Generative Biology (EIT DTP)
About the course
The Generative Biology Doctoral Training Programme (DTP) is a 4-year DPhil course designed to train doctoral researchers in cutting-edge areas of generative biology.
The DTP will engage its students on original doctoral research projects, guiding and training them to produce significant and substantial contributions to their fields of study. The DTP forms part of the long-term strategic alliance between the University of Oxford and the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), which aims to develop innovative solutions and foster future leaders to tackle some of the greatest challenges facing humanity.
To learn more about the research topics you’ll have the opportunity to explore, please refer to the Research areas section on this page.
You will start working on your research project from the outset, developing your research skills through hands-on learning in the laboratory of your supervisor. Supervisors will ensure that a development plan is put in place for every student, guiding them to take full advantage of relevant lecture courses and training modules within the University that will contribute to the academic development of their research.
The DTP will host regular lunchtime seminar sessions, as well as an annual symposium, where you can present your research in an high-trust environment between peers and enjoy social time together. Over time, the DTP will plan for some of these sessions to also include students from other programmes at Oxford to enable networking and knowledge exchange. The DTP will also organise funded retreats where students and supervisors spend a consolidated block of time together as a group, discussing science outside of the normal context and strengthening their working relationships.
Subject to progress, there will also be opportunities for students to suspend status and undertake internships at EIT allowing them experience of working on different projects in a commercially focused environment.
Attendance
The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements.
Provision exists for students on some courses to undertake their research in a ‘well-founded laboratory’ outside of the University. This may require travel to and attendance at a site that is not located in Oxford. Where known, existing collaborations will be outlined on this page. Please read the course information carefully, including the additional information about course fees and costs.
For students who are admitted to a 'Teal' project, their main place of work will normally be the Generative Biology Institute at the Ellison Institute of Technology, based 4 miles outside of Oxford city centre. Otherwise, students will be based in the lab of their Oxford supervisor, in their home department.
Resources to support your study
As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.
The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.
The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students to support with learning and research, as well as guidance on what technology to bring with you as a new student at Oxford.
Supervision
The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Chemistry and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. A supervisor may be found outside the Department of Chemistry.
All students will have at least one University supervisor to guide and support them throughout the course. Students who are admitted to 'Teal' projects will also have an EIT-based supervisor who takes the lead role in directing the research project. Students admitted to 'Fuchsia' projects may also have an EIT-based supervisor, if their project involves collaborative work between EIT and the University, or they may be supervised solely by their University supervisor(s). Most students typically have the opportunity to meet with their supervisor(s) or a senior member of the research team on a weekly or fortnightly basis.
Assessment
Throughout the the course, a termly report on the student’s progress is submitted by both the student and their supervisor.
You will be admitted as a Probationary Research Student and, at an appropriate stage (normally after four terms), you will undergo a Transfer of Status assessment, to ensure that you have the potential to gain a doctorate, in line with the University's graduate student progression guidelines. This assessment is made by independent assessors on the basis of a project report, a short presentation and an oral examination. Assuming that you satisfactorily transfer to DPhil status, your research proceeds with quarterly reporting on progress throughout the rest of your course. By the end of your third year, you must pass the Confirmation of Status assessment, to ensure that you are on track to complete the thesis within a reasonable time.
You will be expected to submit a DPhil thesis within, at most, four years from the date of admission. Your thesis will be read by two examiners, one of whom is normally from Oxford and one from elsewhere, and you will be assessed via the thesis and an oral (viva voce) examination. The examiners will judge, along with other requirements, whether you have made a significant and substantial contribution to your particular field of learning.
Graduate destinations
The Generative Biology DTP is dedicated to providing the organisation, environment and personnel needed to develop the future industrial and academic individuals leading world-leading research in generative biology.
Changes to this course
The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.
Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.
For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.
Course components
To supplement the academic learning objectives of the programme, cohort-level training throughout the programme will develop the transferable skills that are essential for both effective research and the world beyond academia. This will lay the groundwork for you to plan, carry out and present your research to the highest standards. The number of training courses you undertake will be guided by discussions with your academic supervisor.
You will also have the opportunity to undertake training in leadership and innovation, provided by EIT, which can be taken at intervals most appropriate for you and your specific research priorities.
Research areas
Key topics and themes will focus on fundamentals of generative biology, reflecting the breadth and depth of the research experience of the supervisory pool consisting of EIT and University of Oxford investigators. It is anticipated that research proposals will focus on the key challenges in making biology engineerable and therefore have the potential to impact, directly or indirectly, on:
- The ability to write in the natural language of biology; and
- The ability to understand which DNA sequences will generate biological systems that perform the desired functions.
As part of your application, you will be required to select your preferred projects from two project lists ('Teal' projects and 'Fuchsia' projects, with at least one project chosen from each category).
Students who are admitted to a 'Teal' project will primarily be based in the Generative Biology Institute (GBI) at the Ellison Institute of Technology, Oxford Science Park.
