Application Process
Please note that we have one home student position left for our 2026 cohort – apply here.
Before you apply
We are looking for open-minded candidates who want to develop and use Franklin technologies in novel, interdisciplinary research spanning our different scientific themes. We welcome candidates from any scientific, maths, computing or engineering backgrounds.
The current open position is for a home candidate only.
- UK Nationals (meeting residency requirements),
- Individuals with settled status,
- Individuals who have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
- Individuals who have indefinite leave to remain or enter.
All successful candidates (Home or International) will benefit from paid tuition fees and stipend support.
To be considered for this programme, each applicant must have (or be on track to obtain):
A First Class or 2:1 degree in a relevant subject or
Any equivalent qualification to the above from a UK or international higher education institution in a relevant subject.
If English is not your first language, please note that you must be able to demonstrate a proficiency in English which is equivalent to a 7.0 score in an IELTS test, with a minimum score of 6.0 in each individual component. (We will request this from successful candidates after interview.)
Application deadlines
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis till we are able to fill the position. You can apply any time before the deadline, but you should try to apply as early as possible as the positions are limited and can be filled early. You will usually receive a decision in about 2-4 weeks after the deadline to which you have applied.
Applications are typically reviewed every 2 weeks with interviews a few weeks after. Please note that if you apply after the first round, you will grouped into the following round of interviews.
We strongly recommend that you aim to submit your application form and all of your supporting documents as early as possible. Don’t wait until the day of the deadline! We may not always be able to answer your questions or help you to resolve any problems in time, particularly around our busiest application deadlines.
Final Deadline for applications: 14 August 2026
How to apply
You must complete the application form using our online portal.
To complete and submit a PhD application, you will require the following information:
- Your contact details
- The contact details of two academic referees
- Education and relevant employment experience
- Degree transcripts and degree certificate (if applicable)
- Research experience
Applicants must apply to any of the four Franklin Challenges listed below:
Molecular Perturbations: Chemistry Engineering Biology
Criteria: A strong background in chemistry, biochemistry or related disciplines with passion to design and apply molecular tools to probe biological function.
Successful candidates will combine excellent experimental laboratory skills with an interest in working alongside advanced computational and analytical technologies. Experience in interdisciplinary research and collaborative science is highly desirable.
Criteria: A strong background in physics, mathematics, engineering or related quantitative disciplines with an interest in developing next-generation transmission electron microscopy methods for biological research.
Successful candidates will have an interest in high-resolution imaging, phase retrieval, image reconstruction, inverse problems, and scalable computational approaches for analysing large microscopy datasets. Experience in electron microscopy, quantitative methods, and interdisciplinary collaboration is highly desirable.
Quantitative Biology Across Scales
Criteria: A strong background in biology, imaging, computer science or related disciplines with a passion for developing and applying advanced imaging and computational approaches to address fundamental questions in biology and women’s health.
Successful candidates may have experience in electron or X-ray microscopy, image analysis, AI and machine learning, quantitative data science or computational modelling. They will be able to work across experimental and computational teams to extract biological insight from multimodal imaging datasets.
Artificial Intelligence and Informatics for Predictive Biology
Criteria: A strong background in biology or a quantitative discipline, such as physics, engineering or applied mathematics, with expertise in programming and an interest in developing AI-driven computational tools for biological data analysis.
Successful candidates will have experience in AI and machine learning, image analysis, Linux-based high-performance computing and scalable data pipeline development. They will be motivated to build reproducible, open-source computational tools and collaborate across experimental and computational research teams to transform complex biological datasets into meaningful insights.
You are not required to submit a research proposal but will need to detail why you would like a studentship in the chosen Franklin Challenge.
“I found the application process refreshingly unique, as it challenges me to think critically and apply myself to unfamiliar, interdisciplinary scientific problems.”
After you apply
Application updates
Applicants who have been selected for interview will be notified directly by email. Interviews will be scheduled soon for those candidates. All further applications will be on hold during this time and will not be progressed further during this period.
Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide unsuccessful applicants with feedback. Decisions for unsuccessful applicants will be communicated via email once the recruitment process is complete, approximately one month after the application deadline.
Interview requirements
During the interview, candidates will be expected to briefly present a topic related to the scientific area (Franklin Challenge) they have applied to by describing:
- a paper of their choice
- their own research
This would be followed by subsequent related questions and a technical interview round. The interview will also include questions around motivation, research ethics, past research experience and interest in interdisciplinary projects.