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BBSRC Midlands Innovative Biosciences Training Partnership

BBSRC Midlands Innovative Biosciences Training Partnership

Qualification: PhD

Application deadline: 22 June 2022

Start date: 26 September 2022

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 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.

All MIBTP scholars will join a programme of skills training in year 1. Applicants are required to select an area of study (Sustainable Agriculture and Food, Understanding the Rules of Life, Renewable Resources and Clean Growth or Integrated Understanding of Health) but may join the programme with or without selecting a preferred project. Part of the skills training programme includes short rotation projects and students are able to choose a PhD project once they have experienced these differing research environments.

Eligibility, funding advice and the application process can be found in the tabs towards the bottom of the page please read these carefully before submitting your application.

Please note we are unable to consider new applications from previous 2022 MIBTP applicants.

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 early in the year for September/October start.

MIBTP Projects for September 2022

Projects currently available for September 2022.

Primary Supervisor : Dr Doug Barrett PhD project title : Evaluating the contributions of age-related changes in sensory acuity and cognitive control on the speed and accuracy of visual search

Primary Supervisor: Dr Sandra Beleza PhD project title: Determining the epidemiology and molecular evolution of antimicrobial drug resistance in Cape Verde

Primary Supervisor : Professor Martha Clokie PhD project title : Developing novel phage-based techniques for removing spoilage bacteria from meat products

Primary Supervisor : Professor Martha Clokie PhD project title : Phages as the ultimate puppeteers of bacterial metabolism

Primary Supervisor : Dr Ed Galyov PhD project title : Beyond antibiotics: the development of a phage cocktail to prevent and treat foot rot disease of sheep

Primary Supervisor: Dr Andrew Millard PhD project title: T he development of phage-based vaccines for animal health

Primary Supervisor: Dr Andrew Millard PhD project title: Understanding the biology of how a promiscuous vibriophage, pirates host metabolism

Primary Supervisor : Dr James Higgins PhD project title : CRISPR/Cas mediated chromosome engineering in Arabidopsis

Primary Supervisor : Professor Galina Mukamolova PhD project title : Can Mycobacteria help solve the global crisis of phosphorus bioavailability?

Primary Supervisor : Professor Chris Bayliss PhD project title : Understanding the Functional Effects of Genetic Variation in the Promoters of Bacterial Pathogens

Primary Supervisor : Professor Julie Morrissey PhD project title : The impact of air pollution on bacterial infection and host immune responses.

Primary Supervisor : Professor Julie Morrissey PhD project title : The role of copper antimicrobial resistance in Staphylococcus aureus infection

Primary Supervisor : Dr Kayoko Tanaka PhD project title : Obtaining molecular insights of effector competition of oncogenic RAS signalling

Primary Supervisor : Dr Salvador Macip PhD project title : Ameliorating ageing and age-related diseases by targeting senescence and the p53 pathway.

Primary Supervisor : Dr Cyril Dominguez PhD project title : Molecular characterization of Sam68-driven cytoskeletal reorganization

Primary Supervisor : Dr Claire Hutchinson PhD project title : Improving visual perceptual decision-making in an ageing population

Primary Supervisor : Professor Andrew Hudson PhD project title : Understanding the role of haem in the mediation of circadian rhythmicity

Primary Supervisor : Dr James Hodgkinson PhD project title : Small molecule chemical probes for the targeted degradation of dual epigenetic proteins towards novel anti-cancer therapeutics

Primary Supervisor : Dr Hanna Kwon PhD project title : Elucidating dye decolorising peroxidase mechanism by time-resolved electron microscopy

Primary Supervisor : Professor Flaviano Giorgini PhD project title : Exploiting single-cell RNA sequencing to clarify the interplay of neurons and glia in neurodegeneration

Primary Supervisor : Dr Joanna Fox PhD project title : Structural-guided PROTAC targeting of BMX for the treatment of cancer

Primary Supervisor : Dr Ezio Rosato PhD project title : Network interactions shape the circadian clock in Drosophila melanogaster

Primary Supervisor : Dr Carlo De Lillo PhD project title : Assessing and reducing age-related cognitive decline using evolutionarily relevant foraging tasks and brain stimulation

Primary Supervisor : Dr David Souto PhD project title : Developing biologically plausible models of eye movement control and visual processing in reading

Primary Supervisor : Dr Ko-Fan Chen PhD project title : Unravelling the interplay between sleep disruption and stress response using neurogenetics

Primary Supervisor : Dr Thomas Schalch PhD project title: Unlocking fundamental principles of chromatin signalling

Funding

All MIBTP students will be provided with a 4 years studentship.

Studentships include:

Tuition fees at UK rate*
a tax free stipend which for 2022/3 will be £16,062
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 must be able to fund the difference between UK and International fees for the duration of their studies. The difference in fees for 2022/23 entry will be £16,404.

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

Application enquiries

pgradmissions@le.ac.uk

You may find answers to your questions on the FAQs.

How to apply

Previous 2022 MIBTP applicants are not eligible to apply

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

Please apply using the guidelines below:

Check your eligibility
Complete and submit your Leicester PhD application using the Apply Button at the bottom of the page.* Select September 2022 in the drop down menu. (NB The online application will show Genetics regardless of the project you apply for. The academic department may change at the point of offer)
Please notify MIBTP of your application by completing the online application notification form, ensuring that you upload a current CV to the form. This ensures that all applications are processed, especially if applying through a different department.
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.
In the funding section of the application select STUDENTSHIP. In the drop down menu select BBSRC MIBTP

Interview dates to be confirmed.

Eligibility

Residence requirements for all MIBTP studentships

From the 2021/22 academic year UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding is open to both UK and International research students as detailed on the UKRI website.

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.

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.

See the full eligibility criteria for further information.

International students

Students who do not meet the criteria for home / UK student, above, would be classed as an international student.
International students will need to be able to fund the difference between UK and International fees for the duration of study