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BSCB Summer Studentships

The BSCB Summer Vacation Studentships offer financial support for high calibre undergraduate students, who wish to gain research experience in cell biology during their summer vacation. Our aim is to encourage students to consider a post-graduate research career in cell biology after their undergraduate studies.

Applications for summer studentships usually open in January with a deadline in March.

The BSCB Summer Vacation Studentships offer financial support for high calibre undergraduate students, who wish to gain research experience in cell biology during their summer vacation. Our aim is to encourage students to consider a post-graduate research career in cell biology after their undergraduate studies.

BSCB Summer students undertake lab-based research in their host institutions, with individual projects agreed between the student and the University supervisor. BSCB evaluates proposed projects and provides a living wage stipend directly to the student to support them for a period of up to 6 weeks. 

As part of our studentship portfolio, BSCB partners with My Mito Mission to fund an additional small number of studentships each year that focus on mitochondrial function and dysfunction, broadly interpreted. If your project falls into this category, please check the My Mito Mission box on the application form to be considered for this special studentship opportunity.

How to apply:

  • The application must be made by the prospective supervisor. The deadline is usually in March
  • Download and complete the application form here
  • Register an application in the online portal here, Select ‘Studentship’ as the scheme: you will need your BSCB membership number

Details

  1. Studentships will only be awarded for students who have yet to complete their first degree, usually prior to their final year of studies. Students that are undertaking an integrated Masters Degree are eligible to apply.
  2. Awards comprise a student stipend of £508.40 per week for up to 6 weeks. Awards do not cover consumable costs.
  3. Applications must be made by the prospective supervisor on behalf of a named student. The supervisor must be the head of the lab but named post-docs are allowed to offer day to day supervision (see application form). Each student can only be nominated by one supervisor.
  4. Supervisors must be a BSCB member for a minimum of one year before, or on the date of, the application, and work in the UK or Republic of Ireland. Only one application may be submitted per supervisor. There are no restrictions concerning the nationality of the student, nor do they have to be a student at a UK university. A lab that receives a BSCB funded student cannot apply the following year. BSCB committee members are eligible to apply.
  5. The research project must be on a topic in the broad area of cell biology and must not form part of the student’s normal degree work. Projects will be assessed for objective, feasibility and opportunity for the student.
  6. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of members from the BSCB committee. Feedback on unsuccessful applications will not be provided.
  7. The titles of funded projects, together with the names and institutions of the students and supervisors will be posted on the BSCB website.
  8. The successful applicants will be required to submit a short article (1-2 pages) describing the outcome of the project to the Summer Studentship Officer. Please submit this within one month of completion of the project.

Details of previous summer studentship awards can be found here.

BSCB ambassadors at UK Universities can be found here, and can help connect students with prospective supervisors who are BSCB members.

For further enquiries about summer studentships, please contact the summer studentship officer.