Drive innovation for the prevention and treatment of heart and brain diseases
Fully funded British Heart Foundation studentships
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) Multidisciplinary PhD Programme is offering ten fully funded four-year PhD studentships as part of the newly established CHAIN (Connecting Hearts And mINds) consortium; a partnership between the British Heart Foundation, The University of Manchester, the University of Bristol, and the University of Liverpool.
Together, the consortium will train the next generation of cardiovascular scientists to adopt an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to understanding, predicting, and disrupting the complex interactions between heart and brain diseases.
Want to find out more about the programme? Register your place at our upcoming webinar on Thursday, 26 March 2026 to hear from our programme directors and ask any questions you have.
Why heart and brain research?
The heart-brain axis
Diseases of the heart and brain frequently occur together, creating serious and often compounding risks for patients. For example, atrial fibrillation markedly increases the risk of stroke, while heart failure is strongly associated with cognitive decline and dementia. Conversely, stroke and mental health conditions can increase the risk of fatal cardiovascular events.
These clinical links arise from the heart–brain axis; a complex network of neuronal, vascular, inflammatory, and metabolic pathways that connect cardiovascular and neurological health. Disruption of these interconnected systems can drive disease processes affecting both organs.
The CHAIN consortium
Despite the well-established connections between brain and heart disease, research and training often remain organised around single-organ systems, limiting progress in understanding and treating complex multisystem disease. Our Consortium aims to address this challenge by supporting interdisciplinary PhD projects that investigate the mechanisms linking cardiovascular and brain diseases.
By bringing together diverse disciplines spanning basic science, engineering, behavioural science, and data science, the Consortium will train a new generation of scientists equipped to study disease across organs and biological systems.
About the programme
About the PhD programme
You will choose a host institution from the University of Manchester, the University of Bristol, or the University of Liverpool.
During the first nine months of the programme, you will undertake cohort-based training across the three institutions. This will include advanced training courses, group innovation challenges, and three short research project rotations.
The rotations are designed to be multidisciplinary, drawing on cross-institutional expertise in cardiovascular science, neuroscience, cell biology, data science, epidemiology, artificial intelligence, computer science, behavioural science, engineering, and engineering biology.
Through this cross-institution mobility, you will gain specialised skills and access to state-of-the-art facilities in heart–brain research across the three universities.
After your initial training, you will co-design your PhD project with supervisors from your host institution and consortium partners, ensuring it aligns with your interests and the programme’s theme and multidisciplinary focus.
Throughout your PhD, you will benefit from ongoing tailored training, professional development opportunities, and industry engagement designed to support your research training and career development.
Host institutions
Where you'll research
Your host institution is where you’ll undertake your research, however, during the four-year programme you’ll benefit from time spent across each of the three institutions.
For those unable to travel between institutions, flexible single-site PhDs with online rotations and engagement with other host programmes will be supported to ensure full participation.
The University of Manchester
Four studentships available for 2026/27
Begin your programme with six months of foundational multidisciplinary training in Manchester and Liverpool, followed by a three-month rotation in Bristol. You’ll then return to Manchester to undertake on your PhD research project.
Programme Director: Dr Gina Galli
Deputy Director: Prof Stuart Allan
The University of Bristol
Four studentships available for 2026/27
Start with six months of foundational multidisciplinary training across Manchester and Liverpool before moving to Bristol to complete a three-month rotation and your PhD research project.
Co-director: Professor Alastair Poole
The University of Liverpool
Two studentships available for 2026/27
Spend your first six months undertaking foundational multidisciplinary training in Manchester and Liverpool, followed by a three-month rotation in Bristol, before returning to Liverpool to conduct your PhD research project.
Co-director: Professor Deirdre Lane
Funding
Supporting you on your PhD journey
The BHF Multidisciplinary PhD Programme is open to home-fee eligible candidates and covers tuition fees, research costs and a tax-free stipend for living costs per year of:
- Year 1: £21,114
- Year 2: £21,114
- Year 3: £22,835
- Year 4: £24,696
The programme also includes a £3,000 fund for travel to conferences and contributions towards travel costs to partner institutions for training.
Projects and supervisors
Develop a project in heart and brain research with expert supervisors
During your first year you’ll have the opportunity to develop and refine a multidisciplinary research project with a team of expert supervisors that aligns with your interests in the heart-brain axis.
Research opportunities within the programme span multiple disciplines, reflecting the complex link between heart and brain health.
Areas of focus include:
- Advanced imaging
- Artificial intelligence
- Behavioural science
- Bioinformatics
- Cell biology and engineering
- Chemistry
- Computer science
- Data science
- Discovery biosciences
- Engineering
- Epidemiology
- Immunology
- Material biosciences
- Mathematics
- Nanotechnology
- OMICS
- Physics
- Translational clinical science
Expert supervisors supporting you
The programme features supervisors covering the breadth of these multidisciplinary fields. When it comes to defining your research project, you’ll match with expert supervisors from your host institution and chosen area, who will guide and support you in developing your project.
Please note, unlike other PhD programmes, you are not required to contact the supervisor before applying for this programme.
Eligibility
Entry requirements
These studentships are available to applicants that are eligible for home fees only.
Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area.
We actively welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and scientific backgrounds, including cardiovascular science, neuroscience, data science, and engineering.
We seek to create equality of opportunity for all our applicants and postgraduate researchers. Find out more about equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at each institution:
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Webinar
BHF Multidisciplinary PhD Programme webinar
Thursday, 26 March 2026
14:00-15:00
Join our webinar to learn more about the British Heart Foundation Multidisciplinary PhD Programme.
During the session you'll have the chance to:
- Learn more about the programme and its key features
- Check you're eligible
- Discover how the programme will be structured
- Find out what you need to do to apply
- Ask any questions you have
Got a question you'd like to ask our panel? Don't forget to add it when you register and we'll ask it during the Q&A.
How to apply
Step-by-step guide to applying
Applications for 2026/27 are now open until 13 April 2026.
Want to be considered for the BHF Multidisciplinary PhD Programme?
Find out what you need to do before you apply and how to apply with our step-by-step guide below.
Ensure you meet the entry requirements for this programme and check you have the skills and characteristics we’re looking for in our postgraduate researchers on our eligibility and entry requirements page.
Before applying you must decide which one of the three partner institutions you'd like to apply to:
- The University of Manchester
- The University of Bristol
- The University of Liverpool
The institution you select will act as your host university and they will be responsible for awarding your final degree.
You can only apply to one of these three institutions.
Before you complete your application you’ll need to complete our anonymised CV form and prepare the following supporting documents which you’ll need to upload when you apply:
- Reference details: Your referees will be sent an automatic reference request once you submit your application. Please ask them to respond as soon as possible, as you cannot be nominated without these references.
- Degree certificates and final/interim transcripts: If you are currently enrolled on a Master’s programme and do not yet have an interim transcript, please provide alternative proof of enrolment (for example, an offer letter).
- Official English language certificates (if applicable): Applicants are not required to meet the English language requirements at the point of application. However, if successful, any offer made will be conditional upon the completion of an approved English language test (such as IELTS) and achievement of the required standard.
You are not required to provide a supporting statement, research proposal or formal CV for this programme.
All supporting documents must be uploaded as part of your online application. Applications submitted without the required documentation will be considered incomplete and will not be processed.
To apply for the BHF Multidisciplinary PhD Programme, apply online via the relevant institutions' application portal. Please note, you must only apply to one institution.
Once you have applied to your chosen institution you must then complete our anonymised CV form.
- The University of Manchester – apply here
- The University of Bristol – apply here (apply for 'Translational Health Sciences PhD')
- The University of Liverpool – apply here
Applying to Manchester
When applying to Manchester, if requested, please ensure you include the following details:
- Level of study: 'Postgraduate Research'
- Entry year: 2026/27
- Intake: 'September'
- Programme: BHF PhD Programme
For the funding section you should select:
- Funding: 'Yes' from the drop-down
- Type of funding: 'Uni of Manchester scheme'
- Awarding body: BHF
- Status of funding: Awarded
- Funding covers: Fully Funded
To ensure a fair, unbiased, and transparent selection process, all applicants are required to complete an anonymised CV form in addition to the application form.
This will help our selection panel assess your potential based on merit and skills, without any identifying information that could influence decisions.
Please note, you must complete an application for your chosen institution’s application portal before completing the anonymised CV form.
This will allow a unique University ID to be generated which must be used during your anonymised CV submission.
Any applications missing the application form or anonymised CV will not be accepted.
Key dates
Dates for 2026 entry
- Applications open: Friday, 13 March 2026
- Applications close: Monday, 13 April 2026
- Interviews take place: W/C 11 May 2026
- Studentships awarded: May 2026
- Studentship begins: October 2026
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Contact us
Have any questions? Get in touch.
If you have any questions about the BHF Multidisciplinary PhD Programme, please contact:
- Manchester: fbmh.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk
- Bristol: fohs-pgadmissions@bristol.ac.uk
- Liverpool: dtcoordinator@liverpool.ac.uk
