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Welcome to the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program is a highly individualized and accelerated doctoral training program for outstanding students committed to biomedical research careers. NIH Oxford-Cambridge (OxCam) students partner with two Investigators - one at the NIH and another at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom - to perform a single, collaborative dissertation project. Since the program is based on the British system, OxCam Scholars perform doctoral research without required formal courses other than those students choose to take in relationship to their own scientific interests. As a result, OxCam students are able to complete the doctoral degree in approximately four years. Students are expected to divide the time evenly between the two laboratories, with two years in the NIH laboratory and two years in the UK laboratory.

Applications for the NIH OxCam Program are available online between August and December. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident and possess a Bachelor's degree by the start of the program. Students selected for admission typically demonstrate a sincere passion for science through previous participation in summer, job-related, or undergraduate/post-baccalaureate research opportunities. 

The Student

  • Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
  • Receives tuition support and stipend for the duration of the program 
  • May partner OxCam with other scholarship programs, such as Rhodes, Marshall, or Gates Cambridge

Two Mentors

  • Form a dual collaborative mentorship
    • One mentor at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) intramural campus
    • One mentor at either the University of Oxford OR the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom

The Doctoral Research

  • In any area of biomedical research
  • Self-derived and self-driven
  • Conducted in the NIH and U.K. laboratories (time split evenly between both labs)
  • No formal coursework required. Courses are available, if desired

The Student

  • Earns a doctoral degree from Oxford or Cambridge
  • Average time to completion is just over four years 

 

Now in its 20th year, the NIH Oxford-Cambridge (OxCam) Scholars Program has grown from the first class of two students to a population of well over 100 aspiring young scientists whose interests find them involved in some of the most cutting edge biomedical research endeavors being conducted in the world.

As an NIH OxCam Scholar, there are resources available to help you navigate through your doctoral training. Outlines for the expectations of each year and basic timelines will help guide you through your four years with us; From tips and tricks for selecting a mentor, to guidelines for writing your research proposal and yearly progress reports, to timelines for research and thesis writing, we want to ensure that you have a place to get the information that you need.

 

The NIH Oxford-Cambridge (OxCam) Scholars Program is a highly individualized doctoral program for outstanding students seeking to pursue a career in biomedical research. OxCam Scholars partner with two Investigators - one at the NIH and another at either the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge - to perform a single, collaborative dissertation project. Since the program is based on the British system, students are not required to take formal coursework. As a result, OxCam students typically complete the doctoral degree in approximately four years. While in the program, OxCam Scholars are enrolled at Oxford or Cambridge in the UK as well as appointed as a predoctoral IRTA at the NIH. Each student divides the time evenly between the two laboratories, with approximately two years at the NIH and two years in the UK. 

Students interested in pursuing a career as a physician-scientist may pair the NIH OxCam Program with a U.S. medical school or Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) via the NIH MD/PhD Partnership Training Program. NIH MD/PhD Program students partner with the medical school for the M.D. phase of training, and participate in the OxCam Program for the PhD phase of training. Funding for the medical school portion of the MD/PhD Program is provided through extramural MSTP funding from the participating medical school. 

If you are interested in mentoring an OxCam PhD or MD/PhD Scholar or would like to submit a potential research collaboration, please contact Dr. Kristi Porter. 

 
Get to Know Our Students
Abigail Giles
Abigail Giles
As a NIH OxCam Scholar, Abigail will investigate mitochondrial function in cardiac… Read More
Jude Tunyi
Jude Tunyi
​​​​​​​As an NIH-Oxford student, Jude plans on studying the neural circuitry that… Read More
Emily Kolyvas
Emily Kolyvas
Emily graduated with high distinction from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign… Read More
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