2026 Recruitment Cycle
We are pleased to offer up to 4 fully funded PhD positions for entry in October 2026, to be hosted across our partner institutions at Nottingham, Leicester, and Warwick.Before you apply
Please ensure you have first visited our before you apply page and reviewed your eligibility before you proceed to the how to apply section.
How to Apply
Applying to this programme is a three stage process.
Stage one consists of submitting an initial expression of interest (EOI) form. The form informs us of your qualifications, relevant experience and research interests. The contents of your EOI will allow us to perform initial eligibility checks.
Initially eligible candidates will be invited to submit a full application. You will be applying for one project, chosen from those listed on the website. At this stage candidates are encouraged to develop their application with the lead supervisor of their chosen project and confirm supervisory support.
All applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed and successfully shortlisted candidates invited to interview.
2026 Recruitment Stages
Stage One - Expression of Interest
All applicants to the Midlands MHN PhD Programme are required to submit an expression of interest (EOI) form. The form allows us to review academic and professional 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.
- Take the time to review the available projects for this year and identify suitable opportunities that align with your research interests.
- We discourage PhD ‘shopping’ but advise that you reach out to lead supervisors to discuss your suitability for their project. When making initial supervisor contact, please complete and attach an initial contact form to your email.
Submission deadline is 12:00pm GMT Monday 24th November 2025.
If you have submitted an expression of interest form it will be assessed for eligibility against our professional and academic criteria. You will receive an email notifying you of your EOI outcome by no later than Friday 28th November 2025.
Those that have been assessed as initially eligible, will move on to stage two.
Stage Two - Full Application & Support Sessions
Stage two is the full application. All initially eligible candidates will be invited to submit a full application from Monday 1st December 2025.
An offline version of the application form will be made available. Please note that application submissions will only be accepted via the official online submission link that is sent to those identified as initially eligible.
We encourage all applicants to work with your chosen lead supervisor to create a strong submission for the project as listed on the website.
For all applicants invited to submit a full application we will be running a series of sessions designed to support you with your application. (More information to come)
All applications must be submitted by 12pm GMT (midday) Friday 30th January 2026.
Stage Three - Interview
All applications received by the deadline will be assessed and candidates will be shortlisted for interview.
Interviews are scheduled to take place across a two week period from Monday 9th March 2026. Invites will be sent by email at least 10 working days before your scheduled date.
More information will be made available to successfully shortlisted candidates.
2026 Projects
Full list of projects available for 2026 entry, please view prior to submitting your expression of interest.
Expression of Interest
Once you have reviewed the application process and projects available for 2026 entry, please submit your expression of interest.
Applicant
Information Session
On Monday 20th October 2025 we hosted a virtual information session via Microsoft Teams.
This session was hosted by our Programme Director, Professor Dorothee Auer, and Programme Manager, Roxanne Lockett, and provided an opportunity for potential applicants to learn more about the programme and pose their questions.
The presentation section of this session was recorded and can be viewed here.
2026 Recruitment Timeline & Key Dates
Below is a timeline of key dates for the 2026 recruitment process.
6th October 2025
Expressions of interest open.
30th November 2025
Expressions of interest close at 12pm GMT.
Eligibility checks take place.
1st December 2025
Full applications open.
All applicants must have submitted an EOI.
Dec/Jan
Support Sessions take place.
A range of activities to support applicants.
30th January 2026
Applications close at 12pm GMT.
9th March 2026
Interview period commences.
Interviews to take place within 2 weeks of this date.
March 2026
Interview decisions returned and onboarding process commences.
1st October 2026
Official start date of our 2026 cohort.