The Centre aims to fund PhD studentships for projects falling within its remit. Candidates are expected to select from the list of projects advertised on the CTR website, and they are expected to discuss said projects or other ideas with Principal Investigators within the Centre, provided these ideas address the CTR's 'Grand Challenges' (http://www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/about-us/objectives). The students will be registered in the School of Biological Sciences through the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, but will be able to pursue their research project in any department of the University or its affiliated institutes (candidates will be interviewed by potential supervisors ahead of any invitation for an interview with the Centre).

The studentships are awarded on a competitive basis and applicants will be expected to demonstrate both a strong academic background, and aptitude and enthusiasm for research.

Graduate students will receive instruction and guidance principally from their supervisor in a supportive and stimulating environment, but will also attend formal training courses in generic skills provided by the Graduate School. The Centre also organises regular seminars and journal clubs that students are required to attend. Graduate students are expected to contribute fully to other activities of the Centre and their host department. The studentships will be fully funded at Wellcome Trust rates for 3 years of full-time research, (Current rates: Year 1 - £19,919pa, Year 2 - £21,542pa, Year 3 - £23,298pa) and are open to UK, EU and overseas students.

While the studentships provide a consumables allowance, the Centre is not in a position to pay bench fees or access charges to core equipment or any additional charges to host departments. The Centre is also willing to consider hosting students for the PhD degree who have already secured independent funding. For information regarding the costs of PhD training in Cambridge please refer to the Board of Graduate Studies' website (http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/).

Requirements: Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a first class honours degree in a relevant biological subject. We also welcome applications from candidate holding Masters Degrees. For overseas students the minimum undergraduate GPA for entrance into the University is 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale), and those for whom English is not their native language should see the Board of Graduate Studies' guidelines regarding competence in English.

Research students are initially admitted without being registered for a particular degree, and are then registered for the PhD on satisfactory completion of a report at the end of their first year of study. This follows standard practice within the university.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 years in the first instance.

To apply, please see the link on the CTR website at: http://www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/

Interviews will be held in late-January 2017.

Please quote reference PM10261 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.