Eligibility Criteria
The studentship program is open to all second, third, or fourth year undergraduate students in the UCL Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, and Pharmacology. As such, you are ineligible to apply if you are in your first year of study (and please note that you are considered a first-year student during the summer after completing the first year of your degree course). In addition, we will prioritise applications from those who have not previously undertaken a summer studentship.
Preparing an Application
Prospective students should begin by approaching a PI or post-doctoral researcher within the department with their CV and a summary of their application, making sure to emphasise the research skills that they can bring to the lab. The PI / post-doc then decides whether to proceed with a full application, noting that only one studentship can be awarded each year to each research group. Competition for these placements is strong, and supervisors may wish to meet or interview shortlisted candidates. This discussion, together with your CV and research statement, will help supervisors assess suitability for the project.
Funding routes
We strongly encourage students to also submit applications for external funding to cover their summer internships, and applications from students who have also applied for external funding will be prioritised here. Students are strongly encouraged to contact potential supervisors as soon as possible to discuss projects and suitable funders.
Relevant external funding schemes with deadlines in March-June include (but are not limited to):
British Pharmacological Society
British Society for Cell Biology
Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
The Gurdon/The Company of Biologists
Submitting an Application
Applications should be submitted directly by the student via this online form.
Each application must include three paragraphs (max 200 words each) describing:
[1] Why the student is applying to work in the specific research group
[2] The skills that they will bring to that research group
[3] How the studentship would align with their longer-term career goals
Selection Process
Applicants will be assessed on the basis of scientific and academic merit. The selection committee is comprised of research staff from across the department. This committee will select the top four students according to the quality and clarity of their applications. All unsuccessful applicants will receive feedback on how to improve their applications in future.
Timeline
Applications can be submitted any time up to the 1st of April 2026. Students should expect to hear whether their application was successful within a fortnight of the application deadline.