Working in a laboratory allows students to experience how science progresses in the real world.
It is particularly useful for those thinking about working in the field of research; not only offering a chance to develop practical skills, but also providing an opportunity to work alongside established scientists, meet new people and share ideas.
The information provided here is largely for Undergraduates. For those seeking funding for an MPhil or PhD in Cambridge, please visit the Graduate School of Life Sciences website.
General Information
All individual bursary schemes have their own specific eligibility criteria; it is wise to read these carefully.
Application deadlines vary, but if you are considering applying to a scheme abroad, be mindful of the time it takes to obtain a visa, especially if you are planning to visit the USA.
Most schemes are highly competitive.
Funding, Scholarships and Competitions
The following is far from an exhaustive list of the available research funding, but gives an idea of the opportunities available. If you are interested in attending a particular institution it is always worth checking if they run their own programmes.
| Institution | Deadline | Information |
|---|---|---|
| The British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP) | 1 April |
An undergraduate vacation bursary open to all BSPP members that will provide modest support for work on specified research projects during the summer vacation. Further details can be found here |
| The Genetics Society | 31 March |
Grants for undergraduate students interested in gaining research experience in genetics by carrying out a research project over the long vacation, usually prior to their final year. Further details can be found here |
|
British Division of the
International Academy of Pathology (BDIAP)
|
End of May |
Support for training in pathology in the UK including:
Further details can be found here |
| Kidney Research UK |
|
Training fellowships available with the purpose of enabling medical graduates to gain specialised training in renal research. Grants for medical students, with an interest in renal medicine, taking an intercalculated year. applications open in January. Further details can be found here |
| The Sanger Institute | As advertised |
The Sanger Institute Prize gives undergraduate students the opportunity to experience genomic research for three months in a Sanger Institute Laboratory. Also sandwich-year, summer and work experience placements available via application throughout the year. Further details can be found here |
| Society for Endocrinology |
tba |
A grant to assist undergraduate students in gaining research experience by working in a research environment. Further details can be found here |
| Sankara Eye Foundation | Several deadlines each year |
Clinical Volunteering and Clinical Observership at Sankara Eye Hospital in India. Further details can be found here |
| The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) | Opens January 2020 |
A Summer vacation scholarship for undergraduate students with a weekly allowance to complete a research project in biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics and statistics. Further details can be found here |
|
Association of Clinical Pathologists |
No deadline |
Funding of up to £5000 to support medical students in laboratory medicine-related intercalated degrees. |
|
Royal College of Pathologists, Pathology Summer School |
May |
2 day summer school in London. This is not a revision course but a chance to learn more about the role of pathology in healthcare, including current research and future advances. The content will be relevant whether you are considering a career in pathology or not; all doctors use pathology services and benefit from a greater understanding of the speciality. |
|
Coleman Lab Summer Internship |
Friday 12 March 2021 |
The Coleman Lab has an exciting opportunity for a summer intern to develop and enhance our external communications to audiences from 6th form onwards.
The work would be ideal for an undergraduate biosciences student with an interest in neuroscience and excellent communication skills, who is interested to learn more about laboratory-based research. We aim to communicate our work widely using nontechnical, accessible language and new and engaging formats such as videos, graphical abstracts and social media.
This outreach work will involve 1:1 and small-group meetings with each of our 14 staff and postgraduate students to discuss their work, either in person if COVID-19 precautions allow or over Zoom if required, followed by preparation of drafts for constructive feedback and a joint effort to finalise them. Importantly, this work can be done entirely from home if this becomes necessary but if conditions allow we hope to provide opportunities for shadowing experiments in the lab to provide more perspective for this important outreach programme.
Examples of our current outreach can be found at https://colemanlab.brc.cam.ac.uk/blog and Twitter handle @Lab_Coleman. Please contact Michael Coleman mc469@cam.ac.uk if you have any questions and apply to the same email address with a CV and letter of interest by Friday 12th March, 2021. |
|
Summer Internship at the German Research Centre for Environmental Health |
19th March 2021 |
Summer Internship Program in Epigenetics, Stem Cells and Cellular Plasticity. See here for more details |
Funding within the School of Biological Sciences For specific departments at Cambridge University, please visit their individual websites or see some examples below.
| Fund |
Deadline(s)
|
Details
|
|---|---|---|
| Evelyn Trust Summer Studentship | Tba |
For pre-clinical students wishing to pursue a clinical research project in Cambridge over the Summer Vacation. 3 bursaries of £1,000 each for 6 week long projects. Further details will be posted here. |
Finding Other Sources of Funding
Your project supervisor or Director of Studies may know of other sources of funding. It could be worthwhile to ask them about:
- various national bodies for academic disciplines (Royal Societies, British Councils etc)
- industry contacts associated with the project area you intend to embark on
For example:
- Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW)
- Royal Society of Biology
- Royal Astronomical Society (RAS)
- Cambridge University Careers Service
Whilst without financial reward, volunteering can be incredibly fulfilling for you as an individual and can change the lives of those involved with the organisation you volunteer for.