The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Programme is a four-year PhD programme in collaboration with the NIH, whereby students spend two years at Cambridge and two years at the NIH.
Established in 2002, this innovative programme aim to train outstanding students in biomedical research, taking advantage of the excellent research environments available in Cambridge and at NIH laboratories in the US. Students work on collaborative projects organised by co-supervisors in Cambridge and the NIH, spending two years at each institution. Students have access to all NIH facilities and all the Cambridge University resources.
Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Accepted students receive tuition support and stipend for the duration of the program, which also pays the University fees, plus flights and insurance.
The PhD is awarded by the University of Cambridge.
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What you will get
Students develop a collaborative PhD research project, guided by their Cambridge supervisors and by the NIH mentor.
At the end of their PhD course, students should:
- Have a thorough knowledge of the literature and a comprehensive understanding of scientific methods and techniques applicable to their own research;
- Be able to demonstrate originality in their application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in their field;
- Have developed the ability to critically evaluate current research and research techniques and methodologies;
- Have self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems;
- Be able to act autonomously in the planning and implementation of research; and
- Have gained oral presentation and scientific writing skills.
What to expect
- Students carry out research with a goal of earning a Doctor of Philosophy degree, which requires spending roughly equal amounts of time at the NIH and at Cambridge.
- During their time at the NIH, students become members of one of the NIH Institutes and also join a vibrant graduate student community of more than 400 students.
- An OxCam Class Dean works with each student in order to ensure satisfactory progress while pursuing their research goals.
- At the start of the programme, all new students develop a detailed research proposal and an individualised training plan that outlines goals and a personalized plan of study. This requirement launches students and their mentors on an accelerated plan of research. Students' progress is tracked by holding to programme timelines and benchmarks, which allows for problems to be addressed quickly.
- The programme requires regular three-way meetings between the Cambridge PI, the NIH mentor and the student, conducted by telephone, Skype, Zoom, MS Teams or face-to-face. The University requires termly progress reports to be made online, and these are available to students.
