Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) PhD Fellowship Scholar Min Gyu Shares His Journey of Securing a Fully Funded PhD Degree at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

My name is Min Gyu, and I am a 1st year PhD student at the University of Cambridge, pursuing Stem Cell Biology. My research looks into immune cells, trying to understand their variation and responses using computational methods. Before this, I studied medicine at the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, and did the research for my MD thesis at the University of Oxford, funded by a Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds MD Fellowship, studying a specific subset of immune cells in neurological autoimmune diseases. After my time in Oxford, where I spent most of the time working in the wet lab, I realised that I wanted to pursue research and dig deeper into immunology, while also entering the field of computational biology. I have found my supervisor, Prof Sarah Teichmann, who is a pioneer in this field, so I wanted to work with her, making me to apply to Cambridge.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Details

I am funded by the European Union, receiving the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) PhD Fellowship via the RESPIRE-EXCEL doctoral network. The funding covers a salary, research-related expenses, and tuition fees.

Educational Background

I studied medicine in Germany, where I placed at the top of my class in the 1^st state examination (a nationwide standardised exam covering pre-clinical classes). I believe that this enabled me to receive scholarships and ultimately the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds MD Fellowship that enabled me to go to Oxford for my MD thesis research. For my time at Oxford, I intermitted my medical degree for a year, so I have gained a lot of full-time research experience. Having collected more research experience than the average Master’s student in this field, I assume that this was one of the reasons to take me in as a PhD student (but obviously, I don’t know exactly). My research experience also strengthened my urge to pursue further immunological research, so this experience also helped me in preparing for writing project proposals and interviews as well.

How Did You Find Information About Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and the University of Cambridge?

Getting full-funding for Cambridge is very difficult. So, I just applied to basically everything that is available (Cambridge-internal and external funding). I used AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to help me look for external funding sources as well, but ultimately, my supervisor suggested the MSCA PhD Fellowship to me, so I applied.

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

I only took the TOEFL for language proficiency, which I didn’t really prepare for, to be honest. I naively assumed that my time at Oxford had already prepared me to have sufficient English-speaking skills, but I ended up missing one point for the minimum requirements. But Cambridge offered to let me do another language test provided by the University, which I then passed to meet the requirements.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions?

I had to write a cover letter and submit a CV. I always try to keep my CV up to date, and I use the cover letter to express my motivation and interests. Additionally, I had already prepared a project proposal together with my supervisor, which I incorporated in parts into my cover letter. Also, I asked my supervisor to give me some feedback on the application before submitting. For the interview, I had to prepare a brief presentation on my previous research, which I had just practiced presenting a few times beforehand, and also read some relevant papers to prepare for any questions regarding the proposed project.

How is Your Experience at the University of Cambridge?

Cambridge is an amazing city, and the university, together with the collegiate system, is great! The Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, where I am based, is also a very collaborative and open space to discuss various research topics. It is an overall very supportive and academically engaging environment.

How Does the University of Cambridge Support International Students?

A lot of postgraduate students here are international, so the university and institute are experienced with international students moving to Cambridge. The postgraduate administrator is also very willing to help whenever something is unclear before coming to Cambridge.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I think my previous research experience, along with a somewhat unconventional career path (medicine into pure research instead of working clinically) made me a candidate who has the potential of bridging basic science with translational clinical approaches. However, this is obviously very individual, so I believe as long as you are able to show your motivation in a convincing way and show how driven you are towards your research topic, your application will stand out.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

I think I would try to prepare better for interviews, being more up to date with methods in the field of computational biology. The field is advancing rapidly, so it’s important to keep up with newly published papers.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

Reach out to your supervisor you want to work with, well in advance, and ask them for advice. If they want to have you as a PhD student, they will likely have some insights into opportunities on how to make things work. Even if they don’t, it is important to have their support for reference letters, and also general advice for applications, as they have probably gone through this process themselves when they were at your stage.