THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE BEHAVIOURAL AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE (BCNI)
MRC DOCTORAL TRAINING GRANT STUDENTSHIPS (3 years each)
Expressions of interest are invited for two or three MRC Doctoral Training Grant Studentships (3 years each) at the Behavioural & Clinical Neuroscience Institute (BCNI; Director Prof. TW Robbins and Clinical Director: Prof ET Bullmore). These MRC studentships cover university and college fees, an annual stipend at current MRC rates (£13,726 for UK citizens), and a contribution towards research expenses and some incidental costs. The start date for these studentships is 1st October 2013.
The BCNI (jointly funded by the U.K. Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust) is the leading translational interface at Cambridge University in the domain of neuropsychiatry. The BCNI is an interdisciplinary group of neuroscientists in the University of Cambridge working together to understand the behavioural, cognitive and neurobiological basis of psychiatric and neurological disorders with a view to translate basic research into clinically relevant deliverables, including especially pharmacological treatment. The BCNI has strong themes of neuroimaging research, including cellular and systems imaging (with MR, PET and EEG) and of neuropsychopharmacology. The main aim is to optimise translational neuroscience studies across species with a focus on mental health, in particular impulsive/compulsive disorders, including drug addiction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD); disorders at the cognitive-emotional interface such as psychosis, depression and anxiety and cognitive disorders, such as in dementia and schizophrenia.
The BCNI comprises approximately 200 research members led by 20-30 senior academic affiliates spread across basic departments (Dept. Psychology and Dept. Physiology, Development and Neuroscience) and the Clinical School (Dept. Psychiatry, Dept. Clinical Neurosciences and the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre).
Please contact the BCNI Research administrator, Dr Mercedes Arroyo ma10027@cam.ac.uk, for a list of profiles and contact details of members of the BCNI pleased to consider applications from prospective PhD students.
The BCNI PhD studentships are open to researchers from both pre-clinical and clinical background.
Eligibility:
- Applicants should have, or expect to achieve an upper-second or first-class degree in a relevant subject.
- Applicants must be UK nationals ordinarily resident in the UK.
- EU nationals are eligible for fees only awards. No stipend is payable.
- An EU national with a relevant connection to the UK may be eligible to receive a stipend. A relevant connection can be established if an individual has been ordinarily resident in the UK throughout the three years preceding the date of application.
- Non-EU or overseas citizens are not eligible and such students should not apply.
- For further information about eligibility please consult the MRC website at: http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Fundingopportunities/Applicanthandbook/Studentships/Eligibility/index.htm.
How to apply
- Applicants must identify a potential supervisor and make email contact prior to submitting an application. Please contact the BCNI Research Administrator, Dr Mercedes Arroyo ma10027@cam.ac.uk , for a list of profiles and contact details of members of the BCNI pleased to consider applications from prospective PhD students.
- Applicants are asked to submit an electronic expression of interest to Dr Mercedes Arroyo, BCNI Research Administrator, ma10027@cam.ac.uk . The expression of interest should comprise a curriculum vitae stating the applicant’s citizenship; transcripts to date; the name of their potential BCNI supervisor(s); the names of two recent academic referees (one of whom should have been their project supervisor), and a brief outline of their proposed research. Regarding this research proposal, applicants are advised to aim for a proposal of approximately 1500-2000 words covering Title, Background, Hypothesis, Aims/Objectives, Methodology, Expected Outcomes and References. However please note that this is just a general guideline: Applicants and their respective potential supervisor would determine the final format, content and length of the research proposal.
Closing Date: 17th March 2013
Please note that only successful applicants will be contacted regarding the outcome of this competition.