Vacation Studentships

Purpose

The Society wishes to offer a limited number of awards to enable undergraduates to work on microbiological research projects during the summer vacation. The purpose of the awards is to provide undergraduates with experience of research and to encourage them to consider a career in scientific research. The studentships provide support at a rate of £185 per week for a period of up to 8 weeks. An additional sum of up to £400 for specific research costs may also awarded. Applications on behalf of named students are now invited from SGM members in higher education institutions and research institutes. Details of the scheme are given below.

Guidelines

1. Applicants must be members of the Society working in a higher education institution or research institute in the UK or Republic of Ireland. Applications must be made on behalf of a named student. More than one application from a department/school will be considered, but in the case of several applications being submitted, departments/schools may be asked to rank the applicants.
   
   
2. Students must normally be in the penultimate year of their undergraduate course and registered at an institution in the UK or Republic of Ireland. Applications for students in their final year will not be considered. Medical students will be accepted at the end of their intercalated studies, but not during their elective period.
   
   
3. The research project must be on a microbiological subject. Studentships will not be awarded for projects that are part of degree work. A studentship may be held in a laboratory away from the normal place of study, but it must be located within the UK or Republic of Ireland.
   
   
4. Applications will be assessed by an Award Panel, based on the reports of two referees. The scheme is competitive and applications will be judged on the following criteria:
   • feasibility of the research as an undergraduate project
   • educational value (does the project give a good taste of research and give the student some scope for innovation?)
   • scientific merit
   • suitability of the candidate
5. Once an award has been offered, it cannot be transferred to another student.
   
   
6. The awards will provide support for the student at a rate of £185 for a minimum period of 6 weeks and a maximum of 8 weeks. An additional sum of up to £400 for specified research costs may also be awarded. Grants are made to the institution to which the applicant belongs, not to the supervisor, on the understanding that it will administer the award.
   
   
7. In addition to the bursary, successful students will be offered free Undergraduate Membership of the Society from the beginning of the calendar year following the studentship.
   
   
8. It is a condition of the award that the student submits a brief report of the research at the completion of the studentship. A pro forma will be supplied for this purpose.
   
   
9. Applications must be made on the appropriate form and submitted by email to the grants office. The form must include contact details of the Head of Department /School. We will request approval of the application by email.

Closing date in 2010 to be announced

All enquiries and applications to the Grants Office.

Last modified 7 April 2009