We are pleased to announce that the Functional Genomics Screening Laboratory (FGSL) is part of a new UK Human Functional Genomics Initiative Doctoral Landscape Award (FGx-DLA), for which applications are now open.
The aim of the FGx-DLA is to equip the next generation of researchers with the interdisciplinary skills needed to understand how genetic variation influences human biology and disease. Research themes cover a diverse range of research areas and methodologies from CRISPR and genome editing, single-cell and spatial genomics, stem cell and organoid models, and multi-omics, to computational genomics, disease modelling, and artificial intelligence and machine learning.
This innovative doctoral training programme, funded by the Medical Research Council, brings together expertise from leading UK universities who are part of the Functional Genomics Initiative — the University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, University of Exeter, Imperial College London, King’s College London and the University of Oxford.
With 79 PhD projects to choose from across the universities, including wet lab, dry lab and combined wet/dry lab projects, we anticipate this DLA will be a popular choice for graduates. The initial application to the FGx-DLA is through the University of Exeter and full details of the application process can be found here. Additional information and a list of projects based at Cambridge University, including two based at the Milner, can be found here.
The 18 successful applicants will join the programme in October 2027 and will have opportunities to develop skills, build interdisciplinary networks and engage with researchers across academia, healthcare and industry.
Applications close on Tuesday, 5 January 2027.
“The Functional Genomics Doctoral Landscape Award (FGx-DLA) programme is an exciting MRC-funded, UK-wide opportunity for early-career scientists. It offers the chance to undertake research that will directly advance our understanding of disease mechanisms and help drive the development of future therapeutic approaches.”
“Being part of the UK Human Functional Genomics Initiative is one of the most exciting aspects of my role. I am very pleased to be able to extend, through the FGx-DLA, the opportunity to be part of this Initiative and to develop scientists who have a passion to understand the aetiology and treatment of human disease.”
