South West Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (BBSRC)

Program Overview

The South West Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (SWBio DTP) is a collaborative doctoral program that provides interdisciplinary research training in three themes: bioscience discovery, sustainable agriculture, and integrated health understanding. Students participate in taught units, rotation projects, and full-time research, alongside cohort activities. Graduates of the program are well-prepared for research careers in academia or industry, as well as roles in NGOs, teaching, public engagement, or government.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The South West Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (SWBio DTP) is a collaborative program led by the University of Bristol, along with the Universities of Bath, Cardiff, and Exeter, and Rothamsted Research. The partnership also includes the Marine Biological Association (MBA), Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), Swansea University, UCB Pharma, University of the West of England (UWE), and SETsquared Bristol. The program aims to provide students with outstanding interdisciplinary research training within the following themes:

• Advancing the frontiers of bioscience discovery
• Bioscience for sustainable agriculture and food
The research training is underpinned by transformative technologies, allowing students to expand the boundaries of their research through innovative tools, technologies, and approaches.

Outline:

The program structure is as follows:

• Year 1: Students complete three co-localized taught units and two rotation projects, providing a broad awareness of fundamental research approaches in life sciences and their application to real-life situations.
• Years 2-4: Students undertake full-time research, typically based in the research group of their main supervisor.

Careers:

Students who complete the program are likely to enter research careers within academia or industry, or careers in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), teaching, public engagement, or government.

Other:

• The program duration is up to four years full-time.
• The start date is September 2024.
• The application deadline is mid-October 2023.
• The program is delivered on-campus in Clifton and Langford.
• Students must submit their thesis by the end of year four.
• Students participate in a three-month full-time placement (or part-time equivalent) outside of an academic research environment.
• The University of Bristol is ranked fifth for research in the UK (Times Higher Education).
• 94% of the university's research is assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Fees and funding

UK: full-time £4,758 per year Overseas: full-time £26,000 per year For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year. More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.