NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program

The NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program (OxCam) is a highly individualized, accelerated doctoral training program for outstanding students committed to biomedical research careers. Students collaborate on a single dissertation project co-mentored by investigators at the NIH and either the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, splitting time evenly between U.S. and UK labs (typically two years each). Based on the British system, it minimizes formal coursework, allowing completion in about four years while emphasizing interdisciplinary, global collaboration and intellectual freedom. Since 2001, over 200 scholars have participated in diverse biomedical fields, leveraging resources from all three institutions to build virtual research teams and pursue innovative solutions.

The program addresses limitations in traditional U.S. graduate education, such as long time-to-degree and siloed research, by fostering dual-mentored thesis projects conducted at both NIH and UK sites. Scholars engage in cutting-edge research across NIH Institutes and Centers, with opportunities for international extensions. It supports PhD and MD/PhD tracks, with degrees conferred by Oxford or Cambridge. Key events like the annual Scholar-Mentor Colloquium enhance training, funded by the International Biomedical Research Alliance.

Students develop sophisticated scientific backgrounds through prior research experiences, demonstrating passion for biomedical science. The program promotes bold ideas via collaborative technologies and minimal rotations, enabling rapid progress toward a PhD in areas like neuroscience, immunology, and more.