Below is some information about how you can engage with the DTP as a CASE partner. If you have any questions or queries, please do contact the DTP Hub who will be able to assist you.
DTP overview
Further information about the BBSRC-funded SWBio DTP >>
Why would you be interested in becoming a CASE partner with us?
The SWBio DTP has been successfully running for over 10 years, with world-leading universities and research institutes across the South West and Wales, working in cutting-edge research across a wide range of bioscience disciplines. At the heart of all our projects is interdisciplinary bioscience research underpinned by mathematical approaches. With these CASE studentships, we expect projects to be designed in close collaboration with the CASE partner, supporting research that maps onto their goals.
The SWBio DTP is a competitive PhD programme (last year we had ~18 applications per studentship), with students coming from an extraordinary range of expertise and backgrounds. All our students are extensively trained to MRes level in areas to help support their projects including Statistics (R), Bioinformatics (Linux), data science and machine learning (Python). They are also have commercialisation awareness, with training to ensure collaboration and innovation remains at their forefront and to help create an entrepreneur mindset.
You can meet our students, see the PhD projects and the DTP training they receive via our website.
Project selection and recruitment process overview
Please refer to ‘key dates’ section below.
Each year there is an annual project call for CASE studentships, with projects designed in collaboration between our academic partners and a CASE partner. Partners that are eligible to act as a main supervisor on a CASE project include the universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter and UWE. Rothamsted are also eligible but require an academic supervisor based at one of the universities highlighted. The CASE partner would then take on the responsibility of the CASE supervisor.
Projects are selected based on a project selection criteria, and then advertised. To ensure the highest quality of candidates are selected, normally 2-3 times as many projects are advertised. Recruitment then follows a 2 stage selection process:
- Stage 1: nominations by the main supervisory team.
- Stage 2: DTP interview day. All CASE studentships across the partnership are interviewed together.
We welcome you to resubmit your project as part of our next project call if you do not receive a studentship.
There are also other opportunities to engage with the DTP on other projects, as a collaborator or a supervisor outside of the main supervisory team. As this would not be in a CASE partner capacity, you do not need to meet the CASE requirements below, but we do welcome any support you are able to provide to a project (both financial and in-kind).
CASE studentship requirements
| Mandatory financial contributions to CASE studentships | ||
| Companies <50 Employees | Companies >51 Employees (including employees in parent companies or subsidiaries) | |
| Placement Expenses (including all project-related consumables, travel and accommodation) | Yes | Yes |
| Academic Contribution (to support the project costs at the academic partner) | No | Yes (at least £1400/annum – £5,600 over the 4 years) |
| Studentship Stipend | No | No (but encouraged) |
Note: If the CASE partner is a public funded body, or charitable organisation the financial contribution is encouraged but may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
All students spend a minimum of 3 months on a placement with the non-academic partner. This 3 month period can be at any point during the studentship (subject to the timetable of the taught component in the first year) and may consist of a number of shorter visits if appropriate. The BBSRC encourages placements of longer duration but up to a maximum of 18 months.
Further BBSRC guidance for CASE studentships:
Key dates
| Project call opens | July – early September |
| Projects advertised | Mid October – Beginning of December |
| Supervisor nominations | December – Beginning of January |
| Interview days | End of January/early February |
Supporting new collaborations
If you are interested in being part of a CASE studentship but require some support in identifying academics across the partnership to collaborate with, please do contact the DTP Hub. We have industry engagement officers across the partnership who will be able to connect you with academics within your areas of interest.
Placement scheme
There is also the opportunity to gain an insight of the DTP and the students through our Professional Internships for PhD students (PIPS) placement scheme. Each student in their second or third year complete a 3 month placement outside of an academic research environment. This can be a research based project with industry but must be unrelated to their PhD project (i.e. data cannot be generated that would be used in their thesis). Students receive a stipend during their placement and a small limited budget to help support accommodation/travel costs.