Bioengineering PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships in the UK

A PhD in Bioengineering is an opportunity to research innovative applications of engineering principles to problems involving biological material. Your research could have many applications from improving healthcare through technologies such as prosthetics, high-tech implants and tissue engineering to developing new means of food production and waste management.

What’s it like to study a PhD in Bioengineering?

As a PhD student in Bioengineering, you’ll divide most of your time between lab-based research, writing your thesis and attending supervisory meetings. If your research is focused on the development of biomedical technology, you may collaborate with local hospitals whose patients are participants in your research.

Possible research areas include:

• Biological imaging
• Bioinspired design and biomimetics
• Cell and tissue engineering
• Computational biology
• Genome and protein engineering
• Bioinformatics

You may also be required to complete departmental training on topics such as research methodologies and presentation skills. You will likely have the opportunity to connect with the wider academic community through attending conferences, publishing papers and undergraduate teaching.

Entry requirements for a PhD in Bioengineering

The minimum entry requirement for a PhD in Bioengineering is usually a 2:1 undergraduate degree in a relevant subject, such as Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry, Pharmacy or Engineering. A Masters is sometimes required.

PhD in Bioengineering funding options

Most UK PhDs in Bioengineering have funding attached, meaning you’ll automatically be awarded tuition fee coverage, a living cost stipend, and a research grant if you’re accepted onto a project. Depending on the particular research topic, PhDs may be funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) or the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Some students will need to self-fund their PhD in Bioengineering, though this is less common. Self-funding may be possible through combining the UK government loan with other sources such as charity or trust funding or support from your university.

PhD in Bioengineering careers

Bioengineering is a fast-growing field with careers available in a range of sectors including medical technology and imaging and pharmaceuticals. The application of engineering principles to biology is also relevant to many fields beyond medicine such as energy, food production and waste management. You could choose to seek employment in any of these fields as a bioengineer, consultant, technology developer or researcher.

You also have the option of pursuing a career in academia. Many PhD graduates in Bioengineering apply for postdoctoral positions with the aim of eventually securing a permanent position within a university.