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FAQs
How do I know if the Foundation has received my application?
All communication will be with supervisors, therefore students should contact their supervisor first. All applications will be acknowledged by 5pm 10 March.
When will I hear if I have been awarded a bursary?
Supervisors will be emailed with the outcome of their application by 7 May. Supervisors should then let their student know as soon as possible.
How are bursaries paid?
The grant letter with the Foundation’s cheque, made out to the institution, will be sent to the supervisor. The supervisor should ensure that the cheque goes to the appropriate finance office who will arrange to pay the student as appropriate.
May I coordinate a bursary two years running?
Yes, but please note that the scheme may change from year to year.
May I hold more than one bursary at a time?
Sorry, not in 2010, but if the scheme expands further then we shall consider this option.
Can I send a student abroad to work with a collaborator on this bursary?
Bursars should carry out the majority of their bursary in the UK. Field work, facility visits or data gathering may require a short period abroad but this should be less than half the bursary period and additional travel expenses are not available.
Are foreign students eligible?
Foreign students registered at a UK university are eligible to receive a grant, but bursaries are not available for those studying abroad who wish to undertake research in the UK.
Are funds available for bursars to attend meetings or continue research after the bursary period?
There are no additional funds available for this scheme.
Can I hold a bursary away from my place of study?
Yes, students are encouraged to arrange bursaries with supervisors away from their own university but please note that the scheme cannot find projects for students or provide funding for accommodation.
When are bursaries carried out?
Bursaries take place in the summer vacation. Students should discuss the project with their proposed supervisor and develop the application with them. Students may also need to carry out some preparatory work before the project commences but the stipend will only cover the summer full time project weeks.
Can commercial organisations or businesses supervise undergraduate research bursaries?
No, not currently, the undergraduate scheme is restricted to universities and academic or publicly funded research institutes in the UK.
As a charity, undergraduate bursaries are made to academic institutions who are responsible for administration, student payments and the supervision of students during their bursary.
If the academic supervisor has an industrial collaboration relevant to the bursary project, then some of the project may be undertaken, with appropriate academic supervision, in the research facility of a commercial organisation.
However, please see the Schools and Colleges Bursary Programme which does form partnerships with commercial organisations and businesses working in science, technology, engineering and mathematical areas.
Are bursaries available for projects in economic and social sciences or the arts and humanities?
No, the programme does not include research that would fall under the remit of these research councils.
Are bursaries available for projects in Psychology?
Yes, for projects in experimental and cognitive psychology but not for projects in social aspects of psychology.
I’m studying Medicine or Dentistry – can I apply?
Unfortunately we cannot fund medical or dental research projects. However, we do fund Biomedical projects.
How competitive is the scheme?
We aim for at least a 60% success rate, but the exact figure varies slightly from year to year.
What is the bursary project?
The project should be designed as a research experience. The student should not be used as a ‘pair of hands’ or given routine or service tasks. The bursary should not be used for remedial teaching or for the student’s degree coursework.
How are bursaries awarded?
Applications are checked for eligibility and then ranked for funding by subject specialists making up our Peer Review Panel. The Panel make recommendations to the Trustees who take the final decision to award a bursary.
What do we mean by middle years?
Middle years of a degree course are the second year of a three-year course (2/3), second and third years of a four-year course (2/4, 3/4) or the third and fourth years of a five-year course (3/5, 4/5). First and final year students are not eligible. Graduates are also not eligible.
How many undergraduate research bursaries can a student receive?
This is a national scheme which we believe should benefit as many students as possible; therefore preference will be given to students without previous research experience. It is unlikely that a student will receive a Nuffield Science Bursary two years running.
What is the timescale for applications?
The scheme is advertised in December and January and application forms and guidelines are available from our website in November each year. Applications should be posted to the Foundation to arrive before the closing date. All communications will be with the supervisor. We aim to acknowledge receipt of applications within three weeks and to give a decision within 12 weeks of the closing date. These communications will be e-mailed to the supervisor who should let their student know the outcome.
Please see the timetable page for this year’s dates.
Should students pay tax and national insurance on the bursary?
These awards are student bursaries. Scholarships, exhibitions and bursaries held by a person receiving full-time instruction at a university, technical college or similar educational establishment are exempted from income tax under Section 776 of the Income Tax (Trading and other Income) Act 2005. The primary purpose of the bursaries is learning, not employment, so we understand that bursaries produce no national insurance liability.
Can I receive a grant if I am returning to higher education?
Mature students are eligible for a bursary, but only if they are undertaking their first degree.
Last Updated Wed, 4 November 2009