Aug 17, 2023, 10:54 AM by Arnaud Legrand

We are pleased to share a range of valuable training opportunities with you. Please find them detailed below:

 

Intercalated PhD Pathway

We are pleased to inform you that the Convergence Science Intercalated PhD (iPhD) Pathway programme, jointly presented by Imperial College London and the Institute of Cancer Research, is open for proposals!

 

1. Convergence Science Intercalated PhD Pathway - Preliminary Applications

This unique offering empowers outstanding medical undergraduates aspiring towards clinical academic careers, seamlessly integrating a PhD within their medical education journey. The studentships are fully funded, encompassing a generous stipend, home fees, and a fixed consumables rate over three years. This opportunity welcomes applications from both Imperial and ICR supervisors. The proposed research should exemplify pioneering convergence science. The studentships span three years and are open to cross-institutional and multidisciplinary supervisory teams. Additionally, Imperial academics from distinct disciplines collaborating are eligible to apply. We kindly urge you to carefully review the application guidance before initiating the application process. The deadline for proposal submission is September 29th, 2023.

 

2. Supervisor Connection Meeting - Thursday 7th September 2023.

Recognising the immense potential for fruitful collaborations between supervisors from both institutions, we are organising a meeting on 7th September 2023. This meeting will be held in person at the Centre (Roderic Hill building, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ) but there will be the potential for a hybrid meeting. The central objective of this meeting is to facilitate the creation of cross-institutional supervision teams. By showcasing the wide range of engineering and physical sciences expertise coupled with cutting-edge cancer research, we aim to spark the development of novel research proposals. Participating supervisors will have the platform to present two slides on their research, fostering connections and integrating approaches to shape future PhD research proposals. If you are interested in participating, kindly confirm your attendance by emailing the Convergence Science Centre at icr-imperial-convergence.centre@imperial.ac.uk no later than 5th September 2023.

 

Non-Clinical PhD Pathway

Our call for Imperial and ICR supervisors to submit projects for our next non-clinical Convergence PhD cohort is open until 13th September 2023!

The Cancer Research UK Convergence Science Centre PhD Programme aims to train the next generation of convergence scientists by supporting novel and impactful PhD proposals that will equip students with cutting-edge research skills. Trainees will be supervised by experts in cancer biology and engineering and physical sciences (EPS). Please note that each project must have at least one supervisor from the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and one from Imperial College London.

We understand that finding a partner from a different discipline and institution can be challenging. Therefore, the Centre is committed to helping you find your perfect match. If you wish to use our matchmaking service, please submit a one-pager document summarising your idea and, if possible, the expertise you are seeking. Our team will use their knowledge to guide you to the best match. Submit your one-pager to icr-imperial-convergence.centre@imperial.ac.uk as soon as possible to ensure we have enough time to assist you.

 

What is available?

We are pleased to announce funding for our highly competitive non-clinical PhD Studentships, which include a fixed annual stipend of £23,000, a research consumables budget, and home fees for four years. While funding for overseas fees is not provided, offers can be made to overseas students if they secure support for the difference in international fees.

 

What are we looking for?

We seek proposals suitable for a four-year PhD project aligned with our strategic thematic area: "Visualise and localise cancer at microscale." We invite applications aimed at advancing cancer detection at microscale, focusing on early stages of the disease and microlesions (including marginal residues, dormant lesions, and metastases). Proposals can explore various physical, mathematical, or chemical approaches, applied clinically or preclinically, for tracking and imaging microscopic tumour lesions. This may encompass medical or surgical imaging, chemical tracking, artificial intelligence-assisted imaging, or any technology or methodology applied to detecting and localising microscopic cancer sites.

Proposals must:

• Address a challenge in cancer within our thematic area.
• Be novel, high quality, and original.
• Be feasible for a PhD student to complete within four years.
• Take a convergence science approach for joint investigator-led projects, providing students with training in multiple disciplines and integrating novel ideas from different fields.

We encourage applications from early-career researchers who meet institutional requirements for supervising a PhD and will have tenure for the duration of the studentship.

 

Key dates:

Application deadline: 13th September 2023

Outcome: 2nd October 2023

 

For further information, please refer to our PhD Application Guidelines and associated application form available on our website.

Should you have any questions or require further clarifications, please feel free to reach out to us at icr-imperial-convergence.centre@imperial.ac.uk.