See all our PhD projects:

Fully-funded PhD projects

Apply for our fully-funded PhD projects in subjects including chemistry, biology, computer science, and physics.

PhD opportunities for science graduates

Applications are now open for two PhD studentships starting in October 2026. The projects are listed below. Should you wish to be notified about future PhD opportunities, please subscribe to our mailing list.

Stipends

The ICR's current student stipend is £26,505 per year. Studentships awarded by the Cancer Research UK Convergence Science Centre, which is a partnership of the ICR and Imperial College London, instead includes a stipend paid at the Cancer Research UK rate of £24,219 per year.

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Funding

Funding for our PhD projects comes from a variety of different sources, including some funded programmes, such as the MRC Doctoral Training Partnership and the CRUK Science Centre at the ICR and Imperial.  

Please note, the advertised funder may change prior to registration.

Available opportunities

Black Leaders in Cancer & Convergence PhD Studentships

We are currently inviting applications for two funded studentships offered through a joint recruitment call between the Black Leaders in Cancer Studentship and the Convergence PhD Programme. View available projects and find out how to apply.

 

CLOSED: Overcoming oncogenic androgen receptor signalling to transform the care of lethal prostate cancer

Primary supervisor: Dr Adam Sharp Primary site: Sutton Funded by Medical Research Council - Doctoral Training Partnership (MRC DTP)

CLOSED: Overcoming oncogenic androgen receptor signalling to transform the care of lethal prostate cancer

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CLOSED: Targeting AMPK as a metabolic vulnerability of metastatic cancer cells

Primary supervisor: Professor Joanna Loizou Primary site: Sutton Funded by ICR

CLOSED: Targeting AMPK as a metabolic vulnerability of metastatic cancer cells

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CLOSED: Combining AI and physics-based simulations for fragment-based cancer drug discovery

Primary supervisor: Dr Gary Newton Primary site: Sutton Funded by Medical Research Council - Doctoral Training Partnership (MRC DTP)

CLOSED: Combining AI and physics-based simulations for fragment-based cancer drug discovery

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CLOSED: Comprehensive multi-omics profiling of “islands of resistance” tumour cells to uncover aromatase inhibitor resistant subclones in oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer

Primary supervisor: Dr Maggie Cheang Primary site: Sutton Funded by MRC iCASE award (AstraZeneca)

CLOSED: Comprehensive multi-omics profiling of “islands of resistance” tumour cells to uncover aromatase inhibitor resistant subclones in oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer

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CLOSED: Exploiting lineage-specific dependencies in paediatric-type diffuse high-grade glioma.

Primary supervisor: Professor Chris Jones Primary site: Sutton Funded by Medical Research Council - Doctoral Training Partnership (MRC DTP)

CLOSED: Exploiting lineage-specific dependencies in paediatric-type diffuse high-grade glioma.

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CLOSED: Typos in the genome: Defining the molecular mechanism of replication slippage

Primary supervisor: Dr Gideon Coster Primary site: Chelsea Funded by Medical Research Council - Doctoral Training Partnership (MRC DTP)

CLOSED: Typos in the genome: Defining the molecular mechanism of replication slippage

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CLOSED: Elucidation of the molecular basis for the chaperoning of DEAH-box RNA helicases by the oncoprotein and cochaperone NudCD1

Primary supervisor: Dr Rob Van Montfort Primary site: Chelsea & Sutton Funded by ICR

CLOSED: Elucidation of the molecular basis for the chaperoning of DEAH-box RNA helicases by the oncoprotein and cochaperone NudCD1

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CLOSED: Deciphering cancer cell dependency on eIF4E

Primary supervisor: Dr Paul Clarke Primary site: Sutton Funded by Medical Research Council - Doctoral Training Partnership (MRC DTP)

CLOSED: Deciphering cancer cell dependency on eIF4E

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Closed: Late-effects of paediatric cancer treatment

Primary supervisor: Professor Amy Berrington Primary site: Sutton Funded by NIHR

Closed: Late-effects of paediatric cancer treatment

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Closed: Computational analysis of spatial dynamics in breast cancer

Primary supervisor: Dr Esther Arwert Primary site: Chelsea Funded by Breast Cancer Now

Closed: Computational analysis of spatial dynamics in breast cancer

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Closed: Immunopeptidome landscape of multiple myeloma

Primary supervisor: Professor Richard Houlston Primary site: Sutton Funded by ICR

Closed: Immunopeptidome landscape of multiple myeloma

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Closed: Targeting SRC in G4-Medulloblastoma

Primary supervisor: Dr Rob Van Montfort, Dr Gary Newton Primary site: Sutton Funded by Cancer Research UK-CBTCE (Paul Workman)

Closed: Targeting SRC in G4-Medulloblastoma

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Closed: Role of the non-coding genome in the evolution of myeloma

Primary supervisor: Primary site: Sutton Funded by ICR

Closed: Role of the non-coding genome in the evolution of myeloma

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Closed: Investigating how myeloid populations may modify radiotherapy/immunotherapy responses in muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Primary supervisor: Dr Anna Wilkins Primary site: Sutton Funded by CRUK RadNet

Closed: Investigating how myeloid populations may modify radiotherapy/immunotherapy responses in muscle-invasive bladder cancer

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Closed: Advancing clinical elastography for early, non-invasive imaging assessment of normal tissue toxicity and tumour response

Primary supervisor: Dr Jessica Winfield Primary site: Sutton Funded by NIHR BRC at RMH/ICR

Closed: Advancing clinical elastography for early, non-invasive imaging assessment of normal tissue toxicity and tumour response

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Closed: Uncovering mutational processes associated to immune surveillance during breast cancer development and therapeutic interventions

Primary supervisor: Dr Luis Zapata Ortiz Primary site: Sutton Funded by ICR

Closed: Uncovering mutational processes associated to immune surveillance during breast cancer development and therapeutic interventions

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