Diverse Talent Scholarships

The White Rose BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) in Mechanistic Biology brings together world-class molecular and cellular bioscience centres at the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York, offering PhD studentships in cutting-edge molecular, genetic and biochemical research. We are committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive environment within our postgraduate research programme. As such, we have created the Diverse Talent Scholarship scheme as part of the White Rose Doctoral Training Programme, which aims to provide support for candidates with outstanding potential, from diverse backgrounds, especially those who may not have previously considered a PhD as a viable option.

Are you on course to graduate in a relevant Bachelor or Master degree programme with an upper second class/merit or higher? Have you reached this point in your education from a diverse background, or by an unconventional route? If so, we would strongly encourage you to apply for the Diverse Talent Scholarships.

We offer a 4-year, fully-funded PhD studentship, with a programme of integrated research and skills training, including a 3-month professional internship with an external organisation.  The studentships are fully funded for four years and it is expected you will complete your PhD within this four-year time period. You will receive a minimum ‘stipend’ of £18,622 per year (based on current rates) for your living costs, which is paid to you in regular instalments. The stipend tax free and does not need to be paid back (it is not a loan). In addition, your tuition fees and lab costs are paid by the studentship. As a DTS applicant you will follow a slightly different application process to be awarded your PhD. However once you start your PhD you will be fully integrated into the White Rose DTP. We are awarding 4 DTS studentships for the October 2024 intake.

To apply for this opportunity, please complete the application form at: https://leeds.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/white-rose-diverse-talent-scholarship-application-form

NB: Due to the funding conditions, this opportunity is only available to UK citizens, or long-term residents of the UK with indefinite right to remain.

You will be asked to provide a contextual statement of 100-200 words to tell us about your background and route into higher education. This information will help us with the decisions made by our selection panel during the short-listing for interviews. You may like to tell us about any of the following circumstances: your ethnic background; if you are in the first generation of your family to go to university; if you are from a low-income background; if you are a care leaver; if you have a disability; if you have followed an unconventional route into higher education. You will also be asked to write a maximum of 400 words about your research interests, as well as providing information on your education and experience to date.

The application process is distinct from the standard DTP allocation: rather than choosing a specific project to apply for, instead you will apply to the DTS programme. If you are shortlisted to interview for the programme we will then ask you to specify three projects that interest you.

An indicative list of the type of PhD projects available at Leeds, Sheffield and York is available at the Standard Studentships page below. Please note that this is an indicative list only – we cannot guarantee that every project listed will be available to DTS applicants as the project may have already been filled. However if the findaphd.com link to a project (listed on the page below) says that the “project is no longer listed on findaphd.com and may not be available” this doesn’t necessarily mean that it has already been filled – rather the primary application deadline for it has passed which is not applicable to DTS applicants. We will endeavour to update the list of projects that remain available to DTS applicants as soon as possible. Once you have been shortlisted for interview for the DTS programme you can then specify your favourite 3 projects from this list.

Standard Studentships

Your application will include details of your academic background, as well as your statement of research interests and a contextual statement. We will also request the names of two referees (usually academics) who can support your application by telling us about your potential. A DTP selection panel representing the Universities of York, Sheffield, and Leeds will assess these documents and invite the best candidates for interview.

Questions? Email t.a.bennett@leeds.ac.uk

Key Dates and Deadlines

Applications open: Monday 22nd January 2024

Applications close: Sunday 17th March 2024 at midnight

Online interviews: w/c 8th April 2024

Successful candidates will be notified shortly after.