Restricted call: Mental Health Research UK – PhD Scholarship Competition 2026 (internal deadline: 26th March 2025)

Restricted call: Mental Health Research UK – PhD Scholarship Competition 2026 (internal deadline: 26^th March 2025)

Mental Health Research UK (incorporating the Schizophrenia Research Fund) has announced a competition for three PhD Scholarships beginning September 2026.

Mental Health Research UK (MHRUK) are inviting applications for the following three PhD scholarships:

1.          Ivan Baines PhD scholarship: Optimising pharmacotherapy in the treatment of young people experiencing psychosis

2.           The John Grace QC scholarship: Transdiagnostic approaches to schizophrenia and related conditions

3.           Clair Chilvers PhD scholarship: Epidemiology to impact mental health

Please note, MHRUK does not fund health services research; research into autism; or research that involves animals. Applicants are required to be supported by two UK based PhD supervisors, and MHRUK are keen to give the opportunity for a researcher in the early stages of their career to be part of the supervisory team which may include being the primary supervisor. Applications must come from prospective supervisors within UK universities, not from students.

For further information including regarding eligible fee rates, see the call page and associated document.

University Internal selection:

Institutions can only submit one application for each scholarship (for a total of 3 applications maximum). Therefore, this call will be managed according to the University’s restricted calls procedure.

To take part in the internal selection, please complete our online form. If asked to log-in, please use your crsid/Raven details by 26^th March 2025.

You will need the following documents and information to complete the Form:

·       CVs for lead and co-supervisors, including publications and numbers of PhD students supervised and experience/expertise in the proposed field of study (max. 3 pages). NB: There should be a minimum of two supervisors. The funder is keen to give the opportunity for a researcher in the early stages of their career to be part of the supervisory team which may include being the primary supervisor.

·       Project summary (max 600 words):

• Please describe the project and include why this work is novel, timely and important.
• State clearly the expected outcomes and impact of the studentship particularly outside of academia and in the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of mental health conditions.
• Describe how this project/your department will involve potential beneficiaries of the research in this PhD research study as part of a PPI strategy. (For more details on patient and public involvement in research please see NIHR guidance)

·       Head of Department support letter from the department that will hold the grant, confirming their support for the project and agreement to host the grant.

Internal Assessment Criteria:

Please note that the assessment of internal applications will focus on the following core funder criteria:

·       The project’s fit to scope: novelty, timeliness and importance and how it fits with other research of the supervisory team and the department.

·       The project’s potential impact outside of academia and in particular how might it lead to improvements in prevention, diagnosis or treatment of mental health conditions.

·       How it will involve potential beneficiaries of the research in this PhD research study as part of a PPI strategy.

Funder deadline: 30^th May 2025

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us at researchstrategy@admin.cam.ac.uk.

Posted on 24/02/2025