Application Form Guidance
Publications Format
Please use this format for anonymity:
Title, Journal (Year) vol:page. e.g. Title, Nat Neurosci (2014) 8:518; Title, Br Med Bull (2013) 105:69; Title, Free Radic Biol Med (2012) 10:749. DO NOT include author names but please indicate if a PhD student was first author or co-author.
Project title and description
This section should explain the scientific excellence and novelty of the research project and how the project addresses MRC and DiMeN XL strategic themes.
Please do not refer to any supervisors by name, but instead use 'primary supervisor', 'secondary supervisor' etc as appropriate, and do not include identifying information on your University/Centre etc. If selected, we will request a revised, student-facing version for advertising purposes.
The project itself should be succinctly described using the headings: Background, Objectives, Novelty, Timeliness, Experimental Approach. When writing your project description please realise the panel’s specific research expertise may not be in your field. Please stick to the word limit (400 words max).
Supporting statement
Please do not refer to any supervisors by name, but instead use 'primary supervisor', 'secondary supervisor' etc as appropriate and do not include identifying information on your University/Centre etc.
This section should explain why your supervisory team and partnerships make your project a good fit for a DiMeN XL studentship; how you would develop and support a PhD student; and what added value your project will provide.
You should also include the career status of primary and secondary supervisors, research group composition, number of current and completed PhD students, and relevant funding awards that will be active in Autumn 2026. We encourage applicants without prior supervisory experience to include a more experienced supervisor in the team. Please stick to the word limit (500 words max).
Contributions to DiMeN XL
DiMeN relies on the input and expertise of colleagues to support and enrich the DTP. Please state how members of the supervisory team will contribute to DiMeN recruitment and training processes. For example, scoring potential projects, scoring student applications, interviewing applicants, contributing to training for current students on the programme e.g online lunchtime research webinars, hosting a student to learn a technique in your lab.
Non-academic partner information
If the partner is less than 5 years old, and / or new to the MRC iCASE scheme (irrespective of how long the company has been operating) please indicate where / how company annual reports and financial statements can be obtained if required. If you are unsure as to whether an industrial partner is new to the DTP then please contact dimen.dtp@sheffield.ac.uk
Partner Letters of Support
For collaborative projects, letters of support from non-academic/industrial partners are ideally required at project submission stage, and are mandatory to progress to advertising. These should be emailed separately to dimen.dtp@sheffield.ac.uk and provided on company letter-headed paper and be signed by someone with financial control. Please see the collaborative and non-academic partners page for minimum financial contributions. Details of in-kind contributions can also be included.
Collaborative project information
Describe the training and development opportunities provided by the company’s student placement, explain why the proposed project is relevant to the partner’s future planning, and include any in-kind contributions the student will receive. Are there known likely risks to the project, e.g. due to company re-organisation or a review of its priorities during the period of the studentship? How will the student’s PhD progress be safeguarded were the non-academic partner to reduce its commitment to the project?
For overseas placements, explain how the partner offers the student opportunities to gain skills not currently available in the UK. Provide details of the industry partner’s research base or commercial production capabilities within the UK
If any academic applicants or institutions, have a direct or indirect interest in the non-academic partner (e.g. consultancy, shareholdings, options) please explain the nature of this interest. Please stick to the word limit (300 words max).