- The MRC Unit is located within the College of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee. Although the Unit operates its own PhD programme its students are registered with the University of Dundee.
- The MRC Unit runs its own seminar programme at which prominent scientists from around the world regularly present lectures on their latest research. These are an integral part of the PhD programme. Students are also recommended to attend some of the excellent seminars organised by other Divisions in the College of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee.
- In addition to their supervisor, students meet twice a year with their PhD committee, comprising two other Programme Leaders, one based in the Unit and the other in the College of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee.
4 Year PhD Programme
- 1st year students undergo a training period in our DSTT lab and carry out 4.5 month projects in two different Research Groups in the Unit. Each project is written up during the last week as a paper suitable for submission as a short communication to a Scientific journal.
- Each student gives a 15 minute presentation on each project attended by all the Unit’s Programme Leaders, which is followed by a 15 minute discussion.
- After presentation of the second project each student meets with the Director and Deputy Director of the Unit to discuss progress and plans for the second year. The research topic for the main Ph.D. thesis starts after 9 months.
- 2nd and 3rd year students give a 30 minute talk within the department or at one of the Unit’s biannual retreats normally held in a hotel in the Scottish Countryside, which is attended by everyone in the Unit. After these presentations each student meets with their PhD Committee and Supervisor to review progress and plans for the next year.
- The Unit runs one of the largest research collaborations ever undertaken between the pharmaceutical industry and a UK research institution. PhD students also talk about their latest results to the pharmaceutical companies when they visit the Unit every four months for a scientific symposium and to discuss projects of mutual interest. This gives our students a unique insight into how the pharmaceutical industry works.
- 4th year students start writing their thesis after 7 months of the fourth year. The examination consists of a final PhD Lecture (40-45 minutes plus discussion), which is followed by the Viva.
3.5 Year PhD Programme
- Students select their supervisors after their interviews but prior to their arrival in the Unit.
- 1st year students write up their first nine month’s research in a format suitable for submission as a short paper to a scientific journal.
- Each student gives a 15 minute presentation of their research to all the Unit’s Programme Leaders, which is followed by a 15 minute discussion. After these presentations there is a meeting with the Ph.D. Thesis Committee and with the Director and Deputy Director of the Unit.
- 2nd year students give a 30 minute talk within the department or at one of the Unit’s biannual retreats normally held in a hotel in the Scottish Countryside, which is attended by everyone in the Unit. After these presentations each student meets with their PhD Committee and Supervisor to review progress and plans for the next year.
- The Unit runs one of the largest research collaborations ever undertaken between the pharmaceutical industry and a UK research institution. PhD students also talk about their latest results to the pharmaceutical companies when they visit the Unit every four months for a scientific symposium and to discuss projects of mutual interest. This gives our students a unique insight into how the pharmaceutical industry works.
- 3rd year students should stop their research and start writing their thesis full time no later than the 8th month of the final year. The examination consists of a final PhD Lecture (40-45 minutes plus discussion) followed by the Viva.
