Opportunities

We advertise centrally-funded positions from the lab periodically, listed below, but a range of other routes into the group exist via external funding, particularly for PhD studentships: Cambridge runs a number of programmes that feed into our lab, though the list below is not exhaustive and you should do your own additional research. Almost every one of these runs through a competitive scheme with a fixed deadline, so please get in touch with us early. Send a short statement of research interests and a CV, and we will tell you honestly whether we can host you and discuss which scheme fits best. As a rough guide, we want three months before a postdoctoral fellowship deadline and ideally one to two months before a PhD programme deadline.

We are committed to a supportive, inclusive research environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Alex Frankell

Deadlines below were checked on 31 August 2026. Schemes change their dates and rules, so always confirm on the scheme’s own page before planning around them.

Interns & rotation students

We host rotation and summer students only when we have capacity. The ECI generally does not host unpaid internships, and expects candidates to acquire competitive funding through our own or other eligible schemes; some of these are listed below. Please investigate these before getting in touch.

• Early Cancer Institute Summer Programme

  Our own institute's fully funded 8-week programme: a research project in one of the Institute's groups (including ours), a stipend, Cambridge college accommodation, and weekly workshops on scientific communication and research ethics. Aimed at students entering the final year of an integrated Master's, or about to start a standalone Master's, in a relevant subject. Only five places, so let us know if you're applying and want to work with us.

  Annual; the 2026 programme ran 6 July – 28 August and applications have closed

• Biochemical Society Summer Vacation Studentship

  A 4–6 week lab or computational placement for undergraduates in biochemistry, molecular bioscience and related subjects, in the middle year(s) of their degree (not first or final year).

  Annual; 2026 round closed

• Genetics Society Summer Studentship

  Up to 8 weeks at £300 a week, plus lab expenses and a place at the Society's Summer School, usually for second-year undergraduates (or third year on a four-year degree). Both supervisor and student must be Society members.

  Annual, applied for via the Society's membership portal

• College studentships and bursaries

  Several Colleges fund undergraduates doing summer research, typically as a stipend, subsidised or free accommodation, or a small grant, for example St Catharine's summer accommodation fund, which houses around ten students doing research or research-related internships in Cambridge over the Long Vacation. Check with your own College first, as terms vary widely.

  Varies by College; most run in the spring for that summer

• School of Biological Sciences funding list

  A curated list of further undergraduate vacation research schemes (learned societies, the Wellcome Trust, Amgen Scholars and others): the best starting point beyond the two above.

  Live list; deadlines vary by scheme

Master’s students

• MPhil in Cancer Biology and Medicine

  A one-year taught MPhil in the Department of Oncology, built around a 32-week research project starting in November, alongside lectures and training in biostatistics and bioinformatics. A good route into the field. Get in touch if you would like your project to be with us.

  Funding deadlines from October (earliest is the Gates Cambridge US round); final deadline 4 March 2027 for October 2027 entry

PhD students

Cambridge PhD places are almost always attached to a funded programme, and most programmes run a single annual competition in the autumn or winter for entry the following October. Email us before you apply so we can discuss your interests and how these may synergise with the projects available in the lab.

Cancer and early-detection programmes

• ACED PhD Studentship

  The International Alliance for Cancer Early Detection studentship: four years, with a first year spent developing your project and training across the disciplines relevant to early detection, then three years of research. Open to biology, computer science, engineering, epidemiology, mathematics, medicine and related backgrounds. Funded by CRUK at the UK home fee rate; it does not cover international fees, and topping them up yourself is not permitted. This scheme has not yet been advertised for this year; the linked page is from last year's round.

  Rounds open in the autumn for the following October's entry

• CRUK Cambridge Centre MRes + PhD (non-clinical)

  A one-year MRes (two laboratory rotations, advanced coursework and clinical shadowing) followed by a three-year PhD in cancer biology, fully funded by Cancer Research UK. Around seven studentships a year, including two through the Black Leaders in Cancer scheme; two places are available for international students this year.

  Annual competition; 2027-entry applications open 1 October 2026 (2026-entry round is closed)

• Early Cancer Institute non-clinical PhD studentships

  Studentships based in our own institute, funded by the Michael Cowan Foundation: 3.5 years, UK-rate fees, a maintenance stipend, around £5,000 a year for consumables and a personal development and travel allowance. Advertised on the ECI and University jobs pages, usually closing in February.

  Advertised annually; check the ECI jobs listing directly nearer the time, as the specific studentship page changes each round

University-wide funding

These are the main way we can fund international students at the full fee rate.

• Cambridge Biosciences DTP (BBSRC)

  A four-year, rotation-based doctoral training partnership covering full University fees and a stipend (£21,805 for 2026–27), with visa and health surcharge costs met for international students. Open to home and international applicants.

