All applicants to the Midlands+ MHN PhD Programme are required to submit an expression of interest (EOI) form by midday 30th November 2026. The form allows us to review academic, professional and location eligibility for the programme.

The form also comprises of an equalities monitoring and widening participation section. This section is used to monitor and improve our equal opportunities policies and used for reporting to Wellcome as part of our grant commitments.

Prior to submitting an expression of interest form candidates are asked to complete the following:

• Read the available information on our website regarding PhD suitability.
• Assess your eligibility for the programme against our eligibility criteria.
• Review the two Route options and next steps

Once you have submitted an expression of interest form it will be assessed for eligibility against our professional, academic and location criteria. You will receive an email notifying you of your EOI outcome as soon as possible post-submission.

Those that have been assessed as initially eligible, will move on to stage two.

Stage Two is the full application stage. All candidates who are assessed as eligible at Stage One will be invited to submit a full application from 1st December 2026.

An offline preview version of the application form will be made available to help applicants prepare their responses in advance. Please note that applications can only be submitted through the official online application link provided to eligible applicants.

The application process is the same for both Route 1 (Pre-determined Project) and Route 2 (Self-proposed Project) applicants. All candidates will complete the same application form and will be assessed through the same selection process.

The application form will include:

• Information about your chosen project, including how it aligns with the aims and priorities of the Midlands+ MHN PhD Programme and Wellcome’s discovery research remit.
• Details of your proposed supervisory arrangements and supervisor support.
• A series of applicant assessment questions designed to evaluate your individual merit, potential and suitability for doctoral study.

These assessment questions provide applicants with the opportunity to demonstrate their:

• Motivation for undertaking a PhD and commitment to mental and brain health research.
• Research experience, skills, and achievements to date.
• Critical thinking, problem-solving and ability to engage with complex research challenges.
• Understanding of the proposed research area and its potential impact.
• Potential to contribute to and benefit from the Midlands+ MHN PhD Programme community.

Applications will be assessed on a combination of the quality and suitability of the proposed project and evidence of the applicant’s potential to succeed within the programme.

If not already confirmed, you will also need to obtain support from your chosen lead supervisor at this stage. We strongly encourage applicants to work closely with their lead supervisor when preparing their application to ensure that both the project information and application responses are as strong as possible. Confirmation of supervisor support will be verified prior to shortlisting.

To support applicants through the process, we will deliver a series of application support sessions Further information will be shared with eligible applicants.

All applications must be submitted by midday on 29th January 2027.

All applications submitted by the deadline will undergo assessment against the selection criteria. Following this review process, a shortlist of candidates will be invited to interview.

Shortlisting will consider both the strength of the proposed project and the applicant’s demonstrated potential to undertake doctoral-level research. The interview process is designed to provide candidates with an opportunity to further showcase their suitability for the Midlands+ MHN PhD Programme and to discuss their proposed research in more detail.

Interviews are scheduled to take place over a two-week period in March 2027. Interview invitations will be sent by email at least 10 working days before the scheduled interview date.

The interview format, preparation guidance and any presentation requirements will be shared with shortlisted candidates in advance to ensure all applicants have sufficient time to prepare.

Following the interview process, final funding recommendations will be made by the selection panel, with outcomes communicated to candidates as soon as possible thereafter.