Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) Harper Adams PhDs

Overview

This application portal is to be used by candidates wishing to secure a place on a Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) doctoral research degree programme at Harper Adams University starting in October 2027. For information on MIBTP PhD Scholarships, including information on eligibility and funding, please visit: Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP)

Applicants must complete an eligibility check and a ED&I form before completing an application at Harper Adams University.

Completing this Application

Candidates are asked to submit a Personal Statement of approximately 1,500 words as part of their application process.

The personal statement is an original piece of work in which the applicant outlines why they are suitable to undertake the project. It should be submitted as a word or PDF document and be no more than 1500 words. There are no fixed requirements for the personal statement, but applicants may wish to demonstrate:

1. Their motivation for undertaking doctoral study and pursuing the proposed area of research.
2. Their research interests and, an the research topic or question they have selected.
3. Their academic, professional, and/or research experience relevant to the proposed programme of study.
4. Their understanding of the research area, including any current challenges, opportunities, or knowledge gaps that have informed their interests.
5. The skills, knowledge, and personal attributes they would bring to doctoral research.
6. Their preparedness for independent study and their ability to undertake research at doctoral level.
7. Their reasons for applying to Harper Adams University and their intended project.

Research Projects

Applicants should select an approved research project from the list available on Harper Adams- Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP). The title and supervisor must be included within your application.

Additional Guidance

Where you are required to upload a document that is not appropriate for your application, please upload a Word document stating "Not Applicable".

International Applicants

We welcome applications from candidates from the UK and across the world. Harper Adams is home to an international community of students and staff from more than 30 countries. Further information for international applicants, including guidance on student visas and living in the UK, is available on our International Students webpages.

International applicants should familiarise themselves with the University's English Language Policy, visa information and application guidance before submitting an application. Harper Adams University is unfortunately unable to offer a fee waiver for international students applying to the MIBTP programme. Evidence of funding will be required for International fee-paying students to show they can cover the difference between the UK and international fees for the full four years - please see this link for further details: Harper Adams University Fees 2027-28.

Interviews

Interviews will be held from mid-January onwards.

Harper Adams University

Harper Adams University is one of the premier UK Higher Education institutions focused on the land-based and food supply chain sector. With around 2,800 undergraduate students, plus those completing postgraduate, research and CPD programmes, Harper Adams University is the UK's largest single provider of higher education for these subjects. Programmes fall into eleven broad subject areas – but none operate in isolation. Community and collaboration are key at Harper Adams, meaning everyone, including staff, students and industry partners, benefits from a close network of knowledge and opportunity exchange. Situated in Shropshire, the campus and the surrounding area provide an excellent working and living environment for staff and students alike.

Harper Adams is consistently positioned highly in a range of national ratings, performance measures and league tables. Harper Adams University made history in 2025– being named the first-ever Specialist Institution of the Year in the national Times Higher Education awards. The University has been the highest performing modern university in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide for the last four years, climbing to 17th place in the overall league table. In the 2020 guide Harper Adams was named Modern University of the Year and runner-up University of the Year. In the 2019 Whatuni? Student Choice Awards, based on student reviews, Harper Adams won the Student Support category for the fifth time – the only university to have taken the title since the awards began - and won the category for best job prospects for a fourth year running. In the 2020 QS World Rankings for Agriculture and Forestry published in March 2020, Harper Adams was ranked first in the UK for academic reputation and second in the world for its reputation with employers.

Harper Adams University is internationally recognised for the quality of its research, as evidenced by the Research Excellence Framework 2022. In order to maintain and uphold the high standards of our research, we continue to undertake initiatives to ensure that integrity, ethics and excellence are at the core of our research activities and fully embedded in our research culture.