2026-27 MRC LID Online Application Questions and Guidance

This is to provide guidance and information to prospective applicants applying for the 2026-27 MRC LID Studentships. Applicants should also read through the information provided on the MRC LID How to Apply page, including the MRC LID Applicant Guidance and FAQs document (or page), before starting and during completion and submission your application.

This page covers the questions that are asked in the application form, and provides some guidance on what we are looking for in responses from applicants.

Quick overview with in-document links

Pre-application and general hints, tips and notes
Applicant Details (Name and Contact)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Post-application general hints, tips and notes
Overview of application process timeline

Application Form Questions & Guidance

MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Pre-application: General)

Throughout this page,

  • MRC LID online application form text (headings, text and questions) is shown in green/turquoise italics.
  • MRC LID (Doctoral Training Programme) tips, hints and notes text is in blue and black.

The link to the application is on our MRC LID How to Apply page.

You do not have to complete our application in a single visit. The system allows for ‘Save and Return’ as long as you save the return code provided before closing the application. REDCap Surveys – the system we are using for our application form – can send an email out with the application URL (you will be prompted for this) but it will not send the code by email. You must copy and save this from the web page before you close it. Applicants need both of these (code and link) to return to their application.

Each scholarship is worth more than GBP 130,000.00 and competition for this scheme is fierce. Make sure that you have followed pre-application steps and guidance documents, answered questions asked as fully as possible, and submitted all required documentation.

Remember that those reviewing and scoring your application will not necessarily be experts in the same field as your proposed project. Please ensure that your application is suitable for a non-specific audience. Where more field-specific information is provided (for example, in your project proposal) you should include appropriate good quality science (methodology etc), but you need to explain it clearly too for the non-specialist reviewers.

Applications will be rejected where

  • Applicants do not meet the minimum eligibility criteria.
  • Applicants have exceeded maximum word counts or where text is so minimal that a reasonable review is not possible.
  • Applications are incomplete. (Applications are considered incomplete where information or attachments provided are incorrect or missing or where what is provided is incomplete or insufficient.)  

Part 1 responses and uploads will be sent out to various academic panels for assessment and scoring.

Parts 2 and 3 responses and uploads will be kept separate from the rest of the application form, used for administration and aggregated data purposes only, and stored securely for the duration of this studentship scheme (for 7 years after the end date of the studentship grant).

(APPLICATION Q) APPLICANT NAME & EMAIL

  1. All Given Names (official), including First Name
  2. All Last or Family Names/Surname (official)
  3. Name you prefer to use for contact (if different from First/Given Name(s) provided in Q1)
  4. Email address
MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Questions 1-4)

All Given Names (official), including First Name + All Last or Family Names / Surname (official)
For Q1 and Q2 please provide your full, formal (or official) name as it shows on official identity documents (for example, a birth certificate or passport).

Your Last or Family name is your Surname (this is the likely heading used in your passport).

If you only have one name please type ‘-‘ in the First or Given Name section and note your name in the Last or Family Name section.

Name you prefer to use
Your preferred first name is the name you want us to use for all communications with you, as you like to be called. For example, if your name is Francesca but you prefer people to call you Frankie please note Frankie here.

Email address
Please type this very carefully, as this is only one of two instances where we are collecting contact details from you. The Application (survey) has been set up with as much anonymisation as possible, which means we have no way to identify and contact you in the system outside of this.

If there is a typing error in this section it may be that we are unable to communicate with you and will therefore have to withdraw your application, which would be unfortunate.

Please take a minute to double-check this has been entered correctly. If, after you have submitted your application, you realise you’ve made an error and can’t update it (for example, because the application deadline has passed), please send an email to MRC LID: mrclid@lshtm.ac.uk to explain, and to advise that your email address needs to be updated/corrected on your application. (Please include your full name, as you’ve used on the application form, and date/time of submission in your email).

STUDENTSHIP, PROJECT, AND CURRICULUM VITAE INFORMATION

(APPLICATION Q) PART 1: STUDENTSHIP MODE OF STUDY & ROUTE
  1. Proposed mode of study
    • Full-time
    • Part-time
  2. Proposed studentship route
    • +4 route
    • 1+4 route
      • 1+4 route potential Master’s programme(s)
MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Questions 5-6)

Proposed Mode of Study
All projects offered are offered at full-time mode. Some projects are suitable for part-time study. Available modes will be set out on each project page. Further details of modes are available on the MRC LID Applicant Guidance & FAQs document.

Proposed Studentship Route
MRC LID offers two routes: 1+4 and +4.

(a) +4 – PhD Programme
The 4-year PhD programme is for students with relevant Master’s or equivalent training.

Students will apply for specific research projects at the outset and will be expected to take some taught modules (usually during Year 1 or 2), to widen and deepen their knowledge and understanding of their field.

All applicants whose prior studies and trajectory would allow them to start their PhD without further study should apply for the +4 route.

(b) 1+4 years – MSc and PhD Programme
1+4 awards may be made to applicants showing potential, who require a Master’s qualification. Students will apply for a research project, but will undertake a Master’s programme before beginning their research degree. Students on this scheme are required to pass their Master’s programme in order to progress to the PhD programme. The Master’s programme will be based at either of the partner institutions (LSHTM or CSG). Usually, the Master’s programme offered will be of direct relevance to the research project and MRC LID themes.

The 1+4 route is only available to those who need it for their selected research degree programme. Please discuss suitable options with your prospective supervisory team before making your selection.

Both (a) and (b): all routes

All students, regardless of route, will also have opportunities to gain new skills to allow them to undertake multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary research, and are required to undertake a required 3-month placement or internship which is not directly related to their PhD research (ideally in Year 2 or 3), as part of this programme.

Studentship routes are shown at FTE (time for full-time studies). Part-time study may be available, depending on the nature of the project chosen. If part-time study the route name remains the same, but the time taken would be at the part-time rate. For example, the 1+4 route taken part-time would be the equivalent to 2 years to complete a Master’s + 8 years to complete a PhD.

Applicants who select the 1+4 route should use the free text box to indicate which potential Masters programme(s) they wish to apply for (if their MRC LID application is successful). Please use the official Master’s programme(s) name(s) as set out on the institutional website/s:

If you wish to highlight more than one option, please separate each course with a semicolon.  

There is no limit to the number of options you can select. You should choose only those that would be suitable – where you will need the skills learned/developed for your proposed project and don’t yet have them.

Please note: Distance-learning or blended-learning options will not be considered. And programmes at other institutions (outside of CSG and LSHTM) are not available under this funding scheme.