Further information
The list of projects can be found on the department's website. Projects will be listed as they are confirmed, and by no later than 12 December 2025.
Entry requirements for entry in 2026-27
Proven and potential academic excellence
The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our guidance to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying.
Degree-level qualifications
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in an academic subject relevant to the selected projects (eg biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, physics, mathematics, statistics).
However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants are expected to have a first-class degree or the equivalent.
For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.6 out of 4.0. However, most successful applicants are expected to have a GPA of 3.7.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
GRE General Test scores
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience
- A previous master's degree (either an integrated master's degree or standalone) is preferred but not required.
- Evidence of a prior interest in the area of research proposed is likely to advantage an application.
- It would be expected that graduate applicants would be familiar with the recent published work of their proposed supervisor and understand the background to their proposed area of study.
English language proficiency
This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.
| Test | Minimum overall score | Minimum score per component |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) | 7.5 | 7.0 |
| TOEFL iBT* including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490) | 110 | Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 |
| C1 Advanced† | 191 | 185 |
| C2 Proficiency‡ | 191 | 185 |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 165 | 155 |
*Changes to the TOEFL iBT test are being introduced on 21 January 2026. The University will not accept TOEFL tests taken from that date to meet the English language condition until a review of the revised test has been completed. Our Application Guide provides full details of the tests we accept.
†Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
‡Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.
Declaring extenuating circumstances
If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.
References
You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Supporting documents
You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Performance at interview
Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process.
Candidates will be shortlisted for interview based on all the information provided in their application.
Interviews are expected to take place during February for applicants to the January deadline. Additional interviews may be held later in the year if spaces remain.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to visit the University and GBI in person, to meet potential supervisors and take part in an interview with the admissions panel. Shortlisted candidates who are unable to travel to Oxford will be offered a panel interview and meetings remotely.
Candidates should expect to be asked technical questions based on their background and the projects that they have selected. The selection process will also consider candidates' motivation and suitability for their chosen research project, their understanding of the proposed area of study, their track record of academic achievement and potential to succeed on a DPhil course, and their ability to present and communicate scientific information.
Candidates may also be asked to read a technical paper, provided in advance of the interview day, ready for discussion as part of the interview.
Offer conditions for successful applications
If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about offers and conditions.
In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:
Financial Declaration
If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
This course may require you to obtain an ATAS certificate before you can apply for a visa/immigration permission. If you are offered a place, the academic department will confirm whether an ATAS certificate is required. If so, they will also send you the information you need to apply for one. You can apply for ATAS whilst your offer is conditional and before the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) is issued. Further information about ATAS is available on the student visa webpages.
Other factors governing whether places can be offered
The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:
- the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
- the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
- minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.
Funding
All applicants who are offered a place on this course will be offered a fully-funded scholarship, covering all course fees for the duration of their course and a living stipend.
Costs
Annual course fees
The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis.
Fees for the 2026-27 academic year at the University of Oxford
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £10,470 |
| Overseas | £34,700 |
What do course fees cover?
Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional costs information below.
How long do I need to pay course fees?
Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year fees will usually increase annually, as explained in the University’s Terms and Conditions.
Graduate students who have reached the end of their standard period of fee liability will be required to pay a University continuation charge and/or a college continuation charge.
The University continuation charge, per term for entry in 2026-27 is £656, please be aware that this will increase annually. For part-time students, the termly charge will be half of the termly rate payable by full-time students.
If a college continuation charge applies (not applicable for non-matriculated courses) it will be between £150 and £500, as explained in our information about continuation charges. Please contact your college for more details, including information about whether your college's continuation charge is applied at a different rate for part-time study.
Where can I find more information about fees?
Our fees and other charges pages provide further information, including details about:
- course fees and fee liability;
- how your fee status is determined;
- changes to fees and other charges; and
- continuation charges.
Information about how much fees and other costs will usually increase each academic year is set out in the University's Terms and Conditions.
Additional costs
This course includes compulsory elements that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. For those students in receipt of a full CDT studentship award, an additional research training support grant (RTSG) to cover costs of associated equipment, research and travel will be provided. Students who are not in receipt of a full CDT studentship award will need to cover these course-related costs. Individual research projects come with variable research costs and students will need to discuss these with their supervisor and plan a budget for their project. In some cases students may need to apply for additional funding, either from the RTSG or other sources. Students should always involve their supervisor with such funding requests.
Living costs
In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.
Living costs for full-time study
For the 2026-27 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,405 and £2,105 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (if dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).
Further information about living costs
The current economic climate and periods of high national inflation in recent years make it harder to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2026-27 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation.
A breakdown of likely living costs for one month during the 2026-27 academic year are shown below. These costs are based on a single, full-time graduate student, with no dependants, living in Oxford.
| Lower range | Upper range | |
|---|---|---|
| Food | £315 | £545 |
| Accommodation | £825 | £990 |
| Personal items | £160 | £310 |
| Social activities | £50 | £130 |
| Study costs | £35 | £90 |
| Other | £20 | £40 |
| Total | £1,405 | £2,105 |
For information about how these figures have been calculated as well as tables showing the likely living costs for nine and twelve months, please refer to the living costs page of our website.
