We are very pleased to announce that the launch of a new Yorkshire Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership (YBDTP), which will be recruiting its first students to start in October 2025. YBDTP is the successor to the White Rose BBSRC DTP, and will expand our work to new partner universities across the Yorkshire region including the universities of Bradford, Hull, Leeds Beckett, Sheffield Hallam and Teesside. YBDTP will have a broader remit than WRDTP, and will focus on supporting bioscience and biotechnology projects that will underpin the development of a vibrant bio-economy in the Yorkshire region. The new partnership will level up access and widen participation to BBSRC-funded doctoral training within Yorkshire and beyond.
Funding for YBDTP comes from BBSRC through the new ‘Doctoral Landscape Award’ scheme, part of an overhauled and unified approach to doctoral funding launched by UKRI in 2024. The schemes build on a rich history of doctoral investments which support discovery-driven research at UK universities.
Applications for YBDTP Studentships
We offer studentships to allow talented researchers to undertake world-leading research in one of our 8 partner universities. Candidates apply to the YBDTP scheme as a whole, and not to a specific university or project. However, when you apply, you can indicate your preferences for place of study and project.
A list of available projects for October 2025 recruitment is available here. This list is indicative only, and some projects may be unavailable to students applying in the second recruitment round.
Eligibility: Open to International (including EU) and UK (home) students.
You can apply if you have, or are expecting to gain, at least an upper second class honours degree or equivalent. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this programme we welcome applications if your background is in any biological, chemical or physical science or mathematics and are interested in using your skills in addressing biological questions. International students should check if they meet the entry requirements for their country.
The Yorkshire Bioscience DTP is committed to recruiting extraordinary future scientists regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or career pathway to date. We understand that commitment and excellence can be shown in many ways and have built our recruitment process to reflect this. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in science, who have curiosity, creativity and a drive to learn new skills.
Funding: A tax-free annual stipend at the standard UKRI rate (£19,237 for 2024/25 entry), research costs and tuition fees at UK rate
We aim to support the most outstanding applicants from outside the UK and are able to offer a limited number of bursaries that will enable studentships covering the full international tuition fees to be awarded to international (EU and non-EU) applicants. These full studentships will only be awarded to exceptional quality candidates, due to the competitive nature of this scheme.
English language: If English isn’t your first language, you will need to provide evidence of your English language ability before you start the PhD program. The exact require
Second recruitment round
How to apply:
Deadline: 1700 GMT, Friday 14th March 2025
Students wishing to apply for the second round of YBDTP studentships for October 2025 may do so here: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/leeds/ybdtp-expression-of-interest-form-round-2
You can apply for up to 3 projects (which can be at different universities), in ranked order. A limited number of candidates will be appointed via a competitive process.
We would advise you to read the questions in the form before submitting your application. Inside the form there is a link to a document for you to see the questions in advance.
If you have any questions about the application process please email wrdtp@leeds.ac.uk.
If you have any questions about the project you are interested in, please email the project supervisor (details inside the project description).
How we allocate:
Shortlisting will take place as soon as possible after the closing date and successful applicants will be notified promptly. If you’re shortlisted for the syou’ll be invited for an interview on a date to be confirmed in April 2025. You’ll be notified as soon as possible after the interview dates whether your application has been successful, placed on a reserve list or unsuccessful. If you are successful, you’ll be required to confirm your intention to accept the studentship within 10 days.
Terms and conditions:
The studentships are fully funded for four years and you must complete your PhD in four years.
You’ll receive the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend per year for your living costs, which is paid to you in regular instalments. The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) stipend is tax free and does not need to be paid back.
International students will need to have sufficient funds to cover the costs of their student visa, NHS health surcharge, travel insurance and travel to the UK as these are excluded from UKRI funding.