(APPLICATION Q) PROJECT
  1. First choice project
    • (Ayers & Webb) Birth Trauma and Recovery: Analysis of Cortisol Expression (TRACE)
    • (Bengoechea & Reljic) Dissecting immune checkpoint PD-L1-mediated immune evasion in Klebsiella pneumoniae
    • (Bottomley & Gallagher) Improving Interrupted Time Series Analysis for the evaluation of vaccines and other public health interventions
    • (Carroll & Pittman) Advancing genotype-phenotype correlations with Multiplex Assays of Variant Effect
    • (Chikh & Bennett) p16-related designer peptides: a new strategy against melanoma
    • (Clark & White) How should countries deliver new TB vaccines when risk factors are considered?
    • (Delves & Moon) Preparation for transmission: Dissecting the roles of novel genes required to ensure the infectivity of P. falciparum gametocyte
    • (Dyson & Mostowy & Knight) PHACTS: Unravelling PHAge-baCTeria-host immune dynamicS to inform phage therapy
    • (Futema & Walsh) Dissecting the genetic modifiers of familial hypercholesterolaemia and coronary heart disease using whole-genome sequencing
    • (Giorgakoudi & Moore) Economic evaluation and global health – the case of small countries
    • (Gore-Langton & Warren-Gash) How does severe mental illness affect risk of dementia? 
    • (Groppelli & Jarvis & Harrison) Investigating the immunological interplay in CMV, HIV and cryptococcus meningitis co-infections and its link to disease severity
    • (Gulliver & Clark & Bidulka) Healthy Homes: Longitudinal impacts of damp and mouldy housing on respiratory and allergic health in children and adults in the UK
    • (Hargreaves & Powell-Jackson) Improving intervention design for health equity: inequality aversion parameters and infectious diseases in Africa
    • (Hargreaves & Longley & Seedat) Evaluating the burden and risk factors of infectious diseases among newly arrived migrants in the UK, and exploring healthcare models to enhance infectious disease prevention
    • (Horton & Houben) Epidemiological impact of heterogeneity in community screening for tuberculosis
    • (Howe & Barrick & Tarroni) Synthetic modelling of glial brain tumour MRI for improved analysis by AI
    • (Khan & McCreesh & Sumner) Investigating the effect of influenza on risk of tuberculosis in South Africa
    • (Kim & Reyes-Aldasoro & Barrick) AI-driven multidimensional analysis of cilia as a biomarker of ageing and health
    • (Kinra & Mallinson) AI-powered digital diagnostics for non-communicable disease screening in low-resource settings
    • (Knight & Edun & Lindsay) Antimicrobial resistance: what happens with age and by sex?
    • (Mallinson & Kinra & Bowen) The influence of dietary patterns and physical activity on premature ageing among urbanising communities in India: exploring the mediating roles of obesity, inflammation and gut microbiota
    • (Marks & Garnett) Mathematical modelling to optimise partner notification for sexually transmitted infections in low income settings
    • (Matthewman & Langan) Facilitating complex phenotyping for electronic health records research using large language models
    • (McQuaid & Saunders & Stagg) Epidemiological modelling of the impact and mitigation of climate change on tuberculosis
    • (Meijles & Carroll & Roberts) Defining the role of hypoxia-mediated endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in maladaptive cardiac remodelling
    • (Moon & Campino) Understanding erythrocyte invasion pathways for neglected malaria parasites
    • (Moore & Bixby & Clark) The changing incidence of Urinary Tract Infections and community prescribing across the UK to inform co-creation of future interventions
    • (Morris & Bowen & Bhaskaran) Assessing the safety of antibiotics for urinary tract infections in pregnancy using routinely collected data
    • (Reljic & Paul & Ma) RIP-A enzyme therapy of MDR-TB
    • (Robert & Eggo & Suffel) Modelling measles transmission risk in adults
    • (Slingsby & Bidulka & Clark) Predicting and mapping damp and mould in English Housing to estimate impacts on hospital admissions for pneumonia and severe asthma
    • (Soremekun & Gafos) Climate change and youth crime: The impact of temperature on offending in children and young people in the UK
    • (Southgate & Dobbins) From interaction to intervention: Multi-omics prioritisation and functional validation of a novel therapeutic avenue in pulmonary hypertension
    • (Staines & Groppelli & Krishna) Developing novel diagnostics for the management of Dengue fever in a new era of pandemic preparedness
    • (Suffel & Strongman & Warren-Gash) Do hypnotic drugs increase the risk of dementia?
    • (Sumner & Clark & Grint) Mathematical modelling and clinical trial simulation of TB prevention
    • (Tarroni & Varela) LR AI ECGs: Improving cardiac care in low-resource settings using Artificial Intelligence tools for electrocardiogram analysis
    • (Török & Kopach) Identifying the Piezo2 receptor function and its role in the brain
    • (Zimmerman & Hargreaves & Seedat) Injury surveillance information systems and health inequalities: Advancing risk detection for workers in low-wage, high-risk occupational groups  
  1. Research project proposal – upload
  2. Project research proposal statement: I confirm that I did not use AI in the development of this project proposal.
  3. Why have you selected this project?
  4. How will this PhD prepare you for your intended future career?
  5. Is there anything else you would like us to know that may help us better evaluate your application?
  6. Are you interested in any other projects (2nd & 3rd choice)?
    • Yes
      • Second choice project from MRC LID Projects List (same list of options as for First choice project)
      • Third choice project from MRC LID Projects List (same list of options as for First choice project)
    • No
MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Questions 7-13)

Initially, and before selecting a project or answering these questions, we’d encourage you to watch the recordings provided (Applicant Workshop and project-specific). Once you have selected your project (and watched the project record, and read the materials provided) you should contact the supervisory team.

First choice project
Further information about each project is available on the MRC LID Projects page.

Applicants to this scheme must select a project from the available list on the MRC LID pages only.

Project Research Proposal upload
In order to be considered for MRC LID Studentship funding applicants must upload a project proposal for their first-choice project. This must develop the project outline provided for the advertised project, and it must be in your own words. Anyone who uploads the advertised project, or copies and pastes it directly into their upload document, will have their application automatically rejected.

Applicants can get further information about the research proposal format and content from

  • MRC LID Applicant Guidance & FAQs (link available on the How to Apply page).
  • Applicant Workshop recordings (link available on the How to Apply page).
  • Proposed Project Supervisory Team.

Top tip for all applicants: We strongly suggest that (a) you read through the relevant sections of the Applicant Guidance & FAQs, which will provide you with comprehensive information about this requirement, and (b) look at some past examples of research proposals shared by our students, before you start your research project proposal draft.

