Student Placement - Biosciences; lab undergraduate placement scheme

Salary: £24,000 plus benefits
Directorate:
Research & Innovation

Contract:

52 week, Fixed-term Contract

Hours:

Full-time 35 hours per week

Location:

Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge
Closing date:
Sunday 8th November 2025

This vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received therefore, we strongly recommend that you apply early to avoid disappointment. Please let us know if there is anything about the recruitment process that you would like to discuss, in particular if there are any changes or adjustments that would make it easier for you to apply.

Recruitment process:
Competency based interview + exercises in relation to the placement

Visa sponsorship:
You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK is not able to offer visa sponsorship for this position

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

Cancer Research Horizons – Therapeutic Innovation (CRH-TI) is Cancer Research UK’s (CRUK) internal drug discovery engine, that is focussed on building an innovative, high-impact portfolio that will deliver new therapies for cancer patients. We have drug discovery sites located in Glasgow, Newcastle, Cambridge and London, with over 180 members of staff from both industrial and academic backgrounds. We have the expertise and capabilities to translate early concepts to patient benefit, encompassing deep cancer biology knowledge and extensive drug discovery experience.

The successful applicant will form an integral part of the CRH-TI team working within the Biosciences group and will develop a broad understanding of cancer cell biology and its application within oncology drug discovery. The successful applicant will work with cancer cell lines and will learn a range of in vitro techniques (e.g. cell culture, siRNA, CRISPR, Western blotting). In addition, they will develop skills in analytical techniques for validating assays, scientific writing, and presentation of results to multi-disciplinary teams.

The placement position will be based at our Babraham Research Campus in Cambridge. We have one 52-week placement to offer, with negotiable start dates in September 2027.

• Conduct research, under supervision, with efficiency, accuracy and attention to detail
• Exercise technical judgment in execution of experiments and interpretation of results
• Perform analysis of experimental results and develop hypotheses to test
• Ask for advice and assistance when necessary
• Maintain awareness of project-relevant scientific literature
• Prepare and deliver verbal and written reports/presentations
• Ensure adherence to data integrity policies, including maintaining electronic laboratory notebooks to required standards
• Maintain safe working practices by adhering to all health and safety training, information and advice provided

If you’re a motivated life sciences student, with an interest in oncology drug discovery, then this is your opportunity to gain valuable experience working within the pharmaceutical sector.

We expect you to have excellent organisational skills, work well within a team environment, have a keen eye for detail, be capable of managing your time efficiently and have a sound knowledge of standard Microsoft packages (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).

Please read the following information carefully before applying.

If you would like to apply for the placement student scheme, please ensure that you meet the following criteria before completing your application form:

• You must be studying for an undergraduate science related degree (BSc/MSc/MSci) having successfully completed at least 2 years of study by August 2026. Please note that applications from graduates and PhD…