College preference
Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs).
If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief introduction to the college system at Oxford and our advice about expressing a college preference.
If you are a current Oxford student, and your college does not accept applications for this course, it will not be possible to ask your current college to make an exception. Due to the additional support arrangements for this course, applicants will only be placed at the colleges listed below.
The following colleges accept students on the Generative Biology EIT DTP:
Before you apply
Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application, including advice to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.
Application fee waivers
An application fee of £20 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
- applicants from low-income countries;
- refugees and displaced persons;
- UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
- applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.
You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.
Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students
If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission.
Application fee waivers for eligible associated courses
If you apply to this course and up to two eligible courses during the same application cycle, you can request an application fee waiver so that you only need to pay one application fee. We recommend that you use your application fee waiver to apply only for eligible courses that are closely related in research area to this one.
To be considered eligible for an application fee waiver, each additional course must be:
- doctoral level eg a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) or Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) course; and
- offered by one of the departments in the MPLS Division or one of the departments in the Medical Sciences Division.
If this is the first eligible course that you are applying to, you can request an application fee waiver for an additional course after you have submitted your application for this course. If you have already applied to another course that the meets the eligibility criteria shown above, you should request an application fee waiver before starting an application to this course.
Remember to state clearly in your request which course(s) you intend to apply to. If your request is successful, you will receive an application fee waiver code that is valid for this admission cycle (ie for entry in the 2026-27 academic year). Our Application Guide provides instructions for entering your application fee waiver code.
Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?
You are encouraged to make informal contact with the supervisors of projects you are interested in working on, before submitting your application.
You are also welcome to include a research proposal as part of your application. If you wish to do so, you should contact the relevant supervisor(s) to discuss the possible research directions of the projects that you are interested in.
Completing your application
You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.
For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application.
If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.
Proposed field and title of research project
You must enter the projects you are applying to (at least one from the list of 'Teal' projects and at least one from the list of 'Fuchsia' projects) under 'Field and title of research project'. The list of projects can be found on the department's website. Projects will be listed as they are confirmed, and by no later than 12 December 2025. There is no maximum number of projects that you can apply to.
You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal or statement of purpose. You will be able to upload your supporting materials separately (as described below).
Proposed supervisor
If known, under 'Proposed supervisor name' enter the name of the academic(s) whom you would like to supervise your research. Otherwise, leave this field blank.
Referees:
Three overall, of which at least two much be academic
Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.
Your references will be assessed for your:
- intellectual ability,
- academic achievement,
- motivation and interest in the course and subject area,
- and your ability to work effectively both in a group and independently.
Official transcript(s)
Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.
Statement of purpose and optional research proposal:
Statement a maximum of 1,000 words, optional proposal a maximum of 300 words
If you do submit a research proposal, it should be submitted with your statement of purpose/personal statement as a single, combined document with clear subheadings. Please ensure that the word counts for each section are clearly visible in the document.
Statement of purpose (a maximum of 1,000 words)
Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at Oxford, your relevant experience and education, and the specific areas that interest you and/or you intend to specialise in.You should comment on the projects you are interested in working on from the lists of both 'Teal' projects and 'Fuchsia' projects.
This will be assessed for your:
- reasons for applying
- ability to present a coherent case in proficient English
- commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course
- preliminary knowledge of the subject area and research techniques
- capacity for sustained and intense work
- reasoning ability
- ability to absorb new ideas, often presented abstractly, at a rapid pace
Research proposal (optional, a maximum of 300 words)
You are also welcome to include a research proposal covering areas such as the background to the research, methodology, expected results and the contribution to the field of learning. This can then be developed in collaboration with your supervisor(s). Areas of interest which align with the Generative Biology Institute’s (GBI) vision and research aims are listed below. The DTP welcomes and encourages original research proposals that are consistent with GBI's vision and the scope of the DTP. Relevant areas include:
- Molecular and Cellular Design and Evolution
- Enzyme design
- Design of molecular assemblies and machines
- Experimental accelerated evolution
- Robotics, automation and autonomous labs
- Genome mining and informatics-based discovery
- Computational AI sequence to function
- Expanding chemistry in biology
- Scalable error free DNA and genome synthesis
- Microbial Genome Synthesis and Design
- Gb-scale Genome Synthesis for plants, human cells and animals
- Combinatorial synthetic genomics
- DNA delivery
- Predictive models of DNA sequence to function, at the scale of genes and genomes
- Human health applications and delivery mechanisms
You research proposal will be assessed for your:
- coherence of your proposal
- the fit of your research interests with those represented in the department
- the originality of your project
- ability to present a reasoned case in proficient English
- preliminary knowledge of research techniques
Start or continue your application
You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice.
After you've submitted your application
Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.
Find out how to manage your application after submission, using our Applicant Self-Service tool.