About the programme
Established in 1983, the EMBL International PhD Programme provides students with the best starting platform for a successful career in science. Characterised by first-class training, internationality, dedicated mentoring and early independence in research, it is among the world's most competitive PhD training schemes. All of EMBL's five outstations participate in the programme.
EMBL-EBI provides a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary environment in which research and service provision are closely allied. We are a world leader in bioinformatics research and service provision, as we are at the centre of global efforts to collect and disseminate biological data. We share a campus with the Wellcome Trust's Sanger Institute, 12 miles south of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and hold an Open Day every year in the autumn. You can read our Our Research at a Glance brochure to learn about current research at EMBL.
EMBL PhD students at EMBL-EBI are members of the University of Cambridge and one of its colleges. They receive their degree from Cambridge University; the programme is coordinated in Heidelberg with local support at EBI. Please visit the EMBL International PhD Programme pages to learn about how to apply.
Information on the PhD projects available at the EMBL-EBI can be found here.
The next selection round takes place in Spring 2014, for studentships starting in or soon after October 2014. This round is now open.
Students admitted to the University of Cambridge BBSRC DTP Programme for PhD study are also eligible to apply to work at EBI for their main 3-year PhD project that follows the programme's initial MRes (training courses and rotations) year.
PhD project timeline
EMBL PhD students receive theoretical and practical training, and conduct a research project under the supervision of an EMBL faculty member, monitored by a Thesis Advisory Committee. The duration of PhD studies is normally 3.5 to 4 years.
| Year 1 | EMBL Predoctoral Core Course in Molecular Biology for all PhD students |
|---|---|
| Primers for predocs for EBI PhD students only | |
| Nomination of a Thesis Advisory Committee to monitor student progress | |
| Submit and defend a Project Proposal ['Qualifying Assessment'] | |
| Year 2 | Second annual report to the Thesis Advisory Committee |
| Year 3 | Third annual report submitted to the Thesis Advisory Committee. |
| Year 3/4 | Write and submit thesis; PhD awarded following committee approval and successful completion of an oral examination. |
EMBL International PhD Programme
- The EMBL PhD Programme
- Research topics at EMBL
- Statutes of the EMBL International PhD Programme
- Admissions
- EMBL-EBI PhD students’ theses online
- Once accepted in to the EMBL International PhD Programme, students should register with the University of Cambridgeand apply to a college
- Our programme is currently included in the University’s Graduate Studies prospectus under bioinformatics, computational biology and molecular biology
- University of Cambridge Board of Graduate Studies
- Graduate School of Life Sciences
- University of Cambridge alternative prospectus