JOINING THE LAB
When I have funded projects (PhD, postdoc etc), we'll aim to list them here.
They will also be listed on sites such as FindaPhD, and the Durham University jobs site.
If you're interested in working with us, please get in touch (details in contact page), as we are always interested in hearing from people excited by cell division!
Potential options for different career/training stages are listed below:
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
We're happy to sponsor applications for Postdoctoral fellowships (eg Royal Society International Fellowship). If you know of a relevant scheme for which you are eligible please feel free to contact Tim.
PHD STUDENTSHIPS
Funded PhD project available - deadline July 22nd 2024 - More information here
​
Most PhD students in the Department are funded by UKRI programs. The Davies Lab can submit projects to these, but the application process is administered centrally. These include:
There are other ways to find PhD study, including Durham Doctoral Scholarships, or funding schemes administered by foreign governments. Some of these are listed here. We can also sponsor applications through this route.
MRES - MASTERS BY RESEARCH
MRes projects are great way to get significant research experience. This is a post-graduate research degree, with a full year (or two years part-time) in the lab, and an examination by thesis. There a multiple potential projects available, and we can be flexible to find a project that fit your interests, as well as the area of expertise in the lab. In general they would use mammalian cell culture or C. elegans to study cell division, mitosis, cell biophysics, or actomyosin contractility. Please be aware that these are not funded, but there may be the possibility of a (partial) tuition fee waiver. There is no specific deadline but decisions about taking students will will probably be made in April/May for the following academic year. Some details are here, but it is best to contact Tim directly.
UNDERGRAD RESEARCH
We typically host several undergrad students and these can be in the following categories:
Research projects for Durham students as part of your course (Level 3 research projects and Level 4 [MBiol, MBiolPhys, etc] projects). You will hear how to choose labs/projects through your module lead, but if you want to visit the lab before making any decisions, get in touch!
Summer studentships. These are typically for 6-8 weeks funded positions, usually before the final year of your university course. There are various ways of getting funding including (these deadlines are typically in the Spring, so don't leave it too late):
Internal and external students: BSCB, BSDB, and the Genetics Society
Internal students: Bioscience Department Summer Studentships, BSI studentships (keep an eye out for emails).
GENERAL TIPS ON GETTING IN TOUCH
Note from Tim: If you are interested in our work and think you may like to join the lab, please do email me. However, I'm amazed by how many emails I get that have clearly been sent to 100s of other people. Generic emails that don't explain why you are keen on joining the Davies lab are not helpful, so take a bit of time to think about why you may want to, and write a short email explaining this.
The level of detail may vary, and especially for undergraduate applicants, it may be quite basic (eg. I enjoyed your class on cell division). For MRes or Ph.D. applicants, it is helpful to know that you've taken the time to read some of the relevant literature. For postdoctoral applicants (especially if you are looking for sponsorship for fellowship applications), it is good to know not just that you have an interest in the field but that you've considered what area of the lab's research (or Tim's previous papers - PDF copies of many of them are here) you'd like to work on.
None of this needs to be too complicated, but try and make it personal enough that it is clear you haven't sent the same thing to lots of other labs, and haven't just copied text from this website.
In general, I think this is good advice for cold emailing whatever the situation (be concise, personal, specific).