Undergraduate Vacation Bursary – Information for Students 2026
LINKS: Project Descriptions
Information for Project Students 2026
Undergraduate students are invited to apply for the BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary from any of the outlined projects. The deadline for applications is 10th April 2026. Students should be available for interviews in the last two weeks of April, if requested by the supervisor. Notification of the results of applications will be made after consideration by the BSPP Education working group, and decisions made by the end of April. Students do not have to be BSPP members and a year membership will be provided to all successful applicants.
Students should:
- be undergraduates who are in their second year or above (including the final year) when applying.
- not have previously received the same bursary.
- should be registered at a UK institution for the majority of their degree. Overseas students can apply if the host institute is from their home country, and they have the right to live and work. Any visa requirements are the responsibility of the student, and failure to fulfil visa requirements will result in the withdrawal of the applicant from the bursary.
Application: the student will be required to supply:
- a full Curriculum Vitae (file must be saved with the student’s full name)
- an academic transcript (file must be saved with the student’s full name)
- a 500 word statement on why they wish to participate in the project
- contact details for an academic referee (this must be a different person to the chosen supervisor). 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
- students should choose two projects, and indicate their first and second choice
Projects are either experimental (lab/field based) or remote/virtual. The projects will be based at the host university/institute. Up to 15 bursaries will be awarded on a competitive basis. The applications will be assessed based on student academic excellence, motivation and understanding of the project that they are applying for. Some supervisors may wish to interview students before making a decision.
In the event of a successful application, payment will be made payable only to the institution at which the student will work (or for remote projects, the institution which will administer the project). The institution should arrange payment to students subject to satisfactory performance (and, if relevant, attendance). Insurance cover for BSPP-supported bursaries is the responsibility of the institution hosting the student. Such cover indemnifies any insurance claims on the BSPP during the tenure of the awards. The final payment should be made upon the completion of the project and following the completion of all the requirements below.
A project is considered complete once students have provided a:
- Short final report (500 words maximum) which has to be submitted to info@bspp.org.uk via the supervisor. This will be published in the BSPP Newsletter.
- Complete and fully annotated record of their work and data for their supervisors (e.g., lab book or electronic records).
- Short video blog describing their project and their experience.
- Presentation of their project at an online Symposium run by the BSPP in Autumn (attendance is not compulsory but a pre-recorded presentation must be provided).
Students based in the United Kingdom will receive a sum of £470 per week from the host institute to cover living expenses. The amount is set with reference to the United Kingdom living wage. Amounts granted for any students doing a project outside the United Kingdom will be pegged to the local equivalent. An amount for consumables/project related expenses of £500 will also be provided. However, for remote projects which are to be done by a student working in a developing country, additional funds can be provided to up to a total of £1000 (upon justification by supervisor). Examples of additional fund use include the purchase of computer equipment or internet access.
Students will be granted one-year membership of the BSPP.
Applications must be received by 23:59 on 10th April.
