BHF Cambridge CRE 3-year interdisciplinary PhD studentships in Cardiovascular Science

The British Heart Foundation has awarded the Cambridge BHF Centre of Research Excellence a further £5M over five years (2024-2029). As part of this award, the Centre is funding a number of non-clinical 3 year PhD Studentships. 

Applications are now open for October 2027 entry 

About our studentships

A BHF 3-year CRE interdisciplinary studentship in cardiovascular science provides funding for those who meet the specified requirements to undertake a PhD. It is awarded through a competitive process that includes an interview.

The studentship provides:

  • 3 years of maintenance stipends at the BHF rate
  • £33K over 3 years for lab consumables, conference travel etc
  • Cambridge University tuition fees at the 'home rate'. International applicants are welcome to apply for this studentship but will also need to secure additional funding to cover the difference between home rate and overseas rate fees.

 Further details:

  • Studentships can be based in any department of the University as long as research projects align with our Centre themes and meet the other requirements set out below under 'Research areas'.
  • PhD candidates will be jointly supervised by two investigators, where at least one should be from the BHF Cambridge CRE list of eligible supervisors.
  • Only full-time students are accepted, due to the duration of the funding award.
  • Next intake October 2027 (application deadline 8 December 2026).
  • Applicants for a BHF CRE interdisciplinary studentship should:
    • have obtained an honours degree (at least equivalent to a UK 2.1) or a Master’s degree in a scientific discipline that is relevant to the PhD project.
    • before applying, contact and gain the support of one or more potential supervisor(s), including at least one eligible supervisor, asking them to discuss research interests and possible projects and for help to develop a research proposal.
    • present a proposed research project that is in line with the Centre's research areas, is interdisciplinary in nature and is endorsed by one or both proposed supervisors.
    • not need to provide a formal letter of support from a proposed supervisor, however if you tell us that a potential supervisor has endorsed your application, this will be checked.

For PhD candidates starting in October 2027, interviews will be held during January 2027. Interviews are usually in-person but can be held remotely if that is not possible.

Eligibility and how to apply

To be eligible to start a PhD at Cambridge University you will need to

  1. Meet the requirements of the university
  2. Make a successful application to a course via the University's Applicant Portal. Browse courses.
  3. Make a successful application for funds to support your PhD or otherwise prove that you can fund it. Browse funding.

A course may have its own specific requirements as to research topic, for example, or may mean a PhD based in a specific University department - usually the one where your proposed PhD supervisor is based. Fees are listed on the course details. When you apply for a course via the applicant portal, potentially relevant funds from the funding database are presented to you and you can apply for them there. The BHF CRE Studentship will require you to upload an additonal application form, which asks for a research proposal and a statement of interest.

You can apply for more than one course and to as many funds as may be relevant to you. Other suitable funds, not listed on the database, may also be available. 

Apply for the BHF CRE Studentship via the Applicant Portal at the same time as you apply for a relevant course. The postgraduate study website has details on applying (for funds) through the Applicant Portal but please note that you should apply by our deadline of 8 December, even if this is earlier than your course deadline.

Please contact Jane Sugars if you have any questions about the process or about your eligibility.

Research areas

Projects must be in an area of cardiovascular science relating to one or more of the BHF Cambridge CRE themes and should cross traditional research disciplines and/or involve two or more themes. Awards are made based on academic merit but, in addition to traditional biological sciences, we are particularly keen to recruit mathematical, computational and physical scientists to train in cardiovascular informatics, statistics and imaging to build capacity in these areas.

The BHF Cambridge CRE has five themes:

  • Mobilising and translating discoveries from multi-omic cohorts
  • Targeting inflammation in cardiovascular disease
  • Advanced therapeutics for cardiac repair and regeneration
  • Cardiometabolic syndromes: Exposome and molecular mechanisms linking Obesity, Diabetes, HFpEF, NAFLD, and NASH
  • Applied Cardiovascular Health Research

See the Centre's lead researchers.