Centre for Cell Biology (CCBio) / Discovery Research Platform for Hidden Cell Biology

DRP-HCB Technology Internship

You get a paid, full-time research placement of 12 weeks, or up to 16 weeks if you do it after submitting your thesis. You work alongside experts in one of four advanced technology teams at the University of Edinburgh. It is run by the Discovery Research Platform for Hidden Cell Biology (DRP-HCB) and funded by Wellcome and the University of Edinburgh. You learn hands-on skills in one of these areas: bioinformatics (analysing sequencing, genomic and proteomic data, writing software), light microscopy (confocal and fluorescence imaging, optical tweezers), proteomics (mass spectrometry and protein analysis), or structural biology (Cryo-EM, Cryo-ET, X-ray crystallography). How you are paid depends on your situation. If you take the placement as a pause in your PhD, your existing PhD stipend (your regular monthly PhD payment) keeps running and you get no extra payment. You can then claim help with travel and accommodation if you study outside Edinburgh. If you do it after submitting your thesis, the University of Edinburgh employs you on its UE06.01 salary grade. About three internships are offered per year.

Who can apply

• Level: You are a PhD student at a UK university.
• Timing: You are in your second or third PhD year, or about to start right after submitting your thesis.
• Field: Your work fits one of the four teams: bioinformatics, light microscopy, proteomics or structural biology.
• Where you are based: You are currently in the UK, as required by visa rules. If you have a student visa, check that it lets you work without limits. In exceptional cases, candidates from resource-limited countries may be considered.
• Your project: You either propose your own project linked to your PhD, or pick one team and take on a project they define.

How to apply

First contact the DRP-HCB about three months before you apply, saying which team you want to work with. Then complete the online application form and arrange two references, one of them from your current PhD supervisor. Applications run on a rolling basis through 2026. From 2027 they close at 17:00 GMT on 1 February and 1 July each year. A committee reviews applications and invites selected candidates to an interview.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a narrow award. You must be a UK-based PhD student in your second or third year (or just finishing) whose work fits one of four specific technology areas, and only about three places are given each year. The pool is small, so a well-matched applicant with a clear project idea and an early conversation with the relevant team has real prospects. Contacting the team well before the deadline is expected and helps you stand out.