You should draft your research proposal in Word (or similar). This will allow you to share the draft with your proposed supervisory team, and to make as many amendments as you need to (following discussions etc) more easily. You should make sure that the version you submit is the final version, though – without comments or tracking.

You should bear in mind that the entire proposal – including any supplementary information and references – should not exceed the word count. Usually this is equivalent to 3 – 4 pages of A4 with Arial Font 11.

  • 1+4 application= 1,000 words (minimum) – 2,000 words (maximum). Aim for approximately 1,500 words in total.
  • +4 or 4-year application = 1,500 words (minimum) – 2,000 word (maximum.

Please make sure that your name is clearly labelled on the upload document on each page with the research project title.)

Project proposals that are over the maximum word count limit will be automatically excluded (before potential assessment). Equally, applicants who submit a very low word count (under 1,000 word) are unlikely to be successful, as they haven’t provided reviewers with enough to review and score.

CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS
MRC LID is committed to recruiting a diverse student cohort. We value the academic and non-academic experiences people bring to our community, and appreciate that a standard scholarship application may not address the personal and professional progression routes of our applicants. Please use the questions below to tell us more about yourself: your skills, professional and lived experience, personal attributes, motivation, and any other relevant information which makes you suitable for PhD study. We are particularly interested in any information that is not collected elsewhere on this application, or details that will enhance and highlight other information provided.

Why have you selected this project?
Approximately 100 words maximum limit, so you will need to be clear and concise.
This is a contextual question, which is scored. The assessors want to know why this project is the right project for you? What makes it a good match? Another way to look at this might be to consider the relevant experiences (academic, foundational, lived, professional) that have prepared you for this project?

How will this PhD prepare you for your intended future career?Approximately 100 words maximum limit, so you will need to be clear and concise.

This is a contextual question, which is scored. The assessors want to understand better your potential and the trajectory of your learning and career (and how this project might fit into that). Reviewers are not necessarily experts in this area, and will not be making any judgement calls about pre-selection career choices. Instead, here they want you to clearly identify and explain any connections between your selected PhD project and your future career plans.

Is there anything else you would like us to know that may help us better evaluate your application?
Approximately 100 words maximum limit, so you will need to be clear and concise.

This is a contextual question. Applicants can choose to skip this question. However, if you think there is information that the assessors should know, and you are comfortable sharing it, then please feel free to use this space.

Second and/or third choice project options
Please be aware that applicants will only be short-listed on the basis of their first-choice project.

However, in the event that a number of excellent candidates are short-listed for the same project the MRC LID Board may consider other project options. Please indicate up to 2 other projects you would be interested in on the application form. Please consider your choices carefully as these cannot be changed once projects have been awarded.

If you indicate that you would be interested in selecting second and third choice options you will see the project list again (as it was under ‘First choice project’).

(APPLICATION Q) PART 1 – CV: QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS
  1. Pre-University Education

UNDERGRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS (BACHELOR’S OR EQUIVALENT)

Undergraduate Qualifications/Studies 1

  1. Stage
  2. From (initial registration date)
  3. To (completion date)
  4. Qualification (e.g. BA or BSc)
  5. Subject (official degree programme name)
  6. University/Institution Name
  7. University/Institution Location (Town/City, Country)
  8. Mode of Study
  9. Programme Type
  10. Final result – degree classification (e.g. 2.1) or final overall grade (e.g. CPGA)
  11. Additional information for assessors
  12. Undergraduate Qualification Transcript (or interim transcript) – upload
  13. Undergraduate Qualification Certificate – upload
  14. Undergraduate Qualification Transcript and Certificate Translations – upload
  1. Do you have a second undergraduate programme to add?
    • Yes
      • Undergraduate Qualification/Studies 2 (Questions 15-28 repeated for second qualification)
    • No

POSTGRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS (MASTER’S OR EQUIVALENT, OR HIGHER)

  1. Have you ever started a research degree (PhD/Doctorate) that you have not completed?
    • Yes
      • If yes, please provide information about each occurrence.
    • No
  2. Are you currently registered for, and/or have you completed, any postgraduate studies?
    • Yes – Progress to Questions 32-45
    • No – Progress to Question 47

Postgraduate Qualifications/Studies 1

  1. Stage
  2. From (initial registration date)
  3. To (completion date)
  4. Qualification (e.g. MA/MSc/MRes/PhD)
  5. Subject (official degree programme name)
  6. University/Institution Name
  7. University/Institution Location (Town/City, Country)
  8. Mode of Study
  9. Programme Type
  10. Final result – degree classification (e.g. Pass) or final overall grade (e.g. CPGA)
  11. Additional information for assessors
  12. Postgraduate Qualification Transcript (or interim modules and results) upload
  13. Postgraduate Qualification Certificate upload
  14. Postgraduate Qualification Transcript and Certificate Translations upload
  1. Do you have a second postgraduate programme to add?
    • Yes
      • Postgraduate Studies 2

(Questions 32-45 repeated for second qualification)

  • No – Progress to Question 47
OTHER RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS
  1. Do you have any other skills and experience in place of or alongside your qualifications which should be taken into account (excluding roles that will be covered under the Employment section of the application)?
MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Questions 14-47)

UKRI, which funds MRC LID, is moving towards narrative CVs for grants. This may be something you wish to investigate further as you progress through your research career. However, MRC LID is using a more standard Curriculum Vitae format to support all applicants at this early research stage to share their history, trajectory and potential with the assessment panels.

MRC LID has offered studentships to a wide range of applicants, with very different study opportunities and experiences. To accommodate the variety of options this section of the application form is quite large. Please do not be overwhelmed by it. It is the only way we can provide a standardised Curriculum Vitae format which can accommodate a variety of experiences (from prospective applicants at the very start of their journey through to those with more qualifications and/or different work experiences).

Pre-University Education
This section is optional. It should briefly note qualifications at the level used to enter Higher Education at undergraduate level (for example, A levels or International Baccalaureate). This is merely an opportunity to highlight key skills e.g. level of mathematics. It is not intended to be a full run-down of your schooling (which is generally not useful for postgraduate studies recruitment). Please do not enter any other details of other qualifications and subjects studied before university.

The format to use is:
Award Year; Qualification, Subject & Grade/Score, School/College, Town/City, Country

Undergraduate Qualifications (Bachelor’s or equivalent)
MRC LID Funding is for postgraduate research (PGR) study at LSHTM or CSG.

