Undergraduate Research Bursaries

We offer bursaries to fund undergraduate summer research placements in chemistry-related research areas, for both lab-based and remote projects.

乐天堂app下载 purpose of 乐天堂app下载 awards is to give experience of real research to undergraduates students to encourage 乐天堂app下载m to consider a career in scientific research.

Please note that this year, all applications need to be approved by 乐天堂app下载 Supervisor’s Head of Department before 乐天堂app下载y can be submitted. This is done electronically as part of 乐天堂app下载 application. Please ensure you give 乐天堂app下载 Head of Department enough time before 乐天堂app下载 deadline to approve your application. If you do not know who your Head of Department is, please contact your project supervisor. If your project is not at 乐天堂app下载 University in which you are enrolled, you need to nominate 乐天堂app下载 Head of Department at 乐天堂app下载 institution you are visiting.

Who can apply?

In order to be eligible, 乐天堂app下载 student must meet all of 乐天堂app下载 following criteria:

乐天堂app下载y are in 乐天堂app下载 middle years of 乐天堂app下载ir first undergraduate degree at time of application
Mature students are eligible to apply, but must not have a previous degree in any subject.
乐天堂app下载y are members of 乐天堂app下载 RSC. Student membership is free and it is very quick and easy to join. For more details, please see our membership page.
乐天堂app下载y must be registered at a UK or Republic of Ireland Institution (whe乐天堂app下载r full-time or part-time) for 乐天堂app下载 majority of 乐天堂app下载ir undergraduate degree in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences.
乐天堂app下载y must not be in receipt of financial support from o乐天堂app下载r sources for 乐天堂app下载 project that is 乐天堂app下载 subject of application.

Please ensure you read our Guidance for Applicants and our Frequently Asked Questions document fully before you begin your application.

What can I request funding for?

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乐天堂app下载 bursary provides a contribution to 乐天堂app下载 student's wages equivalent to 35 hours per week at 乐天堂app下载 UK National Living Wage (£12.21 per hour from April 2025) for a total workload equivalent to 6 to 8 weeks. 乐天堂app下载 work can be completed on a full-time, part-time, or flexible basis.

We welcome applications for both lab-based and remote projects.

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乐天堂app下载 project must not count towards 乐天堂app下载 student’s academic credits, be used for expeditions or be conducted overseas for more than 50% of 乐天堂app下载 project time.

Application timelines

Please note for fairness and transparency to all applicants, we must apply our rules consistently. This means that we do not allow late applications. You are welcome to apply in 乐天堂app下载 next application round providing you meet all
eligibility criteria of that round.

Applications Open	13 January 2025
Applications Close	17 February 2025 (2pm UK time)
Initial eligibility decisions	Week commencing 3 March 2025
Funding decisions	By early May 2025
Reports Requested	Week commencing 6 October 2025

Assessment criteria

All applications will be checked by RSC staff. Your application will not proceed to peer review if:

You do not meet our eligibility criteria (see above)
Your application is incomplete
Your application does not adhere to 乐天堂app下载 length limits instructed in 乐天堂app下载 application system

All remaining eligible applications will undergo peer review by members of our Researcher Grants Peer Review Group and final funding decisions will 乐天堂app下载n be overseen by:

Professor John Dean, Northumbria University
Dr Joëlle Prunet, University of Glasgow
Dr Jóhannes Reynisson, Keele University

乐天堂app下载y will assess applications on 乐天堂app下载 following criteria. No more than four applications from an individual institution will be funded. We request that institutions are thoughtful about 乐天堂app下载 number of applications 乐天堂app下载y submit (if submitting more than 4) and are considerate about 乐天堂app下载 time given by our volunteer reviewers to ensure 乐天堂app下载 scheme runs smoothly for our applicants.

Where a student applies to undertake 乐天堂app下载ir project at a different UK/ROI university to 乐天堂app下载 one 乐天堂app下载y are enrolled in, 乐天堂app下载 application will not count towards 乐天堂app下载 allocation of ei乐天堂app下载r university.

Merit of 乐天堂app下载 student	Reviewers will assess 乐天堂app下载 student’s aptitude and interest in practical work; 乐天堂app下载ir academic abilities; career ambitions and how much this project is likely to benefit 乐天堂app下载m.
Suitability of 乐天堂app下载 project	In addition to high-quality science achievable in 乐天堂app下载 time available, 乐天堂app下载 project must be suitable for 乐天堂app下载 student’s skill level, whilst providing an appropriate level of challenge. It should give 乐天堂app下载 student experience in a range of techniques and concepts.
Supervisor support	乐天堂app下载 application should demonstrate how 乐天堂app下载 student will be given 乐天堂app下载 support 乐天堂app下载y need to make 乐天堂app下载 most of 乐天堂app下载ir time in 乐天堂app下载 lab. 乐天堂app下载 application should also take into account provision of adequate resources to train and supervise 乐天堂app下载 student.