To apply:
Step 1: Find a supervisor
- View our departmental supervisor profiles to learn about their research interests.
- Identify your 1st and 2nd supervisor, before emailing them directly with a description of your intended research project. Applicants are expected to contact academics directly.
Step 2: Arranging funding: Unless you are applying for a studentship or can self-fund your studies, you will need to arrange for funding before you make the application.
Take a look at our Graduate Funding Database for details on funding support.
Read tips and advice from our students who have been awarded NIHR and MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowships, particularly regarding the interview stage.
Step 3: Make an online application:
Submit an online application. This application will be assessed by the Admissions team to assess your references, fee status as well as your eligibility in terms of education and experience.
Step 4: Submit a Project Approval Form:
The project approval form (PAF) is used to assess your project in terms of planning, feasibility and appropriateness for a PhD. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the form is completed but it is recommended that applicants work closely with the supervisors.
Make sure you complete all sections, answering all questions fully, and signatures from all supervisors and student are included. There is no need to collect the signatures from the Head of Department/Business Manager and Sub-Committee Chair at this point.
We strongly advise the submission of your application as early as possible to ensure that you can begin with your desired intake. If your application is not processed in time you run the risk of a deferral to the subsequent intake.
We advise Home students to submit their online application and PAF at least two months before their desired registration date, and EU and Overseas students to submit their online application and PAF at least three months ahead of their desired registration date, although the earlier the application submission the better. This is to take into account any English Language tests you may need to take and await the results of, and any visa applications that you may need to make.
It is typical that the process from the receipt of your online application and PAF through to offer letter stage (which includes the arrangement of the PhD interview) takes approximately six weeks.
Please note that the deadlines listed below are for both the online application and Project Approval Form (PAF) which is to be submitted in Microsoft Word format to ioppn.educationsupport@kcl.ac.uk.
Download a copy of the Project Approval Form (PAF).