SoCoBio BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership Scholarships at University of Sussex in UK 2023

Project details:

The University of Sussex is a member of the SoCoBio Doctoral Training Partnership, funded by the Biotechnology and Biosciences Research Council (BBSRC).

You will have supervisors from at least 2 SoCoBio partner institutions and will follow the 4 year SoCoBio training programme with taught modules and two laboratory rotations in year one.

You apply to the SoCoBio programme rather than to a specific project, although you can express an interest in a particular theme or project.  There is a choice of 3 types of projects – standard projects, CASE studentships (with involvement from a non-academic partner) and industry co-funded studentships (with substantial investment from the non-academic partner).

If you are accepted onto the programme, you will be matched with your project from the start if you are awarded an industry co-funded scholarship.  However, most students will select two four-month laboratory rotations and will register at the host of their first rotation. Their second rotation can be at the same or at a different host and towards the end of this second rotation, you will decide on your PhD project and supervisor.

Worth of Award

• Successful applicants for the Doctoral Training Partnership Scholarships follow a four-year research skills training programme and will have their UK PhD tuition fees and living allowance (currently £15,609 for 2022-23) covered for the four years.
• They will also have access to further funds for research expenses.
• They will benefit from laboratory rotations in year one, a placement, taught modules in entrepreneurship and data management and from Socobio summer schools and conferences.
• While international students are eligible to apply, BBSRC scholarship funding covers only UK fees. The consortium is currently investigating whether it will be able to offer a small number of fee waivers covering the balance between UK and international fees.

Eligibility

• SoCoBio studentships are open to UK and Overseas students according to the latest UKRI student eligibility rules. Up to 30% of each cohort of students may be Overseas students, but Overseas PhD fees are not covered by the BBSRC scholarship and the consortium is investigating whether it can offer a small number of international fee waivers.

You count as a UK student if you are :

• a UK national who has been living in the UK or EU for the three years prior to starting your course;
• an EU national with Settled Status;
• an EU national with Pre-Settled status who has been living in the UK or the EU for 3 years prior to starting your course;
• a student with Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK;
• an Irish National (due to a reciprocal agreement with the UK)

All other students (e.g. EU nationals moving to the UK to start their PhD) will count as Overseas students.