Applications are now closed for 25/26. Projects for the October 2026 intake will be advertised from September 2025.
Our eligibility page covers information for both UK and international applicants.
Academic Requirements
All applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper-second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of medical sciences. Applicants with a lower second class will only be considered if they also have a Master’s degree OR an equivalent, high-quality provision of evidence related to professional practice. The DTP also welcomes students from non-medical backgrounds, especially in areas of:
- medical sciences
- computing
- mathematics
- physical sciences
Please check the entry requirements of the home institution for each project before completing your application. Academic qualifications are considered alongside significant relevant non-academic experience.
International Students
GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP studentships are available to UK and International applicants. Following Brexit, the UKRI now classifies EU students as international unless they have rights under the EU Settlement Scheme.
The GW4 partners have all agreed to cover the difference in cost between home and international tuition fees. This means that international candidates will not be expected to cover the fee difference – their fees will be fully funded. Importantly:
- All studentships will be competitively awarded
- There is a limit to the number of international students we can accept onto our programme (up to 30% cap across our partnership per annum)
International applicants also need to be aware that they will be required to cover the cost of their student visa, NHS healthcare surcharges and other costs of relocating to the UK to do a PhD Successful international candidates will receive support in navigating the process of applying for a study visa by their home university. Costs related to the visa application process are not provided by the DTP.
When completing the application form, please convert any qualifications awarded outside the UK to the UK equivalent using the table here. If you are unable to find your qualification or country listed on the table, please email the DTP at GW4BioMed@cardiff.ac.uk to request a conversion. This may take up to 2 weeks to process.
Please complete the application form in English only.
English Language Requirements
If English is not your first language, you will need to meet the English language requirements of the university that will host your PhD. Please refer to the relevant university guidance for further information:
You are not required to provide evidence of compliance with this requirement at the time of your application. If successful, you will need to provide your English Language qualification documents to your university to gain an offer to study in Spring 2025.