PGR study at either of these partner institutions requires applicants to hold, or expect to hold, an undergraduate qualification, or equivalent by 1 September 2026. Therefore, to meet institutional minimum eligibility criteria, this is the only qualification that must be completed by all applicants. Please note that for some projects and institutions other formal qualifications will also be required. See your selected project’s web page for more details. The information you submit on your application in this section should only be for qualifications leading to an undergraduate degree, not another qualification level e.g. diploma.

Stage: Ongoing = if you are still registered for the programme of study, with more study and assessments to come, and the course end date is in the future.

End Date: Any current study programme should be completed before the start of the MRC LID Studentships in September 2026. (There is a pop-up warning about this if your course end date is planned for after 1 September 2026, but it should still allow you to proceed as some courses only finish in late September each year.)

Subject (official degree programme name): Should show the name as it would be on an official transcript or certificate (for example, History of Fine Art).

University/Institution Name: Should show the full, official name of the institution (for example, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

University/Institution Location: Should show the town/city and country where you were based and registered.

Final result: Please do not ‘translate’ any non-UK qualifications to a UK equivalent. Instead, please state the scores/results used by your university on the application form. This will be the identical to the way the results are noted on your official, final transcripts and award. (This may be a GPA, or percentage, or score, or ranking, or letter, or mix of any of these.) The guidance or explanation for the overall scores/results is usually found at the end of or on the reverse of the transcript. Please ensure that this is included in your transcript upload.

If you are currently registered for ongoing studies, please leave this section empty until it is confirmed by your university on the transcript. Please do not use anticipated final classification or grade.

Additional information for assessors: This is an opportunity for you to highlight any factors that you feel have had an impact on your academic and/or professional career to date. Details provided will be made available for our academic team to view and take into consideration when assessing your application.

Please use this section for any additional information, including but not limited to

  • Context for your final result (for example the total maximum CGPA from your institution or a NARIC equivalence).
  • Briefly highlight key modules/skills/grade(s), if appropriate.
  • And contextual information or mitigating circumstances that should be considered in relation to this record.
  • You may also choose to use this space to describe any of the barriers you have faced during your education and how you have overcome them.

There is room to enter details for up to two undergraduate qualifications on the application form. Please use the same guidance notes as above for completing a second record (if appropriate).

Undergraduate Qualification Uploads
Applicants must upload at least one undergraduate transcript or interim transcript. (Two if two undergraduate qualifications have been noted.)

Where an undergraduate programme has been completed MRC LID expects that both the transcript and certificate will be uploaded (and a translation where the original documents are not in English or the translation is not integrated).

Please do not upload documents that have not been requested (for example, certificates for attendance on courses; diplomas; references etc). These will be removed from your application before it is sent off for assessment. Any unrequested uploads will not help your application, but they will cause unnecessary administrative work. Please only upload what has been requested here.

Postgraduate Qualifications (Master’s or equivalent, or higher)
If you have started a research degree that you have not completed (and it isn’t ongoing), please provide the MRC LID review panels with more details. The information to provide for each occurrence is:

  • University/Institution (with location as Town/City, Country)
  • Proposed qualification you were working towards
  • Research project title
  • Dates of study
  • Reason(s) for withdrawal/non-completion.

See Undergraduate Qualification section above for further details on how to fill in each section.

There is room to enter details for up to two postgraduate qualifications on the application form.

(APPLICATION Q) PART 1 – CV: EMPLOYMENT

Post 1

  1. Post/Job Title
  2. Contract Type
  3. From (Start date)
  4. To (End date)
  5. Mode (FT/PT)
  6. Mode (Location)
  7. Employer Name
  8. Employer Address
  9. Brief details of work and responsibilities
  10. Another employment record to add?
    • Yes
      • Post 2 (Questions 48-57 repeated for second employment record)
      • Available to be repeated for a further 5 or 6 occurrences.
    • No – Progress to Question 58
  11. Please note here details of any other employment, voluntary posts, or research experience that you think the assessors should be aware of.
MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Questions 48-58)

This page can be skipped over if you have not had any formal employment before, unless you wish to provide details of voluntary posts or research experience in the question at the bottom of this page.

There are up to 7 records available for applicants to use to note down their employment.

When an applicant has more than 7 employment records they should use this section to show the most recent and most relevant. Ideally, we’d be looking for your Qualifications and Employment records to cover at least the past 4 years in detail, including periods out of study and work noted.

Please help those assessing your application by ordering your employment history logically as you enter in on the form (ideally working chronologically from today/now going backwards).

To (End date): This should be left blank for ongoing roles (unless the contract is fixed term and you have a future end-date set already).

Employer Address: Please note the physical address, including town/city and country. The local address should be used even where the employer has regional and/or multinational offices. Please do not use a postal-only address (e.g. PBag or PO Box).

Details of any other employment, voluntary posts, or research experience that you think the assessors should be aware of.
The next section of the application form deals with publications. However, it may be useful, in this section, to provide an overview of any research – mentioning the role you played and describing your research findings (as this is likely to be more useful to those who are reviewing your application than a list of publications).

(APPLICATION Q) PART 1 – CV: PUBLICATIONS
  1. Publications
MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Question 59)

Applicants should skip over this section if they have no publications, preprints or presentations to report. MRC LID expects that many applicants will skip this because publications are strongly dependent on education/career stage and level of opportunity.

Where you do share publications, please give the full author list, title of the work and journal/preprint server in which it was published. If available, please also give an electronic link to the publication. Please do not include papers in preparation, but you can list papers which have been submitted for publication, if available.

(APPLICATION Q) PART 1 – CV: REFEREES

Referee 1

  1. First or Given Name
  2. Last or Family Name (or Surname)
  3. Position/Job Title
  4. Employer/Institution
  5. Work contact email address
  6. Contact telephone number
  7. Employer physical address

Referee 2 (Questions 60-66 repeated)

MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Questions 60-66)

Please provide the names and contact details of two referees. Referees selected should be able to comment authoritatively on your academic performance and suitability for doctoral study. These should normally be from tutors on your undergraduate or postgraduate taught course who have direct knowledge of your work. Where appropriate, should be a current course director or tutor. It is strongly recommended that neither of the references be written by the applicant’s prospective supervisor. It is accepted that some students may have undertaken relevant professional work where the referees would be better able to comment on their suitability for undertaking research instead.

You are not required to submit reference letters for this application. Instead, MRC LID will contact referees directly. Please note: Referees will be contacted only if/where an applicant is short-listed for interview, and accepts the invitation to attend. At that stage, MRC LID would expect you to have liaised with your referees so that they are aware that we may contact them for a reference for you (in preparation for interview). Please ensure that the email address you use for referees is their professional one (ideally linked to their organisation/institution).

