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Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. Science is the highest personification of the nation because that nation will remain the first which carries the furthest the works of thought and intelligence.

Louis Pasteur

Advice and Instructions for 2013 Applicants

Dear Prospective Applicant,

The NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program seeks students of the highest academic caliber who are committed to a career in biomedical research and who are ready to choose a research project during the first summer of their enrollment in the program. Some key points to note:

  • The academic standards of the program are high. However, research experience and letters of recommendation are very important parts of the application, and the applicant is looked at as a whole.
  • Even more important than grades or test scores, we are looking for students who have had one or more substantial research experiences. Success and satisfaction with laboratory research are the biggest predictive factors for success in our program. We look for students who are working in labs by their senior year or have done research after college. Many students started working in labs much earlier in their undergraduate careers and some have 3+ years of research experience at the time of application.
  • Many students have published manuscripts in scientific journals and have given poster presentations at nationally attended meetings. They have often been honored by their universities for academic or research achievement or by outside agencies such as the Goldwater Scholarship, the Amgen Foundation, and the MARCS program.
  • Outstanding recommendation letters, particularly those from mentors who have supervised an applicant's laboratory projects, factor heavily into our decision making.
  • Finally, we look at the personal statement to see whether the student has effectively explained his/her research interests to us.
  • We encourage students to investigate potential mentors and projects prior to interviewing, and view this as a strength in an application. We do not require students to tell us exactly which area of biomedical research they wish to pursue, but we are wary when a student appears to be too generalized or unfocused.

This defines the criteria that we look for in the application.  The interviews and informal interactions that the students have when visiting campus are also very important. We look forward to reviewing your application and encourage you to contact us via email or phone should you have any questions. Wishing you all the best in your current and future research endeavors!

All the best,

Admissions Director, NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program

 

How to Apply for 2013 Consideration

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION BELOW BEFORE FILLING OUT AN APPLICATION.  THE LINK TO THE APPLICATION APPEARS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

Application Due Date, Fee, and Interview Dates

  • Applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59 PM EST on January 2, 2013.
  • There is no application fee for the GPP application. University partners may have an application fee, depending on how you apply.
  • 2013 interview dates for the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program are February 20 and 21.
  • You must attend both days.
  • The program will cover your transportation costs, lodging and most meals.

Applications Required for Admissions Consideration and University Choice

Only the NIH GPP application is required for admission consideration to the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program.  University choices are collected at the time of interviews. Accepted students will submit their University applications to Oxford and/or Cambridge in early spring.  Students may only establish a collaboration at a University to which they have submitted an application, but they may submit applications to both Universities if they are unclear at the time of admission which one they plan to attend. Students will generally be required to make a choice of Universities before the visit weeks to Oxford and Cambridge in June.


Application Components

Part A:

Complete this form first as soon as possible - do not wait until close to the admissions deadline to fill out part A as this will delay consideration of your application.

This portion of the GPP application collects your contact information, education history, standardized examination scores, submits requests for letters of reference, and requests partnership selections.  The GPP has many NIH-University Institutional Partnerships, and you may apply to up to three programs. The NIH Oxford-Cambridge program counts as one partnership selection. 

The M.D./Ph.D. partnership counts as one program choice in addition to the Ph.D. programs. M.D./Ph.D. candidates should select either TRACK 1 of the M.D./Ph.D. Partnership Training Program, if not already enrolled in medical school and simultaneously applying to University MD/PHD programs. Select TRACK 2 of the M.D./Ph.D. Partnership Training Program for those currently in medical school. Please consult the prospective students section of the MD/PHD partnership web site for more information, including a list of participating schools.

Part B:

Access Requires Password Generated from Part A

This portion of the GPP application collects your scientific discipline/research interests, research experience, publications, presentations, awards/honors, extracurricular activities, personal statement, and any additional information you wish to provide.  In addition, you will need to upload PDF files of your transcripts and either your GRE or MCAT scores within this section.  All applicants must submit a GRE or MCAT score except in exceptional circumstances with pre-approval from the Director of Admissions.  Unofficial digital copies of these scores are sufficient to complete the application.  However, students who are admitted to the program will be required to submit the official documents.


SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE PERSONAL STATEMENT

Your personal statement should include the components below:

1) Academic interests and career goals;

2) Scientific research background (most important) and other relevant professional, educational, and volunteer experiences;

3) Reasons for applying to the NIH OxCam Scholars Program;

4) Reasons for MD/PHD training for those applying to the NIH MD/PHD partnership.

Your personal statement should be specific about your interest in joining the OxCam Program.  You should go into detail about the features of the program that make it right for you.  Do not submit a generic personal statement developed for multiple schools or programs.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

In the "Additional Information" section of the application, please list at least 6 but no more than 10 tenured or tenure-track faculty members at NIH with whom you might be interested in working.  Please list them in order of preference.  You are not bound to select any of these investigators as your mentor if admitted, but should you be invited to interview, the program will set up appointments with up to three of these scientists during your visit. You can search for NIH faculty members through the NIH institute web sites, NIH homepages for Immunology and Neuroscience, or our Database of Collaborative Projects.

QUESTIONS

Questions about application technical issues should be directed to Dr. Pat Wagner ( wagnerpa@od.nih.gov ).  Questions related to the OxCam Program should be directed to the program's Director of Student Services, Dr. Matt Vogt and the administrative team at oxcam@mail.nih.gov. Questions about applying to the MD/PHD program should be sent to mdphd@mail.nih.gov

CLICK HERE NOW TO ACCESS THE ONLINE APPLICATION AND GET STARTED!  Make sure you click on the "Applicants" link if it appears, and then click the box for "Institutional Partnerships." For instructions on applying through the GPP online application portal, CLICK HERE.  You may also find the GPP's Information for Applicants to all NIH Graduate Partnerships useful.