Selection Process

1. Application Stage 

Find out more about the application stage at: EastBio Application Process

All applications are submitted to the hosting institution for them to check eligibility criteria and completeness. Please follow the application guidance provided on the project advert on FindAPhD. Incomplete applications will not be accepted, and only one application per candidate will be considered.

2. Supervisor Nomination

Supervisors will review all applications to their project and and select one candidates candidate to nominate. We therefore encourage you to contact the supervisor before you submit an application. 

Some supervisors may choose to carry out informal interviews to decide which candidate to nominate. In order to nominate a candidate, supervisors will complete a Candidate Nomination Form. 

For CASE projects, supervisors may nominate two candidates.

3. Shortlisting 

All nominated candidates will be assessed by a shortlisting panel that will use two criteria: 

1. academic suitability, taking into consideration the project you applied for
2. suitability for the broad, interdisciplinary, and collaborative EastBio programme

Decisions are affected by the following factors: 

1. we can only award 30% of studentships to overseas candidates
2. we have a set maximum number of studentships for each partner institution
3. we will award 25% or more of our studentships to projects that are co-delivered with non-academic partners (CASE studentships)
4. in case of equally-ranked candidates, we consider EDI data to select candidates from underrepresented groups

4. Interviews 

If you are selected for interview, you will be sent an interview invitation letter with specific details and an opportunity to discuss your accessibility requirements.

We will operate multiple interview panels made up of representatives from across the EastBio partnership. Each panel will adhere to the same standards and use the same EastBio guidance.

The interview itself will start with an introduction to your panellists. You will then be asked to give a short presentation followed by some questions questions, on a research project you undertook (for example a placement or Honours/Masters project). 

The interview will then move to general interview questions. These questions assess: 

1. your understanding of and suitability to the project you have applied for, as well as your motivation for it
2. your academic potential, including a realistic understanding of the challenges of a PhD and an assessment of your own strengths and weaknesses
3. your broad multi- or interdisciplinary interest and awareness of wider scientific challenges
4. your understanding of and fit to the EastBio programme, including mandatory training elements and professional internship.  

At the end of the interview, you will have an opportunity to ask your panel any questions you might have.

5. Offers and start date

Following the interviews, the EastBio Management Group will normalise scores from all individual panellists and from the different panels to obtain a fair and representative value that reflects your interview performance. Studentship offers will be made based on these scores. Offers will normally be made in March/early April each year.  

EastBio studentships will start on the 1st of October, and soon after you will meet your cohort and the wider EastBio community at our two-day residential Induction event.