We are pleased to announce that applications are open for a 2026 summer programme at the Early Cancer Institute for Master’s degree students, sponsored by Moderna. The programme will take place from 6 July – 28 August 2026. It will provide an immersive research experience for five students, and inspire them to pursue further study, innovation and careers in cancer detection, prevention and interception.
Complete your application form here
Before submitting your application:
- Read the Application Guidelines.
All the information required to apply is set out in the Application Guidelines
- Select your top two project choices from the list of available projects. Selected projects will not be ranked and you may be allocated any that you select.
- Confirm that you are eligible. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact us prior to submitting an application.
- Please note that you will need to provide details of an academic referee in your application. Your referee will receive an automatic request to complete a Reference Form once you have submitted your application, so please discuss this with them before submitting. The deadline for referees to submit their reference forms is 25th February 2026.
Application deadline: 15 February 2026, 23:59 GMT
- To be eligible to apply, students must be entering their final year of an integrated Master’s course in a relevant subject at a UK Higher Education institute in Autumn 2026, or be accepted on a standalone Master’s course beginning in Autumn 2026. Students currently in the final year of a Master's course are ineligible for this summer programme.
- Relevant subjects include: biological or biomedical sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, medicine and physics.
- You must be able to stay in Cambridge for the duration of the programme, which runs from 6 July – 28 August 2026. Accommodation at a Cambridge College will be provided (including over weekends), participating students will be given a stipend at the UK National Living Wage rate.
About the programme content
- Students will work on a research project and receive mentoring within one of the Institute’s research groups and will be actively involved in lab meetings and the day-to-day life of the lab. Summer Programme students will work under the supervision of a current postdoctoral researcher in the host lab.
- Once a week students will also participate in a workshop or seminar designed to improve their skills and learn about areas such as critical analysis of the literature, AI and big data, giving effective scientific presentations, research ethics and integrity, entrepreneurship, and careers.
About the Early Cancer Institute
As the UK’s first institute dedicated to the early detection and interception of cancer, the Institute has a clinically facing, translationally focused mission to improve cancer outcomes. Our community brings together researchers from biological, physical, mathematical, social, medical and computer sciences. These multidisciplinary teams are focused on a singular goal: the prediction and prevention of cancer. Leveraging world-leading expertise across these fields, we are working together to dramatically increase survival rates while reducing healthcare costs across all tumour types – especially those with the poorest outcomes.
About Moderna
At Moderna, our mission is to deliver the greatest possible impact to people through mRNA medicines. Since 2010, we have been pioneering the potential of mRNA to develop therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune diseases.
Most notably, these capabilities have come together to enable the authorised use of vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to work relentlessly to deliver on the promise of mRNA science and create a new generation of medicines for patients.
Moderna has made a significant commitment to the UK over ten years as part of our strategic partnership with the UK government. Our new site on the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire – the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre – will enhance pandemic preparedness and provide the UK public with access to mRNA vaccines.
As part of our growing focus on oncology and our commitment to scientific collaboration, Moderna is proud to support the Early Cancer Institute’s Summer Programme. This initiative reflects our shared belief that early detection and prevention are key to transforming cancer outcomes. By supporting opportunities for emerging researchers to gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge laboratories, we aim to help nurture the next generation of scientists whose discoveries will advance understanding of cancer biology and early intervention.
Disclaimer: Moderna is pleased to sponsor the ECI Summer Programme, but all research projects and educational activities are conducted independently under the sole direction of the Early Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge.