DPhil Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam)
Course code: RD_BM1
The National Institutes of Health Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Programme (NIH OxCam) is a four-year doctoral programme based in Oxford in the Medical Sciences Division. The students undertake a collaborative project in biomedical research involving two supervisors - one at the NIH intramural campus in Bethesda, Maryland and one at either Oxford or Cambridge University. The programme was first established in 2001. Details of past students are available on the programme website.
The programme is primarily aimed at graduate students from the USA and interviews for admission in the following Michaelmas term (October) are normally held in February in Bethesda by NIH, Oxford and Cambridge University staff. The programme is highly competitive and approximately 12 students are given places each year. Students can also apply to the MD/PhD programme. The selected students are supported financially by the NIH but are full students of the University and normally spend half their time in the UK. At the time of selection to the programme, they will not necessarily have decided on their institution or supervisor.
The Oxford programme is directed by Professor Michael Dustin, and for administrative purposes all NIH-Oxford students are admitted to the Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre (MSDTC). However, students can select supervisors and projects in any department at Oxford. The only selection criteria are personal preference and the quality of the project and collaborations. Students should explore all Departmental websites research themes in the Medical Sciences Division to discover the full range of opportunities. The Departments with the most NIH OxCam students include the Nuffield Department of Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, and Sir William Dunn School of Pathology.
Applications
Students who have been made an offer following the February interviews should immediately apply to Oxford and/or Cambridge. At this stage there is no need to have selected a project but it is important to receive a formal offer from Oxford, so you can get a College place and start applying for an ATAS and a student visa.
Please read our instructions on how to complete the application form.
If you are not starting in Oxford, we can apply to your college to defer matriculation, since this ceremony requires your presence in Oxford. Please email nih@medsci.ox.ac.uk if this is likely to apply to you. This is a fully integrated programme and when you are not in Oxford your NIH supervisor will send a termly report to your Oxford supervisor and vice versa.
Please email nih@medsci.ox.ac.uk for administrative support in Oxford in the first instance, and/or Professor Michael Dustin (Oxford Director of the Programme).