Student Placement - Biosciences (lab based undergraduate placement scheme)

Student Placement - Biosciences (Lab based)

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 2026

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. Please contact recruitment@cancer.org.uk
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.

About the placement

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.

What will you be doing?

• 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

What are we looking for?

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 2027. Please note that applications from graduates and PhD students will NOT be considered for this scheme.
• You should expect to receive a 2:1 or grade B in your third year (Scotland) or second year (rest of UK) results in a science related degree.
• You should be able to commence work in September 2027 (the start date is negotiable).
• You should have the right to live and work in the UK without restriction. We regret that we cannot consider applications from candidates who require a work permit to work in the UK.

If you meet these requirements, we look forward to receiving your application. 

Useful tips for completion of the application form:

• Read through the whole form first and draft your answers accordingly.
• Complete all sections - please do not leave any gaps.
• Check your spelling and grammar.
• Be concise and focused in your answers. Take particular care with answering the application questions. As noted below, CVs can only be seen once candidates reach the interview stage.  How the questions are answered is a key consideration for who gets invited to interview.
• Please ensure your CV is attached with your application, as applications without a CV will not be considered.
• And finally, don’t forget, it’s important that you tell us how you found out about the scheme.

If your application is shortlisted, candidates will be invited to a first-stage phone interview and selected candidates will then be invited to attend a second-stage interview. This will involve some problem-solving exercises designed to assess your ability and a competency based interview.

How do I apply?

We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. CVs are required for all applications; but we won’t be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to complete the work history section of the online application form and answer some screening questions, for us to be able to assess your application fairly and objectively.

Our organisation values are designed to guide all that we do.

Bold: Act with ambition, courage and determination  

Credible: Act with rigour and professionalism   

Human: Act to have a positive impact on people  

Together: Act inclusively and collaboratively

We’re looking for people who can believe in and embody these organisation values and can use them to drive forward progress against our mission to beat cancer.

What will I gain?

We create a working environment that supports your wellbeing and provide a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high-quality tools. Our policies and processes enable you to improve your work-life balance, take positive steps in your career and achieve your personal wellbeing goals.

You can explore our benefits by visiting our careers web page.

For more information on this career opportunity please visit our website or contact us at recruitment@cancer.org.uk.  

For more updates on our work and careers, follow us on: Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from and participates in, the work we do. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.

We want to see every candidate performing at their best throughout the job application process, interview process and whilst at work. We therefore ask you to inform us of any concerns you have or any adjustments you might need to enable this to happen. Please contact recruitment@cancer.org.uk or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to recruit anyone below the age of 18, so that we can protect young people from health & safety and safeguarding risks.