  Applications open in September and close in early December

• Gates Cambridge Scholarship

  Full-cost scholarships for outstanding international applicants in any subject, assessed on academic excellence, leadership and commitment to improving the lives of others. You apply once, for both admission and the scholarship. US citizens resident in the USA must apply in a separate, earlier round, closing 14 October 2026.

  8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, depending on the course

• Cambridge Trust

  The University's largest source of postgraduate scholarships, from full-cost to part-cost. The Cambridge International Scholarship covers fees and maintenance for overseas PhD students and needs no separate application: candidates are ranked by their department, so tell us you want to be considered.

  Tied to the course funding deadline in your programme's admissions round

• College studentships

  Individual Colleges fund PhD places, often at the international fee rate and often overlooked. Examples include the Trinity–Cambridge Research Studentships (around 30 a year, home or international fees, nominated by your department, and you do not need to be a member of Trinity) and the Shuttleworth Studentship in biomedical sciences at Gonville & Caius.

  Mostly awarded by departmental nomination alongside admission

• Home-country and partner schemes

  Many national funders co-fund Cambridge places for their own citizens, usually jointly with the Cambridge Trust, for example the CSC Cambridge Scholarship with the China Scholarship Council. If your government, a national research council or a foundation at home funds study abroad, it is worth checking early: these schemes often have their own deadlines several months before the University's.

  Varies by country; check both deadlines

• Cambridge Postgraduate Funding Search

  The University's searchable database of several hundred awards, filterable by degree, nationality, department and College. The best single place to start, and to find the smaller awards nobody tells you about.

  Live database; deadlines vary by award

Clinical PhD fellowships

For applicants who are already medically qualified.

• CRUK Cambridge Centre Clinical Research Training Fellowships

  A three-year PhD for clinicians in a training post who want a career as a clinician scientist; all medical and surgical specialties are welcome. UK home fee status only.

  Annual competition, applications in the autumn

• MRC Professional Doctorate: Clinical Research Training Fellowship

  Typically three years, covering salary, tuition fees and up to £25,000 a year in research costs. You must own the project intellectually and show a clear ambition for a clinical academic career, so this works best when we have shaped the question together. May be held part-time, and rounds close in January, April and September.

  Next round closes 2 September 2026, 16:00 UK time

• PhD Programme for Healthcare Professionals in the East of England

  Cambridge's Wellcome-funded PhD programme for health professionals, open to those registered with the GMC, GDC, NMC, HCPC or RCVS. Generally intended for people who have not yet completed clinical training.

  Annual; the last round closed 4 November 2025

Postdoctoral researchers

We are happy to support strong candidates applying for independent fellowships, and we will develop the project with you rather than hand you a ready-made one. The schemes below are the ones we can realistically host at Cambridge. Funded positions on our own grants, when available, will be listed here.

• MSCA European Postdoctoral Fellowship

  The flagship route for an international postdoc to develop a joint project with us. One to two years, generous salary and mobility allowances. Note the mobility rule: you must not have spent more than 12 months in the UK in the three years before the deadline.

  Next deadline: 9 September 2026, 17:00 CEST

• EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship

  Strong for molecular and cell biology, genomics, imaging and related early-cancer biology. Applications are accepted year-round and enter one of two evaluation rounds.

  Rolling; next hard cut-off 22 January 2027, 14:00 CET

• HFSP Long-Term Fellowship

  High-risk, interdisciplinary basic life science: an excellent fit for technology- and methodology-led early cancer projects. Two-stage: letter of intent first, full proposal by invitation. You must change both country and research topic. The letter of intent for the 2027 award year closed 12 May 2026; full proposals for shortlisted applicants are due 24 September 2026.

  Annual; 2027-cycle letter of intent has closed; 2028-cycle dates not yet announced

• Wellcome Early-Career Award

  For a candidate ready to build a distinct research identity, not a conventional supervised postdoc: your salary plus up to £400,000 over (usually) five years. We would act as your sponsor and host rather than your supervisor, so come with your own question.

  Now rolling, with no fixed annual deadline; assessed at periodic cut-offs, the next being 10 November 2026, 15:00 GMT

• AACR fellowships

  Cancer-focused postdoctoral and clinical research fellowships. Several (though not all) AACR schemes accept host institutions anywhere in the world, so check the eligibility of the specific call. See also the research training and fellowships overview.

  Calls vary by scheme; the 2026 NSCLC round has closed

• Fulbright US Scholar Award

  For a US citizen postdoc or academic coming to Cambridge for a defined collaboration. You need our written agreement to host before you apply, and applications are made through the Fulbright US Scholar Program.

  Annual; 2027–28 round closes 15 September 2026, 17:00 ET

See Contact to get in touch.