9th Annual Summer Studentships
As a result of a long-standing collaboration with the US biotechnology company, Poniard Pharmaceuticals (San Francisco, USA), we have been able to offer 10 week studentships during the summer vacation since 1999. The studentships provide a unique opportunity to experience life in an academic science lab, while learning a range of experimental techniques. Such experience is likely to be particularly valuable for students considering applying for PhD studentships in the future, giving you the opportunity to sample what life would be like as a PhD student.
Applications are sought from students who are in their second year of the Natural Sciences tripos (or in their third year of a four year course). The studentships have been widely advertised around the university and competition is based on academic ability and our assessment of your suitability for performing practical science. Thus, after the closing date (Friday 15th February 2008), candidates will be short-listed and invited for interview (which willl take place before the Easter vacation).
Please note that while the scheme was extended so that positions were available for chemists and clinical scientists in 2004 and 2005, this year we are ONLY able to accept applications from biologists.
The studentships consist of a generous weekly stipend, as well as a contribution towards travel expenses - paid in three installments at the beginning, middle and end of the 10 week period. Application is by means of a curriculum vitae and covering letter, which can be submitted electronically or by regular mail. Here are the terms and conditions under which the studentships are offered.
One or two studentships will be awarded, and the successful candidate(s) will each carry out a separate project related to the work of the host laboratory. An example of a project might be investigation of the intracellular signalling pathways modulated by our Broad-spectrum Chemokine Inhibitor (BSCI) compounds. Typically, students use cell culture techniques, enzyme assays, ELISAs, Western blotting and other cell and molecular biology techniques. In addition, publication of the results is strongly encouraged, and a number of papers in prestigous journals have arisen from previous summer studentship projects.
To make a formal application, please send your full curriculum vitae together with a covering letter to us not later than the 15th February 2008. For contact details, click here.
Terms and Conditions
(1) All applicants must currently be undergraduates at Cambridge University
(2) Students must currently be in the 2nd year of a three year course in the Natural Sciences tripos, or in the 3rd year of a four year course in the Natural Sciences tripos.
(3) From the applications received by the closing date (15th February 2008), a short-list of four or five candidates will be drawn up, and these students will be invited for a short, relatively informal interview at Addenbrooke's Hospital. One or two studentships will be awarded.
(4) The studentships run for 10 weeks during the long vacation, and can begin on any Monday from June 16th onwards. The ten week period must be complete by Friday 26th September. The successful student must attend in the lab for 10 continuous weeks during this period.
(5) There is a generous weekly stipend associated with the award, in addition to meeting all associated laboratory costs, to ensure that the students can participate fully in the research work of the group. There is also a small amount of funds available to cover travel expenses at the beginning and end of the studentship. Payment is made in three installments, towards the beginning, middle and end of the 10 week period.
(6) The successful applicants will each work on a well defined project of their own, using a range of different research techniques appropriate to their subject area. It is our intention that this work will make a useful contribution to the aims of the group as a whole, and in the past publications have arisen out of the work carried out during these studentships (for example, Emma Frow published a paper on TGF-beta activation in the Biochemical Journal).
(7) Students will be asked to prepare a poster describing the work that they have carried out during the 10 week period, for submission to the scheme sponsors. This poster must be submitted no later than 31st December 2008.
(8) If you have any further queries, you are encouraged to contact Jill Reckless for an informal chat.
To make a formal application, please send your full curriculum vitae together with a covering letter to us not later than the 15th February 2008. For contact details, click here.