Contact Telephone Number: If outside the UK this should include BOTH country and area codes.

Employer Physical Address: Please include Building/Number, Street Name, Town/City, Postcode/ZIP, Country

(APPLICATION) FEE STATUS ASSESSMENT + EDI & WIDENING PARTICIPATION MONITORING + FEEDBACK (PART 2)

The questions and answers in this section of the application form will be kept separate from the rest of your application form, stored securely with limited access, and will not be available to those on review, scoring and shortlisting panels.

Our Applicant documents – available on the ‘MRC LID How to Apply’ page – will provide further information about what we’re asking and why. The information shared here will be used to monitor and improve our policies and to assess and deliver appropriate support. Applicant responses are extremely valuable to the DTP. They can signal if/where there is any form of structural, systemic or policy-driven exclusion and discrimination. Less missing data leads to a more complete overall picture of our applicants (which helps to guide discussions and future changes). However, we appreciate that some applicants may not feel able to share safely and confidently. Please check the ‘Prefer not to say’ option if you do not wish to disclose specific information in each section. Any sections left incomplete will be considered as ‘Information refused’/’Not known’.

The applicant data from this studentship recruitment round will be kept for the duration of the studentship scheme.

MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes

The answers in this section of the application form will be kept separate from the rest of the application form.

Individual applicant data will not be available to the assessment and review panels.

Data will be collected and stored securely by Registry teams at LSHTM and/or CSG in line with the UK Equality Act 2010 and Data Protection Act 2018 (GDPR legislation).

Access to individual, named records is limited to a small number of administrative staff (usually those in the Registry Scholarships team/s, who administer the paperwork during each recruitment round). The funding administration team will anonymise and aggregate the data provided. Where total data falls below the minimum threshold of 10, data will be further aggregated before being shared (to avoid identifying data). This anonymised and aggregated data is provided to the MRC LID Board, DTP partner institutions (LSHTM and CSG), and UKRI to provide an overview of cohort trends and to support year-on-year comparisons. It is used only to monitor our recruitment opportunities, determine how we can alter our policies and procedures to be more equitable, and to assess and deliver better support to applicants and students.

The MRC LID Privacy statement is available on the MRC LID Terms & Conditions page.

(APPLICATION Q) PART 2 – APPLICANT PERSONAL DETAILS
  1. Date of Birth
  2. Age at time of application
  3. Current Contact Address
  4. Permanent Contact Address (if living away from home e.g. for studies)
MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Questions 67-70)

This information will form the basis for your official studentship applicant record.

Addresses: Please provide Building/Number, Street Name, Town/City, Postcode/ZIP Code, Country

If your address changes over the time of your MRC LID application (or award before initial enrolment) you should update it by emailing mrclid@lshtm.ac.uk to advise of the changes.

(APPLICATION Q) PART 2 – NATIONALITY & RESIDENCY
  1. Country of Birth
  2. Country of Nationality 1
  3. Do you hold dual nationality?
    • Yes
      • Country of Nationality 2
    • No
  4. Country of Residence
  5. Is this your country of permanent residence?
    • Yes
    • No
      • Please confirm your country of permanent residence
MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Questions 71-75)

Country of birth: Country of birth is the country in which a person was born. This is different to nationality which is the country or countries where a person can have a legal status, although they may not reside in that country. There are times when someone is not born in a country (for example, at sea). In this situation the country where the birth is registered is usually used. Country of birth does not change, except as a result of an international boundary change. For example, Czechoslovakia, where people could be born in Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic (Czechia), or Slovakia, but their nationality will be one of the last two as the first no longer exists. 

Nationality: Nationality of a country is a legal status that usually gives a person a particular set of rights relating to that country. It can be possible for someone to have two or more nationalities, often referred to as dual or multiple nationality. Nationality can change over time if new citizenship is gained, meaning it is a changeable measure. Nationality reflects an individual’s choice to become a citizen as well as their ability and eligibility to do so. (Citizenship is a status that identifies a person’s formal membership of a state, entitling them to hold a country’s passport.)

Residence: This is where you normally reside, apart from temporary or occasional absences. Please read up about ‘ordinary residence’ as set out on the UKCISA pages, as this is what should be considered when you are completing this section of the form.  

Permanent residence: This is where you have the right to live, work and study without time limit or visa. 

This section will also be used to determine whether you are eligible for an institutional fee bursary in addition to an MRC LID Studentship (only available to applicants who are nationals of and resident in low- to middle-income countries, as defined by the World Bank).

(APPLICATION) PART 2 – FEE STATUS ASSESSMENT

This information will be used only by the MRC LID Manager and administrative colleagues trained to make fee assessments (as set out by the UK government) at LSHTM and City St George’s (CSG).

  1. Have you lived in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) since birth?
    • Yes – Progress to Question 77
    • No
      • Have you ever lived in the UK?
        • No – Progress to Question 77
        • Yes
          • Where did you live before moving to the UK?
          • When did you move to the UK to live?
          • Do you have right of residence (leave to remain) in the UK for any other reason than a current study visa?
            • No – Progress to Question 77
            • Yes
              • Please confirm which of these applies
                • Indefinite Leave to Enter or Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) meeting UK residency requirements (‘two-year rule’)
                • EU Pre-settled Status
                • EU Settled Status
                • Spousal/Family Residency Status
                • Refugee Status
                • Other (Please provide more information).
              • Please provide documentary evidence of this status upload
  1. Passport photo page upload
  1. In summary, and to support UKRI classification for fee status assessment:
    • I am a UK national who meets UK residency requirements.
    • I am a UK national who does not meet UK residency requirements (absences were not temporary/ordinary residence was not maintained).
    • I am an EU national who has UK settled status.
    • I am an EU national who has pre-settled status and meets UK residency requirements.
    • I am a non-UK national, who has indefinite leave to remain or enter.
    • I am an Irish national.
    • I am classed as an International student by UKRI (because none of the above options apply).
  1. Therefore, based on UKCISA Fee Status Assessment information and my particular situation, I have assessed my fee status to be
    • Home (UK) fee status
    • International (overseas) fee status
      • Applicants with International (overseas) fee status who are offered a studentship will need to pay a fee top-up for every year of their studies. Please outline your plans for covering this.
MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Questions 76-79)

This information will be used to make fee assessments. This is important because MRC LID is limited to making up to TWO awards per year to international applicants.

