Our eight-week Undergraduate Summer Research Programme aims to inspire bright and ambitious undergraduates to start their careers in cancer research.

The programme provides immersive hands-on research experience, with students able to work on their own research project in one of our world-leading research groups.

Applications for the 2024 Undergraduate Summer Research Programme are now open.

Please apply by 30 April 2024.

Apply here

Programme

This opportunity is offered to students who are interested in pursuing PhD study after completing their current degree.

Each student will be embedded in one of our multidisciplinary research groups to work on their own project, with access to our state-of-the-art Core Facilities.

We offer a variety of projects each year, which can range from basic experimental and computational cancer biology through translational cancer research to clinical application.

Students work under the supervision of a postdoctoral or PhD researcher and participate in lab meetings. You will have the opportunity to network with Group Leaders at weekly lunchtime seminars and at the end of your study period, you will have the opportunity to write a brief scientific report on your research project and present your findings at the Summer School Symposium. 

Hear from past students about their experiences

Accommodation and funding

This year’s Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute (CRUK CI) Undergraduate Summer Research Programme will be held from 8 July to 31 August 2024.

We expect Undergraduate Summer Research Programme students to attend all eight weeks of the programme, so please check that you are available for the duration of the programme.

All CRUK CI Summer Students will receive a stipend of £175 per week to cover living expenses, with accommodation provided at Corpus Christi College. You will also be able to claim up to £250 for your travel to and from Cambridge.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• You must be a registered student at a recognised Higher Education institute, studying on a degree course. –
• You should be engaged in a continuous period of study at the time of the Summer School (July-August 2024); for example, in year two of a three-year undergraduate course, year three of a four-year undergraduate course, or year three of an integrated Master’s course (excluding pre-Master’s), or the equivalent for international students.  

Note: This course is particularly suitable for students who are interested in progressing to a PhD in a related subject. We welcome applications from students intending to apply for PhD study commencing in the academic year 2025-26.

Projects available

1. Hannon Group – Characterising mitochondrial piRNA biogenesis factors in Drosophila melanogaster

2. Hannon Group – Learning how to learn: exploring sequence-based deep learning models for genomics

3. Brenton Group – Functional characterisation of drug mechanism of action for therapeutic repurposing in high-grade serous ovarian cancer

4. Brenton Group – Long read native molecule sequencing to identify defects in homologous recombination repair pathway genes in ovarian cancer

5. Narita Group – Exploring nuclear lamina dynamics in senescence and associated phenotypes

6. Uganda Cancer Institute Project: Rosenfeld Group – Using dried blood spots to detect circulating tumour DNA in resource-limited settings

7. Uganda Cancer Institute Project: Narita Group – Pathways to analysis – learning to mine immune cell RNAseq data (We are looking for a budding immunologist with a desire to learn bioinformatics for this project)

8. Black in Cancer Project: Halim Group – Visualising tissue-resident innate immunity in cancer

Students applying through the Uganda Cancer Institute or Black in Cancer partnerships should see the information below.

How to apply

To apply you will need to upload PDF versions of the following:

• Your CV (maximum two sides of A4)
• A covering letter (<400 words). This should include why you have applied to participate in the summer programme, what you hope to gain from the programme, why you should be selected to attend and also outline your career aims.
• A list of courses – Courses you have completed, or are currently studying, at university and if possible, the marks/grades you obtained.
• Your university transcript – official notification of marks obtained.
• A confirmation of student status letter from your university giving the start and end dates of your course.

Applications close on 30 April 2024.

Apply here

Students applying through the Black in Cancer partnership should see below for their application link.

Partnerships

In partnership with Cambridge Africa, we’ve teamed up with the Uganda Cancer Institute to support them in their mission to provide state-of-the-art cancer care and prevention. Each year, two places on our Undergraduate Summer Research Programme are reserved for students from the UCI and the eastern Africa region. Along with free accommodation and stipend, all Ugandan students will be provided with transport to and from Cambridge. This collaboration should lead to shared learnings for both parties and high-quality training for the African cancer research community. Applications from current Masters’ students are welcome via this route.

Applications for the Uganda Cancer Institute partnership closed on 25 April 2024 17.00 (EAT).

We have partnered with Black in Cancer to offer two summer research places to UK undergraduate students on the Black in Cancer mentorship scheme. Mentees are matched with a mentor from academia or industry currently contributing to the fight against cancer, for career mentoring. Mentees in the scheme will receive training outside of the mentorship including coaching events and presentation training. 

Applications for our Black in Cancer partnership will open soon. Please check back for the application link.