PhD programme

The Department provides a highly stimulating environment for PhD research and our PhD programme attracts outstanding students from a variety of academic backgrounds. They form an integral part of the Department’s research life and numbers have risen from 12 in 2001 to over 100 PhD students in 2012.

Research in the Department

Research in the Department covers a variety of areas and involves collaborations with several departments at Imperial, as well as leading national and international research institutions. Core research areas include biomechanics, biomedical devices sensors and circuits, biomedical imaging, cellular and molecular biology, implants and regenerative medicine and neurotechnology. See our research pages for further details.

Our PhD students are encouraged to interact with researchers working in different areas and are commonly co-supervised by academics from other departments. Such interdisciplinary training fosters the intellectual capabilities and practical skills needed to cooperate with engineers and scientists from a variety of academic backgrounds. Some examples of recent PhD projects are given in the list of departmental theses.

The PhD degree and student milestones

The PhD in Bioengineering is a research degree awarded on the basis of the thesis submitted, and typically takes three or four years to complete.

Our PhD training aims to provide students with a qualification of international standing that is suited for an industrial or academic career. To achieve this, we complement work on the research project with three further elements of training:

• Departmental courses or modules on relevant topics, which students may attend to deepen their project-specific understanding.
• Interdisciplinary research seminars and courses taught at the College and elsewhere, from which students can acquire knowledge of new areas.
• A variety of courses offered by the College’s Graduate School which are designed to broaden the student's range of transferable skills.

The major milestones that our PhD students encounter are detailed in our Research Students' Handbook. See also the Registry Research Degrees page.

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How to apply

Be part of the future 

 

In a survey by the New York Times, biomedical technologies was the field that members of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers would most recommend to an engineering student interested in an R&D career.

Graduates with a degree in engineering, any of the physical sciences, mathematics, biological sciences, physiology or medicine may be accepted for a PhD. We will normally only accept applicants with a good 2:1 or 1st class degree from a UK university, or its equivalent, however candidates with non-UK qualifications may also require a Master's to be eligible for research.  Please check the College entry requirements carefully before applying.

Before making your official College application, please consult our research pages to decide which area you would like to work in and with which potential supervisor. You should then contact your potential supervisor(s) to find out what research opportunities or funding they may have available. Click here for a list of staff with research interests.  

Once you have established contact with a potential supervisor, they will ask you to make your official application via the College online applications page. Here you will also find guidance on the application process. Please note that if you are applicants wishing to work with Prof Molly Stevens or Dr Jon Weaver, should apply via the Materials Department.

We will not be able to process your application if you do not list a preferred topic and supervisor(s) on your form.

Students who wish to start in October should apply no later than July in the year they wish to start to allow sufficient time to process applications and obtain visas if appropriate.  However, those applying for funding from the department should also note the deadlines below.

Although most PhD students start in October, it may be possible to start at other times throughout the year to take into acount funding deadlines etc. Please discuss your start date with your potential supervisor.

Funding

The amount of money you will need to fund a PhD will vary according to your fee status (UK, EU or overseas). See the College Student Financial Support pages for information on fees, living costs and College-administered scholarships.

Departmental studentships

We typically have a small number of studentships available each year (EPSRC Doctoral Training Award, BBSRC Doctoral Training Grant or departmental studentships), which may be awarded to suitably qualified UK or EU applicants or as part-funding for overseas students.

Unfortunately the Department has limited funding for overseas students. We recommend that you consult the College scholarships page for details of any funding that may be available for you to apply to. Competition for College scholarships is fierce so we encourage you to apply as early as possible and certainly by January of the year in which you want to start.

Project-funded studentships

Project or programme grants awarded by the UK Research Councils can also be used to fund PhD research positions. UK Research Council funds are usually restricted to UK or EU residents.

All studentships offered by the department will be advertised on the PhD studentships page.  The deadline for applications for departmental studentships is usually January of the year you wish to start.

Contact us

If you have any further questions please check our frequently asked questions page or contact us at be.phdadmissions@imperial.ac.uk

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