We will be using the information you provide here, and from the sections above, to assess your information within criteria set by the UK government and UKRI

Fee assessment can be very clear (for example, for those who have lived in the UK since birth or those who have never lived in the UK). But it can also be extremely complex (for example, for UK nationals who have not lived in the UK for some time), and each applicant has a far clearer picture of their history than we can gather from a studentship application. Where our assessment differs from yours, we may need to contact you for more information and documentation to understand better.

Indefinite Leave to Remain or Enter: People who have indefinite leave to remain (ILR) are subject to a ‘two-year’ rule meaning that they lose the right to live permanently in the UK if they have been out of the country for two years or more. Indefinite leave to enter is different, meaning that there is no time limit on entering and living in the UK (although time outside of the UK may affect a fee assessment). UK Government ILR/ILE information

Irish Nationals: Eligibility is derived from the UK Ireland Common Travel Area Agreement.

Information about any fee top-up plans you have will be read as indicative-only at this stage. What you share with us is non-binding. But it will help us to see your initial plans and gauge any actions, progress and updates by Easter 2026, if you are selected for interview. (If you are a national of, and permanently resident in, a low- to middle-income country you should highlight this here and advise that you’re hoping for an institutional fee bursary to cover the top-up.)

(APPLICATION) DIVERSITY & INCLUSION MONITORING

Please see our Applicant Guidance document to understand why we are asking these questions and what the DTP Manager will do with the information shared.

MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes

Historically, MRC LID has not had a particularly good record of recruiting students from under-represented and non-traditional backgrounds. In 2019 MRC LID created a new EDI strategy and started using a number of initiatives to rectify this. (More information is available on our EDI page.)

The data collected in this section will be used to review the interventions, and determine future policies and initiatives.

We hope you will find the questions asked are respectful and give you the opportunity to reflect who you are, but if we have inadvertently failed or you think we could do better please let us know (email: mrclid@lshtm.ac.uk).

(APPLICATION Q) EDI
  1. Sex
    • Female
    • Male
    • Prefer not to say
  2. Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?
    • Yes
    • No
    • Prefer not to say
  3.  Sexual orientation
    • Bi/bisexual
    • Gay man
    • Gay woman/lesbian
    • Heterosexual
    •  I identify in another way (please describe)
    • Prefer not to say
  4. Ethnicity and cultural heritage – What is your ethnic group?
    • Asian – Bangladeshi or Bangladeshi British
    • Asian – Chinese or Chinese British
    • Asian – Indian or Indian British
    • Asian – Pakistani or Pakistani British
    • Any other Asian background
    • Black – African or African British
    • Black – Caribbean or Caribbean British
    • Any other Black background
    • Mixed or multiple ethnic groups – Asian or Asian British and White or White British
    • Mixed or multiple ethnic groups – Black African or Black African British and White or White British
    • Mixed or multiple ethnic groups – Black Caribbean or Black Caribbean British and White or White British
    • Any other Mixed or Multiple ethnic background
    • White – English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish or British
    • White – Gypsy or Irish Traveller
    • White – Irish
    • White – Roma
    • Any other White background
    • Arab
    • Any other ethnic background
    • Not known
    • Prefer not to say
  5. Religion or strongly held belief, if any
    • No religion
    • Buddhist
    • Christian
    • Hindu
    • Jewish
    • Muslim
    • Pagan
    • Sikh
    • Any other religion or belief
    • Prefer not to say
  6. Do you have an impairment, health condition, or learning difference that has a substantial impact on your ability to carry out day-to-day activities and has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months?
    • Yes
      • If you answered ‘Yes’ above please tick any of the following that apply
        • Learning difference such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or AD(H)D
        • Social/communication conditions such as a speech and language impairment or an autistic spectrum condition
        • Long-term illness or health condition such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, chronic heart disease, or epilepsy
        • Mental health condition, challenge or disorder, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety
        • Physical impairment (a condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, lifting or carrying)
        • D/deaf or have a hearing impairment
        • Blind or have a visual impairment uncorrected by glasses
        • Development condition that you have had since childhood which affects motor, cognitive, social and emotional skills, and speech and language
        • No known impairment, health condition or learning difference
        • An impairment, health condition or learning difference not listed above
        • Prefer not to say
    • No (No known impairment, health condition or learning difference)
    • Prefer not to say
  7. Are you or have you been a refugee, asylum seeker, or granted humanitarian protection?
    • Yes
    • No
    • Prefer not to say
  8. Do you or have you had caring responsibilities?
    • Yes
      • You have stated that you have caring responsibilities. Please tick all that apply.
        • Primary carer of a child or children (under 18)
        • Joint primary carer of a child or children (under 18)
        • Primary carer of a disabled child or children
        • Joint primary carer of a disabled child or children
        • Primary carer or assistant for a disabled adult (18 years or over)
        • Joint primary carer or assistant for a disabled adult (18 years or over)
        • Primary carer or assistant for an older person or people (65 and over)
        • Joint primary carer or assistant for an older person or people (65 and over)
        • Secondary carer (another person carries out the main caring role)
        • I have caring responsibilities but prefer not to specify what these
    • No
    • Prefer not to say
  9. Was any of your schooling (ages 5-18) undertaken in the UK?
    • No – Progress to Question 91
    • Yes
      • Which type of school did you attend for the most time between the ages of 11 and 16?
        • A state-run or state-funded school
        • Independent or fee-paying school
        • Independent or fee-paying school, where I received a means tested bursary covering 90% or more of the total cost of attending throughout my time there
        • Attended school outside the UK
        • I don’t know
        • Prefer not to say
      • Have you ever been in receipt of free school meals?
        • Yes
        • No
        • Not applicable (finished school before 1980 or went to school overseas)
        • I don’t know
        • Prefer not to say
      • What was your home postcode at age 14?
      • What was the occupation of your main household earner when you were about aged 14?
        • Modern professional & traditional professional occupations such as: teacher, nurse, physiotherapist, social worker, musician, police officer (sergeant or above), software designer, accountant, solicitor, medical practitioner, scientist, civil / mechanical engineer.
        • Senior, middle or junior managers or administrators such as: finance manager, chief executive, large business owner, office manager, retail manager, bank manager, restaurant manager, warehouse manager.
        • Clerical and intermediate occupations such as: secretary, personal assistant, call centre agent, clerical worker, nursery nurse.
        • Technical and craft occupations such as: motor mechanic, plumber, printer, electrician, gardener, train driver.
        • Routine, semi-routine manual and service occupations such as: postal worker, machine operative, security guard, caretaker, farm worker, catering assistant, sales assistant, HGV driver, cleaner, porter, packer, labourer, waiter/waitress, bar staff.
        • Long-term unemployed (claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance or earlier unemployment benefit for more than a year).
        • Small business owners who employed less than 25 people such as: corner shop owners, small plumbing companies, retail shop owner, single restaurant or cafe owner, taxi owner, garage owner.
        • Other such as: retired, this question does not apply to me, I don’t know.
        • Prefer not to say
      • What was your home postcode at first point of entry to Higher Education? (This is the postcode before you started/moved to university.)
      • Are you care experienced)?
        • Yes
        • No
        • Prefer not to say
      • Are you or were you estranged from your parents (normally not in contact with them for at least 12 months as a result of a permanent breakdown in your relationship)?
        • Yes
        • No
        • Prefer not to say
      • Are you or have you ever experienced homelessness?
        • Yes
        • No
        • Prefer not to say
  10. Did any of your parents (natural parents, adoptive parents, step-parents or guardians who have brought you up) have any higher education qualifications, such as a degree, diploma or certificate of higher education before you were aged 18?
    • Yes, one or more of my parents or legal guardians attended university
    • No, none of my parents or legal guardians attended university
    • Do not know/not sure
    • Prefer not to say
  11. Have you ever received funding or used a student loan for undergraduate degree studies (e.g. BA, BSc or equivalent)?
    • Yes
      • Please provide brief details of your undergraduate funding: name of funding; type (bursary/loan/scholarship etc); duration
    • No
    • Prefer not to say
  12. Have you ever received funding or used a student loan for postgraduate degree studies (Master’s or PhD or equivalent)?
    • Yes
      • Please provide brief details of your postgraduate funding: name of funding; type (bursary/loan/scholarship etc); duration
    • No
    • Not applicable (no postgraduate study)
    • Prefer not to say
  13. Are you currently studying or have you previously studied at one/both of the MRC LID partnership institutions?
    • Yes – CSG (or legacy City, University of London or legacy SGUL)
    • Yes – LSHTM
    • Yes – Both
    • No
  14. Are you currently or have you previously been employed at one/both of the MRC LID partnership institutions?
    • Yes – CSG (or legacy City, University of London or legacy SGUL)
    • Yes – LSHTM
    • Yes – Both
    • No
  15. Are you currently studying or have you previously studied at a Russell Group university?
    • Yes
    • No
  16. Are you currently or have you previously been employed by a Russell Group university?
    • Yes
    • No
MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Questions 80-95)

