Child Health Research PhD Studentships

What we offer

Funding

The CHR PhD Studentships cover UK (Home) tuition fees, consumables and provide a stipend starting at £24,522 per annum.

Subject to confirmation, funding may be available to cover Overseas fees for some places. Non-UK students can apply but may have to fund the difference between full-time Home and Overseas fees if further funding is not available.

Research environment

The Institute has one of the largest communities of PhD students in UCL, with nearly 200 registered students. We are committed to high quality postgraduate education and the Institute has a strong track record of training and support for its postgraduates. A high level of interaction exists across the Institute between basic scientists, clinicians, and population health scientists.

Research in the Institute is grouped into the following five departments:

Developmental Biology and Cancer

Developmental Neurosciences

Genetics and Genomic Medicine

Infection, Immunity, Inflammation

Population, Policy and Practice

The great strength of UCL's research was reaffirmed in REF 2021. GOS ICH was part of a UCL return to the Clinical Medicine sub-panel 1, and Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care. 93% of UCL's research was rated as either world-leading or internationally excellent. In assessment of research power, UCL's performance was top in the UK for research power in the main panels of 'medicine, health and life sciences' and 'social sciences'. The NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), underpins all translational research at GOS ICH and GOSH.

About us

Up to four 3-year full time, funded postgraduate research studentships, funded by the Child Health Research Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CHR CIO) are available, commencing on 1st October 2027.

All projects are hosted at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, in the UCL Faculty of Population Health Sciences. Together with its partner, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, UCL GOS ICH forms the largest concentration of children's health research in Europe.

About the role

Project portfolio

The Child Health Research PhD studentship portfolio offers a broad range of PhD project proposals ranging from fundamental to translational studies. This year, studentships can be funded across all topics relevant to the Institute's research, but specific funding is available for projects broadly related to epilepsy and developmental neuroscience.

About you

Eligibility

Applications are invited from committed individuals wishing to do basic, translational or clinical research for the benefit of child health.

Applicants should have a good first degree (UK 1st class or upper 2nd class honours degree or equivalent from abroad) and, will typically have a Master's degree (or equivalent work experience) in a relevant discipline by the time of registration. Clinical graduates are also welcome to apply, but a stipend can only be provided at non-clinical rates. This is a prestigious and competitive scheme, with over 30 applicants per studentship.

How to apply

The application process is a two-stage process involving:

1. Submitting a studentship application. Applicants will be shortlisted in January, and shortlisted applicants will be interviewed online on 17 and 18 February 2027.
2. Following the interview, successful applicants will be required to submit a graduate application and register on the Child Health PhD programme to take up the studentship. (Please do not submit a PhD application unless you are successfully interviewed and invited to do so).

Application deadline: 17:00 GMT Friday 11th December 2026.

For further information and how to apply, see PhD studentships in Child Health.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.