John Innes Foundation Rotation PhD Programme in Plant and Microbial Sciences at the John Innes Centre, The Sainsbury Laboratory and The Earlham Institute
Key Details
- Application deadline
- 13 November 2025 (midnight)
- Location
- Earlham Institute
- Funding type
- Directly Funded (UK and International)
- Start date
- 1 October 2026
- Mode of Study
- Full-time
- Programme type
- PhD
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Welcome to Norwich
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Project Overview
Four-year multidisciplinary PhD opportunities in genetics, genomics, cell biology, microbiology, molecular biology, crop science, biological chemistry, applied mathematics, computational and systems biology.
Our long-running flagship Rotation PhD programme at the John Innes Centre, Earlham Institute and The Sainsbury Laboratory supports the most promising independent minded students to undertake in-depth postgraduate research training.
The programme involves the John Innes Centre, Earlham Institute and The Sainsbury Laboratory, three internationally recognised centres of excellence in plant, microbial and data sciences, based in Norwich, UK.
The programme is designed to attract outstanding applicants with excellent academic records who show potential for research at the highest level. A key feature of the programme is empowerment to choose three research topics and supervisors for research rotations in the first year, from which you build your own area of research.
During your first year, you will undertake three 10-week research projects with different supervisors located in any of the three research institutes.
You will learn from your fellow rotation students in this multidisciplinary programme through regular journal clubs and research presentations at the end of each rotation.
You will be mentored by the programme tutor, a senior academic, and a rotation student from the previous year-group and will become familiar with a wide range of scientific approaches, including:
• Genetics
• Genomics
• Cell biology
• Physiology
• Microbiology
• Molecular biology
• Crop science
• Developmental biology
• Structural biology
• Biological chemistry
• Applied mathematics
• Computational biology and systems biology
The objective of the first eight months is for you to gain a broad baseline of technical and theoretical training prior to the selection of your main research project and supervisor, who will work with you towards the submission of an outstanding PhD thesis within a total of four years.
You will be registered for your degree at the University of East Anglia.
Our partners value diverse and inclusive work environments that are positive and supportive. Students are selected for admission without regard to gender, marital or civil partnership status, disability, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or social background.
Further Information
www.jic.ac.uk/training-careers/postgraduate-opportunities/rotation-phd/
Apply To Us
The deadline for receipt of applications is Thursday 13th November 2025. Interviews for short-listed candidates will be held on Monday 19th and Thursday 22nd January 2026.
Programme Director
The Rotation PhD Programme is supported by the John Innes Foundation, together with the participating institutes.
Entry Requirements
At least UK equivalence Bachelors (Honours) 2:1 or UK equivalence Masters degree. English Language requirement (Faculty of Science equivalent: IELTS 6.5 overall, 6 in each category)
Funding
The scholarship is open to UK, EU and international applicants. It covers a stipend of £23,780 pa (2025/6 level) plus university registration fees and a generous allowance for research consumables/training.