The NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program seeks students of the highest academic caliber who are seeking to obtain a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences. Successful applicants will spend half their time at the National Institutes of Health and the remainder at either Oxford or Cambridge in an intensive, research-driven, dual-mentored degree program. Students begin work to develop a dual-mentored thesis that meets their academic and research goals immediately upon acceptance. The scholar’s doctorate, usually completed in four years, is conferred by either Oxford or Cambridge, depending on where their research is done; hence applicants must meet requirements for acceptance into the graduate program of the relevant University.
Our expectations for the successful Scholar applicant include:
- While academic expectations, as measured by grades and test scores, are high--research experience, outside activities and letters of recommendation contribute to a holistic evaluation of the candidate.
- Successful applications have generally had one or more substantial research experiences, as we have observed that success and satisfaction in a research environment are the strongest predictive factors for success in the Scholars Program. Most successful applicants worked in a laboratory during college, and those with two-three plus years of research experience are not unusual.
- Many applicants have co-authored manuscripts in scientific journals, although this is not a prerequisite. In addition, some have presented their work in the form or talks or posters at national meetings.
- Outstanding letters of recommendation, particularly from research mentors, typifies the successful applicant and is weighed heavily in the evaluation process. Because of the dual-mentored nature of the program, mentors should comment on the student’s focus, organizational skills, and time management abilities as well as intellect, drive, creativity, general research abilities, and potential for a career in the biomedical sciences.
- Successful applicants have often been honored by their universities for academic or research achievements or by outside agencies such as the Beckman or Amgen Foundations, MARCS program or a Goldwater Scholarship.
- Applicants are asked to write a personal statement that details their motivation, experience, and long-term goals. The statement, which reflects the applicant’s focus and biomedical interests, factors heavily into the evaluation process. It should include a description of why the applicant feels they will thrive under the dual-mentored, accelerated process that characterizes the program. Please note the personal statement has a 9,000 character limit (including spaces).
While we do not require students to commit to a particular course of study prior to acceptance, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact potential mentors and discuss possible projects prior to applying, as this is viewed as a substantial strength in the application. The list of potential research advisors should span a range of (preferably 3-5) NIH Institutes/Centers, as funding availability for trainee costs can vary by year. Prearranged projects are available on the Research Opportunities webpage. Individuals may search NIH Investigators by their scientific focus area here. If desired, applicants may contact potential PIs directly to discuss the research in more detail.
A Few Tips…
1. Notify letter writers as early as possible.
Outstanding letters of recommendation take time. If you do not plan to submit your application until close to the deadline, it doesn’t leave those who are serving as your references much time to write and submit a great recommendation letter. Also, you want to respect the priorities and commitments of everyone involved and guarantee plenty of time to get the best letters possible. As such, applicants are encouraged to notify letter writers as early as possible.
Please note the GPP application sends recommendation requests to the designated letter writers after the applicant submits the GPP application. If an earlier reference request is desired, the applicant may opt to submit the application. Doing so will not prohibit the applicant from editing/updating the application. The GPP application portal will allow access and edits until the December 1st application deadline. As such, once the applicant clicks “Submit”, the reference requests will be sent to the letter writers, and he/she will still be able to finish the application prior to the deadline while the references are being submitted.
2. Take your time.
Your reference requests should be sent out quickly, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t put some serious thought in to who you select. As for the rest of the application, remember, it’s not just content that we will be looking at; stop: double and triple check things like grammar and spelling. There are a lot of brilliant and talented applicants out there and we want to know that you have the attention to detail required for a great scientist; don’t submit until you’re certain you’re ready.
3. Ask questions!!
You can’t be scared to step up and say that you don’t know something or want clarification. We don’t expect our scholars to be perfect; in fact, we want to know that you are willing to ask for assistance when you need it. If there is ANYTHING that you are uncertain about, please contact someone in the NIH OxCam Office for more information.
Admissions Statistics
For the 2022-2023 cycle:
- Applications Received: 280
- Interviews: 60
- Offers of Admission: 24
- Matriculating Class Size: 17
Entering Class of 2023:
- Average Undergraduate GPA: 3.8
- GPA Range: 3.5 - 4.0
- Average MCAT Score: 513
- MCAT Range: 501 - 520
Undergraduate Institutions Represented in the Entering Class of 2023:
- City University of New York
- College of William and Mary
- Duke University
- James Madison University
- Loyola University Chicago
- Macalester College
- Pomona College
- Tulane University
- University of Colorado-Boulder
- University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
- University of Maryland-College Park
- University of Massachusetts-Lowell
- University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Texas-Dallas
- University of Virginia
- Washington University in St. Louis
Medical Schools for MD/PhD Scholars in the Entering Class of 2023:
- Georgetown University
- Harvard/MIT
- Jefferson Medical School
- Northwestern University
- University of California-San Francisco
- University of Maryland
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Yale University