This programme is designed to provide valuable experience of pre-competitive research which spans academia (the University of Cambridge) and industry (MedImmune). The programme aims to promote innovative pre-clinical research by training independent scientists who can develop preclinical and translatable innovations providing valuable industry experience for early-career researchers. An important feature of this programme is that students will build useful academia-industry relationships and will develop and execute a coherent body of research with direct involvement in an academic and industrial biomedical research setting. Students will undertake projects which are mutually agreed by and beneficial to the University of Cambridge and Medimmune with students having both University of Cambridge and MedImmune project supervisors. Students will spend approximately 50 per cent research time at the University of Cambridge and 50 per cent research time at MedImmune. Project proposals for this programme will come from across many different departments and institutes within the School of the Biological Sciences, the School of Clinical Medicine and from MedImmune based on selected relevant research themes. Students will be integrated into the research culture of their department or institute by joining a research group. For the first year, the students will be probationary; they will only be registered for the PhD after successfully completing an assessment exercise (report and viva) at the end of their first year as a PhD student. Following the submission and defence of the final body of work, the award of PhD will be made by the University of Cambridge. By the end of the PhD programme, students will have: substantial training as independent scientists who can develop preclinical and translatable innovations; a comprehensive understanding of their research areas through active research and dissemination of findings; attained a comprehensive understanding of research and laboratory techniques in both an academic and industrial partner setting; a significant understanding of the operating practices of research being carried out within the academic and industrial setting and of how these may be more closely linked; attained research expertise and completed original research that advances a specific field of study and equips them for a career within the area of biomedical research; shown abilities in the critical evaluation of current research and research techniques and methodologies; and demonstrated independent, critical scientific thinking with regards to planning and executing research studies.