The Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology

Summer Vacation Bursaries are available each year for promising undergraduate students to gain first-hand experience in a research laboratory in The Astbury Centre and to encourage them to consider a career in scientific research. Each studentship is for around eight weeks in duration. The value of these awards depends on the source of funding and is around £150-200 per week to the student.

Funding deadlines for summer 2010 places are being announced now. Keep checking back for more details.

Funding is available from:

• BBSRC. One vacation studentship bursary is available this year. See 'How to Apply' below to download an application form.
  One place is available. Closing date for 2010 applications: 31st March 2010. Competition open
  Please send applications to Prof Alan Berry, IMCB, Astbury Centre. See below for application forms.
• Nuffield Foundation. Competition closed
  National competition for places see http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/go/grants/nsbur/page_400.html)
  Closing date for 2010 applications: 5pm on 9th February 2010. Early applications welcomed.
• The Wellcome Trust National competition for places - see The Wellcome Trust web pages
  Closing date for 2010 applications: Competition closed
  * Application deadline: 5pm 15th February 2010
  * Decision letters will be posted in May 2010
• Biochemical Society. Competition closed
  National competition for places see https://www.biochemistry.org/education/vacation.htm)
  Closing date for 2009 applications: 12th February 2010
• Society for General Microbiology National competition for places see http://www.sgm.ac.uk/grants/vs.cfm)
  Closing date for 2010 applications: 19th February 2010 Competition closed

Remember that applications will need to be processed in Leeds well ahead of these dates

Eligibility

Eligibility rules vary slightly for each of the funding schemes, but generally to be eligible for funding on these schemes, you must:

1. Be in the middle years of your first degree;
2. Be registered for a basic science or veterinary degree at Leeds or any other UK university;
3. Be expected to gain a first or upper second class UK Honours degree
4. Please note that some of these schemes are restricted to UK/EU applicants only

The Research Projects

Research projects will be available with many of the members of academic staff in the Astbury Centre. For information on their research areas, follow the people link here or on the left to individual staff pages.

How to apply

1. Identify a supervisor and project area that you are interested in;
2. Contact the supervisor and discuss the project with them;
3. For non-BBSRC applications, download the appropriate forms from the web links above and apply directly with your supervisor;
4. For BBSRC summer studentships download this application form (Word) or PDF and complete all of section A, including your examination results to date;
5. With your chosen supervisor, complete Section B of the form to provide the objectives and a brief description of the project;
6. Sign the form in Section C, and get the signature of your summer project supervisor;
7. Send the completed application form to Dr Alan Berry, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Garstang Building, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT

Closing dates for applications see above.