PhD: Neurodegeneration and Dementia (7 MRC NW-DMS Projects)

The Universities of Manchester and Liverpool are recruiting PhD students to seven fully funded four-year MRC NW-DMS DLA projects on neurodegeneration, dementia and the ageing brain, open to UK and international applicants. A further project in the same round is listed separately. Not sure what to expect? Read our guide to the stages of a PhD.

The projects

The University of Manchester

• Investigating the role of microglial metabolic reprogramming in Alzheimer’s disease – Dr RN Ng, Prof T.W. Wang, Dr S Butterworth
• Early-Stage Detection of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease using Advanced Retinal Imaging Technology – Dr KH Hampson, Prof T Aslam, Dr R Dune
• Inflammation and immunity in post-stroke neurodegeneration and cognitive decline – Prof C J Smith, Dr J Grainger, Prof S Allan
• Organelle level single cell multi-omics to dissect mechanisms of neurodegeneration in vivo – Prof M Lowe, Prof S Banka, Dr AD Davies, Prof A Nicolaou

University of Liverpool

• MitoFIT: Understanding and restoring mitochondrial health in the ageing brain – Prof S Urbe, Prof M Clague, Dr K McMillan (CASE studentship with Mitotype Precision Labs)
• How pollution drives brain ageing: understanding its contribution to neurodegenerative pathologies – Dr N Sanchez-Soriano, Prof H Ashe, Prof S Cruickshank
• A novel mechanism linking DNA damage response signalling to neuronal cytoskeletal dysfunction in neurodegeneration – Dr DB Byrne, Dr N Sanchez-Soriano, Dr K McMillan

Manchester projects

Entry Requirements

Competition for studentships is expected to be very high.

We expect applicants to hold, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second-Class UK honours degree (or international equivalent) in a relevant discipline.

Due to the competitive nature of the programme, many successful applicants may also have:

• A master’s qualification.
• Relevant research experience.
• Experience demonstrating suitability for doctoral research.

Applicants who are offered a place will also need to meet the University’s English language requirements before commencing their studies. Further information can be found on the University’s English Language Requirements page.

Application Guidance

Candidates must contact the primary supervisor before applying to discuss their interest in the project and assess their suitability.

Apply directly via this link: https://tinyurl.com/h7e36xpy or on the online application portal, select MRC NW-DMS PhD Programme as the programme of study.

You can apply for up to two projects within this scheme. If you wish to apply for two projects, you must submit a separate application for each, including a supporting statement tailored to the specific project.

Please ensure that your application includes all required supporting documents:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Supporting Statement
• Academic Certificates and Transcripts

Applicants are required to provide two references as part of their application. However, these do not need to be received by the application deadline and can be submitted shortly afterwards. We ask that references are provided as soon as possible to avoid delays in the application process.

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Further details are available on our website: https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/research/funding-fees/funded-programmes/mrc-nwdp/

Funding Notes

These studentships are open to UK and international applicants and provide full funding for 4 years, covering the full tuition fees applicable to the successful applicant’s fee status (including international tuition fees for overseas applicants) and a stipend at the UKRI rate.

Liverpool projects

International applicants

We are only able to offer a limited number of full studentships to applicants outside the UK. Therefore, full studentships will only be awarded to exceptional quality international candidates due to the competitive nature of this scheme. International applicants must ensure they meet the academic eligibility criteria (including English language) before applying. Visit our English Language requirements page to find out more.

Before you Apply

Browse our MRC NW-DMS DLA projects and discover one you’re passionate about that matches your interests, ambitions and goals.

Applicants must make direct contact with preferred supervisors before applying. It is your responsibility to make arrangements to meet with potential supervisors, prior to submitting a formal online application.

How to Apply

All applications to University of Liverpool projects should be submitted via the Microsoft Forms link: MRC NW-DMS DLA candidate application form 2027/28 entry – University of Liverpool

You may apply for up to two projects from the programme at University of Liverpool via this scheme. To do so, submit a single online application form selecting both project titles you wish to apply to. Following your online form submission, you should then email NW-DMSrecruitment@liverpool.ac.uk with the following supporting documents:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Supporting Statement
• Academic Certificates and Transcripts
• English Language certificates where required
• Passport photo page copy

Please use the email subject line: MRC NW-DMS DLA application [insert your full name] so we can match your email submission to your online form submission. Please ensure you use exactly the same first name and surname on this form and on your email. You must submit both your online form and the required supporting documents by the deadline. If applying for two University of Liverpool projects, you only need to submit the supporting documents once. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Applications should not be made through the University of Liverpool’s application portal.

Once you have completed your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email.

Deadline: Friday 27th November 2026, midnight UK time

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

If you need help with this stage of the process, or have any queries regarding your eligibility (such as if you achieved unexpectedly low degree results due to extenuating circumstances), please contact the Liverpool NW-DMS team for advice at NW-DMSrecruitment@liverpool.ac.uk

Funding Notes

These studentships are available to UK and international applicants, and provide funding for tuition fees and stipend at the UKRI rate, subject to eligibility, for four years. This does not include any costs associated with relocation. This scheme is open to both UK and international applicants.