MRC LID has based the first seven questions and available responses on standardised HESA categories. This data has been collected since the start of the DTP, so can be used to compare with DTP historic data and also potentially institution-wide Admissions data. This can be helpful when reviewing the effectiveness of our systems, policies and interventions.

Disability: Both partner institutions for the DTP aim to create an environment which enables all students to participate fully in university life. Further information about disability support at each institution can be found here via the links below.

Students who may need adjustments or special arrangements or facilities for their studies should contact the Disability Support teams at their proposed primary institution well in advance of the start of their studies.

Carer: This covers anyone who has caring responsibilities. For example, anyone who is (or was) either a parent or guardian and/or who cares (or cared), unpaid, for a friend or family member (who due to illness, disability, or a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without the support of their carer/s).

Care experienced: The term ‘care experienced’ refers to anyone who has been, or is currently, in care. This care may have been provided in many different settings, including living with foster carers; living in a residential children’s home; being looked after at home under a supervision order; living with friends or relatives in kinship care.

Estranged: The term ‘estranged’ refers to anyone who no longer has a relationship with their parents i.e. not seeing or communicating with them. There are many reasons why someone becomes estranged, which could include (but are not limited to): being a victim of physical or emotional abuse by family members; having experienced or been threatened with ‘honour’-based violence or forced marriage; and/or being disowned or rejected because of life choices which parents disagree with.

We are aware that socioeconomic factors play a large role in whether people choose to undertake in postgraduate education. It does not fit under Equality Act ‘protected characteristics’. And historically this information has not been collected at postgraduate study level. It is difficult to gauge the extent to which socioeconomic background affects route to higher education and subsequent success, and what interventions and support should be put in place for students, if we do not have any data. Collecting data asked of those who went to school in the UK is the first step to measuring and providing context for future changes (and hopefully more scholarships offered). We do not ask the same questions from applicants based outside the UK because experiences are not necessarily comparable for data monitoring purposes.

For more information about measuring dimensions of socio-economic background in the UK, please see

It’s important to note that each question isn’t a single substitute for measuring socio-economic background and disadvantage. Responses will not be assessed in isolation (or as a substitute for any given classification).

Research has shown that some equal opportunities markers (refugee; care experienced; carer; estranged; homeless; socio-economic background) are very clearly linked to increased barriers to higher education. Responses to these questions in this section will help MRC LID to monitor whether initiatives are helping to remove barriers or not (and therefore what we need to consider other actions to support applicants better).

It is more usual for children who have seen university study modelled by their parents and/or legal guardians to follow in their footsteps. We don’t want to exclude applicants who have not had this experience.

Applicants with current and/or prior connections to our institutions, or other Russell Group institutions, may have connections and hold knowledge currency (vocabulary, contacts etc) that other applicants do not. We have started to track and measure this, to see the impact this has and consider what we can do to ensure a fairer scheme for all applicants.

(APPLICATION Q) DTP-SPECIFIC EVALUATION & FEEDBACK
  1. How did you find out about MRC LID Studentships?
    • FindAPhD
    • In2Research
    • HDR UK
    • Staff at your current university
    • Prospective supervisory team (including via social media, e.g., X feed)
    • Prior/current student at CSG (or legacy institutions) or LSHTM
    • Other
      • Other was selected. Please provide more detail.
  2. Did you watch the MRC LID Applicant Workshop recordings?
    • Yes
    • No
  3. Did you watch the project-specific recording for your selected first choice research project?
    • Yes
      • Did you watch the recording before contacting the supervisory team?
      • Did the recording help with preparations for your application by (a) helping you select the right project for you, and (b) providing you with key information required at this stage?
      • Any comments on the project recording? (To be fed back to teams in an aggregated, anonymised format.)
    • No
      • You’ve indicated that you did not watch the recording provided for the project. Please could you briefly outline why you were unable to, or chose not to, use this resource.
  4. Was the MRC LID applicant information on the web pages useful to you?
    • YesNo
  5. What elements were useful?
  6. What wasn’t as useful or good, or could be done better?
  7. What else should we add to our web pages to support applicants?
MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Questions 96-102)

These questions help us to work out the effectiveness of our advertising and of the applicant support measures we’ve put in place.

We would like any constructive feedback available here. Also, it will help us to make this process better for future rounds if we know where there are issues or blips – that we may not have anticipated – from an applicant’s perspective.

