Biosciences Student Placement (Lab based)

Overview

Cancer Research Horizons Biosciences Student Placement (Lab based)

£23,000 plus benefits

Directorate: Research & Innovation

Contract: Fixed Term Contract 52 weeks

Hours: Full time 35 hours per week

Location: CRUK Scotland Institute (Glasgow)

Closing date: 2 November 2025

This vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received or once a suitable candidate is found, 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 or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible.

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

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

About the placement

Cancer Research Horizons – Therapeutic Innovation (CRH-TI) is Cancer Research UK’s internal drug discovery engine, focused 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 200 staff from both industrial and academic backgrounds. We translate early concepts to patient benefit, combining deep cancer biology knowledge with extensive drug discovery experience.

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

The placement will be based at the CRUK Scotland Institute in Glasgow. We have one 52-week placement available, with negotiable start date in September 2026.

What will I 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 you looking for?

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

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

Requirements to apply

• 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. 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 2026 (start date 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.

How to 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, complete the work history section of the online application form and answer screening questions to help us 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

What will I gain?

We offer a working environment that supports wellbeing and provide a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high-quality tools. Our policies enable you to improve work-life balance and achieve personal wellbeing goals. You can explore our benefits on our careers web page.

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

Inclusion and adjustments

We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. If you need any adjustments to enable your application or in the recruitment process, please contact recruitment@cancer.org.uk or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible. Please note: we cannot recruit anyone under 18.