Supporting postgraduates is a key part of the Euan MacDonald Centre’s mission. We are passionate about encouraging, training and equipping the MND researchers of the future.

The Centre has an active community of postgraduate students and post-doctoral researchers who benefit from sharing knowledge with other MND researchers and people living with MND by attending Centre events and MND-related conferences.

Euan MacDonald Centre funded PhDs

Through the generosity of our donors and fundraisers, the Centre normally funds one or two non-clinical PhD studentship per year.

Applications for Centre-funded PhDs open in the Autumn of each year for programmes starting the following September.

A range of projects is offered by Centre Principal Investigators, based at a University in Scotland. Project choices usually include basic (laboratory), clinical and social science.

The best student is chosen on the basis of application, interview and references, and then chooses the project he or she is most interested in.

What does the studentship include?

• RCUK stipend for three years
• UK/EU University fees
• travel and consumables
• oversight by a second supervisor and thesis committee
• access to all training and support available to postgraduates at the chosen University

An enriched experience

Because Euan MacDonald Centre funded students become part of our wide-ranging network, we are able to offer additional experiences and training that include opportunities to:

• shadow an MND Nurse Specialist, meet people with MND, and attend an MND clinic and/or home visit
• undertake a short placement with a Euan MacDonald Centre Principal Investigator of a different specialty
• attend and present at six-monthly seminar afternoons featuring a wide range of Centre research
• obtain bursaries to present data at national and international MND-related meetings
• gain experience in public engagement by participating in open days and MND Awareness events.
• access the Centre’s communications pipeline to promote the student’s research

Alumni destinations

How to apply and deadlines

Applications for Sept 2018 entry are now closed.

The next round will be advertised here in Autumn 2018 for September 2019 entry. Applications should be made through the EdNeuro.PhD gateway.

If you have any questions please Contact us.

Other training opportunities

PhDs for clinicians: please see the Edinburgh Clinical Academic Track (ECAT) and the Rowling Scholars clinical academic training scheme

Masters / Certificate courses: please refer to the listings on your chosen University’s website. Of particular interest might be the University of Edinburgh online distance learning course Stem Cells and Translational Neurology.