(APPLICATION) PART 3: APPLICANT DECLARATION

DECLARATION
– This application is for an MRC award for doctoral research training. If I am awarded an MRC studentship for full-time study I undertake to commit myself on a full-time basis to this training under the direction of my supervisors. If I am awarded an MRC studentship for part-time study I undertake to devote the full amount of time deemed by the primary institution as necessary and appropriate for part-time study under the direction of my supervisors.
– I declare that the information, contents and statements provided on this form and in the supporting documents are true and accurate and contain no misrepresentations (direct or indirect). I further declare that I have not used any form of Artificial Intelligence tool(s) in the preparation and completion of my application and the contents of my application form are all my own work. (Applicants should be aware that any kind of misrepresentation by candidates would amount to withdrawal of the scholarship award and may result in initiation of disciplinary proceedings after the commencement of the programme of study.)
– I agree that MRC LID may process the information contained in this form and retain it for statistical and administrative reasons. 
– I undertake to inform MRC LID immediately of any change in the information I have given in this application form.
– I understand that I may be required to make a formal institutional application for a programme of study if this MRC funding application is successful.
– I agree to abide by the conditions set out by UKRI for studentship awardees (link/s in MRC LID Applicant FAQs and guidance).
– I agree to abide by the conditions set out by MRC LID for studentship awardees (link/s in MRC LID Applicant FAQs and guidance).
– I have advised my referees that I have named them in this application, and asked them to supply a reference (when requested by MRC LID) if I am short-listed for interview.
– For applicants with overseas fee status and UK non-residents only: I understand that I will be responsible for the difference between this studentship award and the full annual tuition fee costs at my primary institution, which will be approx. GBP 25,000.00 – GBP 30,000.00 per year. I am making appropriate plans and taking appropriate actions to ensure that I meet this responsibility if I am awarded a studentship. 
– I have taken this opportunity to check my application has all of the information I want to submit, and I have uploaded the documents required (as set out in the MRC LID Applicant information e.g. FAQs and Guidance). 
– I confirm that these declarations will also apply to any amendments, updates and additions made to this application (using the REDCap code provided at the next stage) following initial submission.
– I understand that there will be no opportunity to amend or add to my application after the application deadline. 

  1. I confirm/agree with the statements made in the Declaration      ☐
  2. Re-type email address
 MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Declaration and Questions 103-104)

To submit an application, the applicant must agree to the declaration. Ticking the box is equivalent to agreeing with the statements made and your signature.

Please make sure that you type your email address correctly and check it carefully before you submit your application. This will help MRC LID verify this record against the entry on page 1 of your application form. (If we do not have your email address at this stage, we will not be able to contact you with an outcome.)

You should be aware that any incomplete applications may be rejected. To avoid this, please make sure your application is complete at this stage. Here is a checklist of uploads to help.

  • Research project proposal for one of the projects advertised on the 2026-27 MRC LID Projects List.
  • For each ongoing undergraduate or postgraduate qualifications: Interim Transcript or equivalent documents (showing confirmation of registration, modules selected for each term/year and grades received so far) + Translation in to English (where the interim transcript is not shown in English).
  • For each undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) qualification completed and included in this application = Complete Transcript (showing full duration of study, modules taken and grades received) + Award Certificate + Translation into English (if the transcript and certificate aren’t shown in English), with confirmation of who translated it and with what authority. (Also, check that each upload shows every page of the document, including any mark scheme or explanation.) Check that any photographs show the edges of each page of the document.
  • If applicable, proof of leave to remain or other residency status in the UK.
  • Passport photo page.
MRC LID Hints, Tips & Notes (Post-submission: General)

You must formally submit an application before the deadline for it to be considered. The DTP is unable to view or consider any applications that have been drafted but not submitted.

Submit
Once an applicant has clicked ‘Submit’ a pop-up box will allow you to

  • Copy the code for returning to your application.
  • Add an email address for the confirmation of submission email to be sent to.
  • Download a PDF of your application.

We recommend you do all three because:
– This is the last opportunity you will have for these options.
– MRC LID cannot provide you with any of these after you have closed this pop-up box and page.
– The PDF of the final, submitted application cannot be included in your confirmation email (due to the personal and confidential data it contains).

The code provided should be saved. It can be used to return to an application (for any amendments and additions) until the deadline. You can use the application link on the ‘How to Apply’ page, followed by the ‘Returning’ button at the top-right hand side of the Application Page 1. If you make any amendments after your initial submission you must ‘resubmit’ for these to be actioned.

Post-submission administration
All applications will be collated after the deadline and processed in a single batch. Administrators will complete a few basic requirement checks as an initial step. Applications that are assessed to be suitable will progress through a number of academic review panels for scoring and shortlisting. Following a panel meeting to finalise the interview list, the MRC LID Manager will contact every applicant – using the email address provided on the application form – with a decision.

Overview of Application Process Timeline

Stage 1: DTP

  1. MRC LID selects potential research projects to advertise to prospective applicants.
  2. MRC LID advertises.

Stage 2: APPLICANT
Applicant follows these steps (in order):

  1. Reads through information provided to check that this studentship scheme is suitable
    • About MRC LID
    • Value of studentship award
    • Studentship routes available
  2. Checks eligibility criteria is met.
  3. Attends Open Day event/s at CSG and/or LSHTM, as applicable.
  4. Watches MRC LID Applicant Workshop recordings.
  5. Short-lists up to 3 projects in line with interests, career goals and trajectory. And selects one as the first-choice project.
  6. Watches the project-specific recordings to double-check project choice/s (or amend).
  7. Reads the documents highlighted (DOIs and other) for the selected project/s.
  8. Reads through MRC LID 2026-27 Studentship documents
    • Applicant Guidance & FAQs and
    • Application Questions & Guidance.
  9. Contacts the supervisory team named on their first-choice project as soon as possible to discuss further, including a draft proposal review.
  10. Prepare all documents for submission.
  11. Submits online application via REDCap system before the application deadline.

DTP

  1. Checks every application for eligibility and to ensure that all required documents have been submitted. (Those who do not meet the initial requirements will be rejected before review.)
  2. Sends applications to First Review Panel for consideration, and collates scores and notes afterwards.
  3. Sends applications out for separate Second Review, and collates scores and notes afterwards.
  4. Board considers every application with reference to scoring and feedback from review stages. Additional reviews conducted if required.
  5. Board finalises shortlist for interview.
  6. Contacts each applicant by email with outcome (unsuccessful or invitation for interview).

There is only one recruitment round/cycle. All studentship funding awards will be made in this single round.

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