The F Word

There is no hiding from it – if you want to complete a postgraduate course – you are going to have to find some funding.

Unless you’ve received some money from your fairy godmother or your parents are going to help you out, you are going to have to find some way to cover the cost of your postgraduate study. Though there may not be much in the way of funding for postgraduate students, there is some, and it is worth having a hunt around for. Postgrad finds two sources you may not yet have considered.

Whilst the biggest providers of funding are the seven Research Councils, offering around 11,000 awards each year to postgrads, you should not pin all your hopes on securing funding from one of them. Competition for Research Council funding is fierce and some of the Councils’ (Arts and Humanities and Economic and Social Research) deadlines for applications have already passed.

That said, it is worth keeping your eye on the individual Council’s websites, as there may still be some funding on offer. But a better approach would be to look for alternative funding sources now.

University funding
A good place to start is with the university in which you intend to study. Most UK higher education institutions offer some scholarships and awards. Scholarships and awards vary considerably from institution to institution. Sometimes awards are provided in certain subjects at certain times. Some institutions offer full-fee studentships plus a maintenance grant. Others provide smaller bursaries to alleviate financial hardship.

Adam Burns is completing an MSc by Research in History at the University of Edinburgh. He is paying for his course using money awarded to him by the university.

‘I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship from the university to pay my tuition fees and a studentship from the Department of History and Classics, which helped with living costs. I discovered the information about potential funding opportunities from the University of Edinburgh’s website, which proved very useful indeed.’

The University of Edinburgh has a number of awards on offer for postgraduate students, including the University of Edinburgh UK/EU Master’s Scholarship, which is available for up to eight UK and EU students who have been accepted to study on a one-year full-time Masters programme at the university.

The university has also just introduced the University of Edinburgh UK/EU postgraduate Adult Returner Bursaries, which have been set up to assist with childcare costs.

Not just Edinburgh
Most institutions offer prizes, which can range from £20 up to £3,000. These are usually awarded for excellence in teaching or research or for an essay or project. Sometimes companies sponsor postgraduate students through the institution.

Casey Beaumont is being funded by an Alumni Scholarship, which she received from the University of Liverpool. She says without financial support from the university she may not have been able to continue with further study.

‘The Alumni Scholarship played a large part in enabling me to continue with postgraduate study at the University of Liverpool. My subsequent decision to proceed to doctoral level would not have been possible without this support at MA level. Most importantly, receiving the award from the university itself has served to bolster my confidence as regards to my academic capability and prospects.’

The University of Liverpool offers up to ten Alumni Scholarships of £2,000 for prospective full-time Home (UK) and EU students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

There is no comprehensive provision of institutional awards and the competition for funding will be fierce. Nonetheless, you need to be aware of them because since they are often provided in specific disciplines, you may stand a realistic chance of receiving one by virtue of your choice of subject.

Some universities advertise funding opportunities in the press, whilst others have dedicated sections on their websites outlining funding opportunities. But some universities have the information hidden away. So it is up to you to find it.

A charitable offer
Another source of funding, which you may not have considered, is charities, foundations and trusts.

Charities, foundations and trusts range in size from the Wellcome Trust, the world’s largest medical charity which awards hundreds of studentships each year in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, to the British Federation of Women Graduates, which offers a small number of cost of living bursaries for female postgraduates in the second year of their research degree.

The types of scheme available include studentships, scholarships, grants, bursaries, competitions and prizes. Some awards are dedicated to a particular purpose while others have very general eligibility criteria. For example, there are awarding bodies established for the purpose of supporting the work of UK students in other countries or students of a particular ethnicity. There are bodies which make several hundred awards a year and those that make just one.

Medical charities can be a vital source of finance for postgraduate scientists, as Chris Baker found out. After completing a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at the University of Oxford, Chris decided he wanted to work in research. He is currently completing a PhD working for Cancer Research UK (CRUK).

‘During my first degree, I undertook a 12-week project in a laboratory, which I really enjoyed, and I wanted to do more research, so a PhD seemed the most logical way to continue with this.

‘I received an email whilst at Oxford, which was advertising a PhD position at a CRUK centre in University College London, so I had a look at their website and found it was a laboratory whose work I was interested in.

‘Of the three places I applied to, this seemed to suit my needs the most. I picked this place purely on the facilities and type of work I would be involved in at Cancer Research UK. I also receive a stipend of £15,700 a year from CRUK, which covers all my living expenses. My tuition fees (£3,000) at the university are also covered by CRUK.

‘I am working on an aspect of skin stem cells. These normally produce all the cells which flake off our skin every day of our lives, as well as the hairs etc, but occasionally they malfunction, which results in skin cancer.

‘I am looking at one of the molecular pathways, which is known to malfunction, and hope to understand a little more about how it causes cancer. Simply, I am looking for some data that can help the field move forward. Unfortunately, I am not going to come close to curing cancer in my four years here, but my research will hopefully make a positive contribution to future work in this area.

‘One of the biggest advantages of being able to do a PhD is that I get to do the type of science I have wanted to do for so long, which will help me continue along this career path if I chose to do so. It would also help if I wanted to change career, as I will have learnt several transferable skills.’

For more information on funding, pick up a copy of Prospects Funding Guide from your careers service or visit prospects.ac.uk

Joanne O’Connor

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