Multi-million pound award to support next generation of health researchers

A new funding award will help the University of Dundee train the next generation of scientists to tackle some of the biggest challenges in human health.

Researchers from the University’s Faculties of Life Sciences and Health have secured the funding to support research into conditions such as cancer, brain disorders, metabolic diseases, infections and inflammatory conditions.

The funding, from the Medical Research Council’s (MRC) Doctoral Landscape Awards, will support six PhD studentships each year for the next three years, providing opportunities for students to undertake cutting-edge research across a range of disciplines.

Known as the IN-SIGHT MRC Doctoral Landscape Award, the programme will train researchers to undertake outstanding discovery science while developing a deep understanding of how fundamental discoveries can lead to new treatments and improvements in patient care.

The programme will be led by Professor John Rouse from the Faculty of Life Sciences, with Professor Ewan Pearson from the Faculty of Health as co-lead.

“Dundee has an exceptional combination of expertise in fundamental biology, drug discovery, research into human disease and the use of health data to understand disease,” said Professor Rouse, Deputy Director of Dundee’s Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit.

“IN-SIGHT will bring these strengths together to provide a distinctive training experience for students on the programme.

“We want students to ask fundamental questions about what goes wrong at the molecular and cellular level in human disease, and to think from the outset about how their discoveries might ultimately benefit patients. Bringing discovery science and translational thinking together from the outset is what makes IN-SIGHT different.

“Students will work alongside leading scientists and clinicians, gaining experience and perspectives that extend well beyond their individual PhD projects. We hope they will leave Dundee equipped to pursue exciting careers across academia, healthcare and industry.”

The award to Dundee is part of a UK-wide programme from the MRC. Recruitment for Dundee’s first IN-SIGHT MRC Doctoral Landscape Award cohort will begin in October 2026, with students starting their PhDs in autumn 2027.

Dr Joanna Robinson, Director of Research Talent, Skills and Careers at the MRC, said, "Medical research depends on talented people. These awards will support doctoral researchers to develop deep scientific expertise alongside the broader capabilities needed for successful and rewarding careers across research, healthcare, industry and policy. 

“By investing in researchers at the start of their careers, we are helping to strengthen the UK's medical research workforce and enable discoveries that improve lives."