Frequently Asked Questions

Home, EU and international students are all eligible to apply. We have funding available for up to 30% of our cohort for EU and international applicants. That is approximately 10 studentship places per year. All MRC DTP studentships are fully funded; including tuition fees, stipend and bench fee. If you are unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria, contact our Admissions Team clarification.

The programme welcomes applications from a diverse range of backgrounds. Applicants will be reviewed on qualifications, experience and potential to undertake a research degree.

The minimum entrance qualification is an Upper Second Class Honours degree in a relevant subject, or an equivalent overseas qualification. Applicants who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements may be admitted if they hold an alternative qualification of an equivalent or higher level in a relevant subject, or can prove relevant professional experience which demonstrates that the applicant can follow and complete the programme.

The MRC-DTP in Biomedical Sciences is a non-clinical programme and is designed for non-clinical students to undertake their PhD, as the programme does not allow time for clinical duties.

However, if an applicant with a clinical degree is not clinically active, they can apply, and they will be assessed against our criteria as to whether they are suitable for our programme.

Note: The appropriate route for clinicians to undertake a PhD with MRC funding is through the Clinical Research Training Fellowship scheme, which aims to support clinicians (including medics, surgeons, dentists, allied health professionals and nurses) who are currently undertaking their speciality training.

The MRC DTP Studentship is fully funded for both home and overseas students, this award includes covering the full tuition fee amount per year, including any international fee rate.

No. It is students responsibility to cover these costs.

Please visit the King’s College London Student Visa Interactive Guide for more information.

Before your start date at KCL, home and overseas students will need to register with a local GP (General Practitioner). You may want to get familiar with the NHS website, where you will find useful information and advice on how to get help and medical care as a student.

Yes. Please upload your predicted grades as part of your application. If successful at interview stage you will receive a conditional offer. Your offer status will update to an unconditional offer after your certificates/transcripts have been received by the Admissions Team.

If you are unsure, please contact the Admissions Team via the messaging service on the portal.

Yes, please input up to 3 projects on the application form. These can be a mix of Core & iCASE projects.

Applying to this programme is a two-stage process.

Stage One consists of completing an online application form to inform us of your qualifications and relevant experience, your motivation for applying and your future career plans.

Applications will be reviewed and successful candidates will be contacted by email and invited to progress to Stage Two.

To access the Stage One Application Form please visit the Application Process Page. Please note, you should first prepare your answers, using the Microsoft Word document provided on the Application Process Page prior to completing the online application form. Please do not submit the Microsoft Word document. Applications will only be accepted via the online application form.

Your references must contain contact details for two academic referees or relevant employers in research institutions/companies (we will then contact your referees directly). Note that academic referees must have university email addresses and employer references should have the official email address of the company (gmail, hotmail etc addresses are not acceptable).

In some cases, we understand that this is not always possible to provide. Please read below for further information:

Do I have to have two academic referees?

If the candidate is a current/recent student then we expect two academic references. If they have worked (and this could include a year in industry during their studies) then one of the referees could be a line manager.

Can I use a potential supervisor as a referee?

We are instructing candidates not to do this (there may be exceptions where this is permissible,  we advise a candidate to contact us to explain why they cannot find another referee).

Can a PhD student be my referee?

A PhD student is not appropriate. If a student has worked under the supervision of a post-doc that would be acceptable.

Please have a look at the Application Timeline page for the main deadline as well as detailed information on the application stages. Applications submitted after the closing date will not be considered.

We advise that you do not wait to submit your application until close to the deadline, in case there are problems with uploading documents etc. Applications missing mandatory attachments may not be considered for shortlisting.

On your application you must provide the contact details of two academic referees. If you feel it would be more appropriate, we can accept one reference from a non-academic research environment, e.g.: an employer from a research institution or company.

To avoid any conflict of interest, please do NOT name as a referee any supervisor whose project you are likely to choose from in the project catalogue. References from prospective supervisors will be discounted, and therefore disadvantage your application.

Academic references must list a university email address and employer referees should list the official email address of the company. Be sure to start your application before the deadline and contact your referees to let them know we will be requesting a reference from them.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure references are submitted to mrc-dtp@kcl.ac.uk

Referees will only be contacted if applicants have successfully been invited to interview.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure references are submitted to mrc-dtp@kcl.ac.uk by the application deadline. We advise to submit your application before the deadline and contact your referees to let them know we will be requesting a reference from them.

You do not need to take an English Language Test before making submitting the application. However, should you be successful in gaining a place of the programme, this will become a condition of your offer and an IELTS test must be taken before we can make an unconditional offer.

Further information is available on English Language requirements.

All available PhD Projects for next year’s September Entry will be advertised on our Projects Page from early October. There are four project catalogues: one per theme. Only projects listed in the coming year’s catalogues are available for funding.

The MRC Doctoral Training Partnership will award a number of fully-funded MRC postgraduate research studentships to support research and training in Biomedical and Translational Science. We offer two types of studentships: MRC DTP Studentships (available as a one-year MRes followed by a PhD (‘1+3’), or as a 4-year PhD (‘0+4’)). If we do not fill all of our studentship places in our October – January recruitment round, we may run another recruitment process in the Spring.

