Financial support for students in biomedical and scientific programs is one of the most developed systems in the academic world. Here are specific programs with verified data.
- Wellcome Trust – Biomedical Summer Scholarships (UK)
The Wellcome Trust funds summer research scholarships for undergraduate students studying at universities in the UK and Ireland. The program lasts 6-8 weeks and involves paid laboratory work under the guidance of a research supervisor. Payment is at the rate of the real subsistence minimum: in London, about 13.15 pounds per hour. The program is available at dozens of British universities, including UCL, King’s College London, and the University of Leicester. Important: from the summer of 2025, the Wellcome Trust plans to complete some of the summer scholarship programs – the current list of participating universities should be checked on the official website.
- Maria Sklodowska-Curie Program (European Union)
One of the largest European research funding programs. In 2025, the European Commission allocated 1.25 billion euros to support about 10,000 researchers through various MSCA programs. Doctoral Networks finance structured doctoral training programs through partnerships between universities, research organizations, and companies from different countries. Postdoctoral fellowships support researchers for up to two years with mandatory international mobility. The funding includes a salary or scholarship, a relocation allowance, and support for scholarship holders with children.
- EMBO – European Molecular Biology Organization
EMBO offers postdoctoral fellowships for excellent researchers in the field of biological sciences. The program supports researchers in Europe and around the world for up to two years. The key requirement is international mobility: the fellow must move to another country. The fellowship includes a salary or payment, relocation allowance, and support for researchers with children. The deadline for the next round is July 10, 2026.
- DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service (Germany)
DAAD supports students of natural science and biomedical programs through a variety of scholarship schemes. Annually, it finances more than 100,000 students and researchers. The monthly scholarship for master’s students is 992 euros, for doctoral students – 1,300 euros (from February 2026 – 1,400 euros). The package includes contributions for health insurance and travel expenses. At the same time, studying at public universities in Germany for most programs is free of charge — students pay only an administrative fee of 200-400 euros per semester. The competition for DAAD is about 10-15% of the number of applications.
- NIH — US National Institutes of Health
NIH offers several funding programs for students studying in the United States. The Graduate Partnerships Program allows students to conduct dissertation research directly in NIH laboratories with a paid scholarship, which is adjusted annually. In 2025-2026, the maximum level of funding for a graduate student through an NIH research grant is $62,232 per year. The program is open to international students through a number of partnership agreements with universities. The F31 Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (NRSA Fellowship) is available to graduate students in biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences, but only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
- U.S. Universities – Graduate Assistantships
Most PhD programs in biomedical sciences in the United States are fully funded: the student receives a scholarship, tuition fees, and health insurance. For example, in the biomolecular Sciences program at Michigan State University, the scholarship for 2025-2026 is $36,939 per year, and the full cost of support is about $57,073 per year. This is standard practice for PhDs in natural sciences in the USA — no exception.
General principles of funding in biomedicine and natural sciences:
PhD programs in the US are usually fully funded through assistantships – tuition fees are not charged, the student receives a living stipend.
European MSCA and EMBO programs involve mandatory international mobility – moving to another country is a condition for receiving funding.
Scholarships at the undergraduate level in this area are rare, but summer research programs (Wellcome Trust, university programs) provide paid experience and strengthen the application for a master’s degree.
Most programs require applications to be submitted 6-12 months in advance of the planned start date, with many programs having deadlines in October-January.
At SelfStartGlobal, we help students find scholarship opportunities that align with their specific profile and academic interests. Overall, our students have saved over $25 million.
Tip! In the fields of biomedical sciences and natural sciences, scholarships are often tied to a specific research project and a research supervisor. Finding funding should be started at the same time as finding a program and a potential supervisor — this is one strategy, not two separate steps.
