Wellcome Sanger Institute Prize Internship 2026

The Sanger Institute Prize 2026 is a prestigious, fully funded genomics research internship offered by the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK. The program provides undergraduate students from low- and middle-income countries with a three-month internship opportunity in a world-class genomics research lab. The prize covers all essential expenses, including travel, visa, accommodation, and food costs. Applicants must be studying a genomics-related undergraduate degree and demonstrate strong interest in genomics research.

Summary

1. Application Deadline: 9 January 2026
2. Value: Fully funded 3-month genomics internship (travel, visa, accommodation, and food covered)
3. Study Level: Undergraduate
4. Sponsor: Wellcome Sanger Institute
5. Course to Study: Genomics research internship
6. Eligible Country: Low and middle-income countries

Eligibility Criteria for Wellcome Sanger Institute Prize Internship 2026

To be eligible to apply for the Sanger Prize, applicants must meet all of the criteria below:

1. Be from a low or middle-income country – a full list of eligible countries is available from https://wellcome.org/grant-funding/guidance/prepare-to-apply/low-and-middle-income-countries
2. Be studying an undergraduate degree that includes a genomics element at a university/institute in a low or middle-income country at the time of the first stage application. This could include (but is not limited to) any biological science degree, bioinformatics, medicine, or veterinary science. (Please note that if you have completed your course but are awaiting graduation, then you are eligible to apply).
3. Demonstrate, in the application form, an active interest in research in the genomics field (this can be through your undergraduate course and through extracurricular activities such as seminar attendance and reading materials).
4. Have not had any previous international scientific research experience longer than one month, in a high-income country, at the time of application (excluding short trips for conferences).
5. Have a good command of English (demonstrated by the clear writing within the application form; no certificate of English is required).
6. Be over 18 at the time of applying.

Benefits of Wellcome Sanger Institute Prize Internship 2026

1. Fully funded 3-month internship at the Wellcome Sanger Institute
2. Travel, visa, accommodation, and reasonable food costs covered
3. Work in a world-renowned genomics research environment
4. Choice of research lab and faculty host
5. Full support with visa processing, travel bookings, and settling in
6. Mentorship and networking opportunities within the Institute
7. Certificate of Participation for shortlisted Stage-2 applicants

How to Apply

The Sanger Prize application form is available here: Sanger Prize Form

Please ensure that you have read all of the information on this page before clicking on the link and completing the form.

Stage 1a - Application Form

Dates for Submission:

The closing date for applications will be 9th January 2026 at 5pm GMT (this is UK time so please check the time difference in your own country and submit in plenty of time). The application form must have been completed and submitted by this date; there are no exceptions, and no late applications will be accepted.

The Sanger Institute is not responsible for applications which are not received in time due to last-minute technical issues. There will be no email support available on the 9th January 2026 and so you are advised to submit your application well before this date in case of any problems.

Completing the form:

Please read the following before accessing the application form. Please note that all application forms must be completed in English.

The application form is in four parts:

1. personal details
2. expression of interest
3. referees details
4. your curriculum vitae (CV)

You must complete each part before moving on to the next part, mandatory sections are marked, and you won't be allowed to proceed to the next part of the form until you have completed these sections.

The Expression of Interest:

The expression of interest (EoI) should include the following:

1. Details about your scientific interests and how they relate to the Sanger Prize
2. A demonstration of your interest and knowledge in genomics
3. Information about why you want to come to the Sanger Institute

The maximum word count for the EoI is 500 words, and you should write close to this amount in order to fully demonstrate your interest and suitability in the prize. Any EoI with less than 400 words or more than 500 words will not be reviewed.

You are advised to type your EoI in a word document to ensure that it is an appropriate number of words and then copy and paste it into the application form.

Your CV:

Your CV should be no longer than two pages long and detail genomics related courses and work experience as well as university education. PDF format is preferred but word would be accepted. If you need help in preparing a CV, please contact your academic supervisor or search for a template online. The Sanger Prize Administrator is not able to offer advise on how to write a CV.

The details of two academic referees are also required at this stage within the application form (further details about the referees is available below).

After you have completed the form as detailed above and added your CV a page confirming all the details you have inputted will appear. Please check this page carefully as this is your last chance to go back and make any changes before submitting the form.

Submitting the form:

Once you have checked all the details, click the button next to the data protection statement; this will turn the confirm button green and allow you to submit the form. You will then receive an email from the Sanger Prize confirming your submission.

The Sanger Prize Administrator is unable to release a form back to the applicant for amendment once it has been submitted, so it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure the details are correct before they submit. If you need to make any changes to the form after submission, you will need to complete it again.

You are advised to save a copy of your final Expression of Interest in a word document, along with the other details you have input into the form, in case of problems with submission or a need to resubmit the form for any reason.

The Outcome:

Successful applicants will be informed of the results of this stage during March 2026 and be invited to take part in the second stage of the competition.

If you have not received an email by end of March 2026, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful this time.

Due to the high number of applications received, we do not contact unsuccessful applicants to inform them of the decision.

Stage 1b - Academic References

Academic references will ideally be from the University or Institute where you are currently studying and at least one of them would ideally be the university tutor or supervisor from your genomics course. If they are not available to supply the reference within the time-frame then you can choose another academic lecturer or supervisor who knows you well. Please note that friends and relatives are not accepted as referees.

Applications will not be valid without two complete references so you should chose referees who are available to supply a reference and check with them before submission that they are happy to write the reference for you. It is your responsibility to ensure that the reference is submitted on time.

Contact details for the referees will be required when completing the form and they will then be emailed directly with a form for them to complete which will then be emailed directly to the Sanger Prize Committee once they have submitted it.

It is your responsibility to ensure that they have received the email which will be sent as soon as you submit your application form. If the email has not been received then please ask the referee to check their junk mail inbox. If they still cant find it then the referee should email sangerprize@sanger.ac.uk directly to receive a form to complete.

The referee must submit the reference by Friday 16th January 2026 at 5pm UK time at the latest. There will be no support available from the Sanger Prize Administrator on the 16th January and so it is recommended that the references are submitted well before this date.

Only applications which have two references submitted by the deadline will be accepted and reviewed.

Stage 2 - Essay

The Sanger Prize Trustees will review the applications after the closing date and a small number of shortlisted candidates will then be asked to take part in stage two of the application process, which is to write an essay related to genomics. Details of the essay title and submission information will be emailed to the shortlisted candidates during March 2026, and they will be given approximately one month to complete the essay.

The writers of the three best essays will be contacted in May 2026 and asked to participate in an online interview with two people and one observer to talk about their essay and their research experience. Once these three interviews have taken place, the winner will be decided.

The final decision will be communicated by the end of July 2026 (this date may be subject to change), the decision is final and no further correspondence will be entered into.

Stage two participants who have not won will be informed by email and offered a Certificate of Participation. No further feedback on applications will be available.

For more information, visit Sanger Prize Competition 2026

Application Deadline

9 January 2026

Application Link(s)

• Apply for Wellcome Sanger Institute Prize Internship 2026