NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program

Deadline

Overview

The National Institutes of Health Oxford-Cambridge (NIH Ox-Cam) Scholars Program is an accelerated, individualized doctoral training program for outstanding science students committed to biomedical research careers. The program is based on the British system, in which students perform doctoral research without required formal courses other than those students choose to take in relationship to their own interests. Students selected for admission to the program have already developed a passion for science through engagement in summer, job related, or undergraduate research programs.

This program offers access to mentors and resources from our three collaborating institutions: the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the University of Oxford, and the University of Cambridge.  The requirement of having at least two mentors from two of these institutions has allowed our students to develop the skills needed to build virtual research teams and leverage collaborative technologies in the pursuit of bold new ideas and solutions.  Efforts to differentiate from traditional biomedical training programs has allowed the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars to enjoy intellectual freedom and flexibility, which has led to increased innovation and collaboration.

The NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program (OxCam) can accommodate students seeking combined MD/PhD training for a career as a physician-scientist. Students admitted to the NIH MD/PhD Partnership Training Program conduct research in the NIH intramural research program as part of a coordinated plan of dual-degree training with a U.S. medical school.

Benefits

• Will receive tuition and stipend support, based on NIH policy, for the duration of the program
  (approximately 4 yrs.)
• Earn a DPhil or PhD from Oxford or Cambridge respectively
• Can partner with other scholarship programs
• Opportunity to work with two mentors
  • One mentor at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) intramural campus, Bethesda, MD
  • One mentor at either the University of Oxford OR the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom

Eligibility criteria

• U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Bachelors degree minimum
• Self derived and self driven in any area of biomedical research
• Must qualify for acceptance to the doctoral degree program at the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge

Selection criteria

The NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program seeks students of the highest academic caliber who are seeking to obtain a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences.  Successful applicants will spend half their time at the National Institutes of Health and the remainder at either Oxford or Cambridge in an intensive, research-driven, dual-mentored degree program.

• While academic expectations, as measured by grades and test scores, are high--research experience, outside activities and letters of recommendation contribute to a holistic evaluation of the candidate.
• Successful applications have generally had one or more substantial research experiences
• Outstanding letters of recommendation, particularly from research mentors, typifies the successful applicant and is weighed heavily in the evaluation process.

Applicants selected for interviews will be notified in mid-January and will attend a three-day event in February at the NIH in Bethesda, MD. The interview is a 30-minute panel with NIH investigators and faculty representatives from Oxford and Cambridge.

Application Process

• Application portal opens August 2016.
• Application deadline is to be determined.
• To apply to the program see the link here: https://www2.training.nih.gov/transfer/gppapp
• There is no application fee for the GPP application. University partners may have an application fee.
• 2017 interview dates for the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program are TBD.
• The program will cover your transportation and lodging costs during interviews.

See https://oxcam.gpp.nih.gov/prospective-students/how-apply for additional details.