The MRC DTP also open applications for MRC DTP iCASE Studentships – these studentships are available full-time (or pro-rata as part-time studentships) as a 4-year PhD. iCASE Studentships follow the same recruitment timeline as our standard studentships but will have individual iCASE Projects on offer. iCASE Projects are only available as a 4-year PhD (not as a one-year MRes followed by a PhD ‘1+3’).

Student choice and flexibility is core foundation of the KCL MRC DTP. We ask students to list three projects of interest, in order of preference, to ensure they have the flexibility to conduct further research via discussions with supervisors; we appreciate that applicants may change their preference via this process and do not hold students to the choices listed on their application as being those they select if offered a place on the programme.

Please have a look at the Application Timeline page.

Please have a look at the Application Timeline page for detailed information on shortlisting as well as each of the application stages.

If you have not been informed of the outcome by the dates provided in the Application Timeline page, please contact the MRC DTP Team.

Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams. Candidates may be required to deliver a presentation via sharing their screen. We advise all applicants to familiarise themselves with Microsoft Teams prior to interview. 

Each Theme of the MRC DTP host their own interview days and so the exact format in which the days are run will differ slightly across the themes.

• Applicants will be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation and to present this to the panel.
• Applicants will be asked to critically evaluate a research paper in a discussion scenario with the panel; applicants invited to interview will receive the paper when they are invited to interview.
• Applicants will be asked to address interview questions relating to their application to the programme.

When invited to interview, candidates are expected to arrange their own meetings with supervisors they are interested in working with; the meetings will not be organised nor facilitated by the MRC DTP Team nor the supervisors. You will find the contact details of all supervisors who have projects available on the Projects page – applicants are to contact supervisors to arrange a convenient time to discuss their project in greater depth.

You can contact supervisors at stage one. For example, if you need to refine the potential fit, ask questions about the project, and see if it would fit with your plans. This would be especially important if you wanted to do a 0+4. Depending on the reply you receive we would suggest you then organise a meeting with the supervisors if you are successful to stage two.

Please ensure that you include your MSc as part of the Education section of the application. Documents can be uploaded at a later date once you have them. Please upload the certificate/transcripts from your Undergraduate Degree as part of your application. If you are unsure, please contact the Admissions Team via the messaging service on the portal.

The Admissions Team can add any attachments to your application if you send it as an attachment to a message via the King’s Apply portal. If you have any problems, please get in touch with mrc-dtp@kcl.ac.uk for support.

If you require any assistance:

• Yet to Apply? Contact King’s Advisors via telephone on +44 (0)207 123 4843 or by email.
• Already Applied to King’s? Send a message on King’s Apply. It can take up to 1 week to receive a response to messages at this time.
• Current Student? Contact King’s via the Student Services Online Helpdesk.

Please have a look at the Application Timeline page for the date by which you will be informed about the outcome of your interview as well as detailed information on each application stage.

You may request individual feedback from your interview panel.

If offered a place on the MRC DTP, the pathway that you choose (1+3 or 0+4) will be made following a discussion between the student and the theme lead to decide which training route is most suitable for the student’s training needs.

Following acceptance of the offer of a place, King’s Apply will be updated to initiate the formal acceptance process. All applicants will receive an offer letter from the KCL Admissions Department. For students joining the straight PhD pathway, the official offer will be conditional on submitting a complete Project Approval Form (PAF). The MRC DTP Team will guide you and your co-supervisors through completing this document and the deadlines to meet for submission.

All international students (including EU/EEA/Swiss students who do not qualify for Home Fees Status) need to apply for a “Student Visa” to study in the UK. The Student Visa has replaced the Tier 4 visa, as of the 5th October 2020.

When to apply

King’s Admissions Office will contact you via King’s Apply from June onwards, and once your offer is unconditional to start the visa process.

Applying from outside the UK

You’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

Applying from inside the UK

You must apply before your current visa expires. Your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring. You’ll usually get a decision within 8 weeks.

Please note that visa costs are not covered by the MRC DTP and you need to be able to meet those costs through your own funds.

This guide managed by the Student Visa and International Advice team at King’s College London can help you choose the correct visa for your studies.

Information about costs associated to a Student Visa applications can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa

Specific information about extending your Visa from inside the UK can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/extend-your-visa

Specific information about switching to a Student Visa from another Visa if you are already in the UK can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/switch-to-this-visa

Additional related costs for the Immigration Health Surcharge can be found at: https://www.immigration-health-surcharge.service.gov.uk/checker/type

Please note that these figures and the information are subject to frequent changes.

If you have any additional query you are invited to contact the King’s Admissions Office via King’s Apply, or the International Student Advice team at King’s College London (advice@kcl.ac.uk).

Yes! All new students will be assigned a buddy before you arrive. Your buddy will be a current MRC DTP student; they will send you regular updates about what’s going on in the programme and you can keep in touch with any questions you have. In the early Summer, you will receive an invitation to select the training workshops you would like to attend in your first year on the programme (via email invitation) and our MRC DTP Coordinator will be in touch over the Summer to complete paperwork etc. You can also follow our social media channels and get in touch with the team with any enquiries; visit our ‘Contact us’ page.