attended
  • Please make sure you enter the name of the primary supervisor/s in the Supervisor Section and the title of the project (or projects) in the Proposed project title section* so we know which projects you are applying for ( you do not need to include a research proposal and you do not need to submit separate online applications for more than one project just include the details of the projects as above.)
  • In the reference section please enter the contact details of your two academic referees in the boxes provided or upload letters of reference if already available. Project supervisors are not able to act as referees for applicants applying for their project.
  • In the funding section of the application select STUDENTSHIP. In the drop down menu select BBSRC MIBTP
  • If you are applying for an iCASE project please include iCASE with the project title. 

Interview dates to be confirmed.

Eligibility

Eligibility

student visa

Residence requirements for all MIBTP studentships

Awards for both UK residents and International applicants cover UK tuition fees and provide a stipend at the standard UKRI rate to support living costs.

MIBTP Funding covers UK tuition fees* and provide a stipend at the standard UKRI rate to support living costs.

Home/UK students

To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a UK national (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have settled status*, or
  • Have pre-settled status* (meeting residency requirement) or,
  • Have indefinite leave to remain or enter

*for applicants holding EU settled and pre-settled status we will require a share code so that we can verify your status (the share code we require starts with S)  please email your share code together with your application ID to pgradmissions@le.ac.uk  once you have submitted your PhD application.

International students

• Students who do not meet the criteria for home / UK student, above, would be classed as an international student. 
• The University of Leicester will provide full overseas fee waivers for the duration of their study to all international students accepted at Leicester. International students will require a student visa in order to be able to study in the UK. There are costs associated with the visa application process, which must be met by the student; approx £2500 for the visa and healthcare surcharge. Please ensure you have the means to meet these costs before you apply to the programme. 

See the full eligibility criteria for further information.

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