BSPP MSc/MRes Bursary Scheme
The British Society for Plant Pathology will fund up to five bursaries of up to GBP 4,000 each, to support students undertaking an MSc/MRes/MPhil course via a university or a research institution with a significant plant pathology content. Bursaries will be awarded on a competitive basis. Students do not have to be existing BSPP members, and do not have to be based in the United Kingdom.
Bursaries can be used to support students on MSc/MRes/MPhil courses in a variety of ways, such as:
- Contributing to course fees.
- Paying accommodation or other living costs.
- Supporting costs incurred in visiting another institution to undertake a research project.
However, please note that bursaries are intended to cover costs that would otherwise be incurred by the student, and cannot be used to support consumable costs in any host laboratory.
Candidates should submit:
- a statement of no more than 500 words, explaining:
- Why you have selected to study Plant Pathology.
- What areas of the training are of particular interest to you and why.
- How much you would like to apply for.
- What you intend to use the bursary to support.
- What difference the receipt of the scholarship would make in the pursuit of your goals.
- full details of the course you wish to apply to – or are already registered on – including its web site;
- a full cv (file must be saved with the student’s full name);
- a full transcript of your marks in your university studies to date (file must be saved with the student’s full name);
- a recommendation letter from an academic referee. The referee should be aware of this and must provide a reference before the application closing date. Applications with no reference will not be considered.
Payment of the award to successful candidates will be paid upon proof of registration (or on receipt of a formal letter from the hosting institution in the case of a research visit). The money is not transferable to another course. Funds will be paid directly to the student rather than the University or department.
BSPP funded students will be expected to:
- produce a report for the BSPP newsletter (bsppnews@bspp.org.uk) at the end of their course describing their experience. You can view some examples of reports here.
- Produce four short video blogs over the course of their MSc describing their experiences and progress. You can view some example of vlogs here.
Students will also be given free membership of the society for two years.
The closing for applications was 30th June 2023.
Notification of the results of applications will be made after consideration by the Education sub-committee of the BSPP Board.