Training & Travel Grants from BES
This grant supports the training and development of students and postgraduate research assistants. Grants of up to £1,000 are available.
Find out more and apply: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/funding/training-travel-grants/
Yorkshire Ladies Council of Education
Payment: £300 maximum
If you’re female, over 21 and not necessarily from Yorkshire, you can apply for the bursary for attending any UK university. It is, however, only for those who are unable to finance their chosen education course themselves.
Santander
Payment: Varies, application must be made to each participating university
Santander bank has a long list of universities that it partners with to provide awards and funding. Each student has to apply to their university directly for the Santander cash.
The list of partner universities includes institutions such as the University of Bath, through which Santander provides scholarships for high-performing athletes.
Another example is the bank’s award at Glasgow Caledonian University, which provides a one-off grant of up to £5,000 for students pursuing an idea that’s additional to their academic work. Previous winners have used their funding to volunteer on charity projects overseas, work on community activities or develop a business idea.
Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP)
The world’s biggest conservation and sustainable development challenges demand innovative solutions. The Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP) believes successful solutions require more than a single organization or sector acting alone. SNAPP’s latest Request for Proposals aims to find new cross-sector and interdisciplinary teams willing to do science differently for lasting impact.
European Research Council
Aims to support single research leaders (‘Principal Investigators’) heading a research team to conduct a frontier research project on the condition that he/she is engaged by a legally established host organisation.
Antibodies.com
Each quarter, Antibodies.com offers a travel grant up to £500 to help cover the cost of attending a conference. These travel grants are open to PhD candidates, lab managers, and post-docs from academic research institutions in the US or Europe. The grant is intended to help cover the costs of registration, accommodation, and travel to a conference of choice.
Royal Society
Supports mainly UK scientists from postdoctoral level to senior professorships and also offer grants for a variety of purposes ranging from conference travel to the modernisation of laboratories.
Alan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust
Currently funds individuals as well as charitable organisations. Funding to individuals includes up to £300 for gap year costs and funding to cover final year PhD tuition fees.
Botanical Society of the British Isles
Runs a grants scheme offering awards of up to £1,000 (typically £500) to support research to enhance knowledge of the flora of the British Isles.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Funding agency for academic research and training in the non-clinical life sciences.
Community of Science (COS)
Is a membership organisation serving researchers, academics, non-profit organisations, and students; their funding opportunities database points them toward research grants, program funding, scholarships, fellowships, prizes and more.
The Daphne Jackson Trust
Is an independent charity dedicated to returning talented scientists, engineers and technologists to careers after a break of two years or more.
European Science Foundation – Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences (LESC)
Aims to better understand biological, environmental and Earth systems across time and space; it facilitates new activities in interdisciplinary areas by initiating and funding networks and projects. Many LESC projects have involved policy makers and industry.
The Leverhulme Trust
Offers grants and fellowships in support of academic research. Formerly called Special Research Fellowships, Early Career Fellowships provide career development opportunities for those with a proven record of research who do not hold, or have not held a full-time established academic post in a UK university or comparable institution.
International Foundation for Science
Is open for project proposals from developing country scientists who meet the eligibility criteria and conduct research on the sustainable management of biological resources. Applications must be related to the sustainable utilisation of the biological and/or water resource base.
Linnean Society Centenary Grant
Disburses a limited number of small grants to a total of approximately £30,000 in any one year, as well as awards of medals and prizes for outstanding work in the biological sciences.
L’Oreal – UNESCO for Women in Science Programme
UK, Ireland and International Fellowships aimed at promoting women in scientific research.
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
For more details visit their website or email the Science Web Team. sciwebteam@nerc.ac.uk
Nuffield Foundation
The wide range of activities supported by the Foundation fall into two main categories: support of research and innovation that will bring about beneficial social change and development of research and professional capacity, especially in the sciences and the social sciences, targeted at people in the early stages of their careers.
Rothamsted International
Endeavours to share research excellence across the world for the benefit of world-wide agricultural and environmental sustainability in the context of development needs.
Rufford Small Grants Foundation
Aimed at small conservation programmes and pilot projects.
Tropical Biology Association
Their funding database contains grants and scholarships, training opportunities, and funding lists, to help aspiring African conservation biologists develop their careers.
The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation
Aims to help people of exceptional talent who have interesting projects in a variety of fields, and who for one reason or another are unlikely to obtain funding from the usual sources, for example because of their nationality. They offer funding for Doctoral and Post-Doctoral studies; applicants need to be living in the British Isles during the period of application.
Ecological Society of Americas SEEDS program
Offers Undergraduate Research Fellowships for students underrepresented in the field of ecology, travel awards for undergraduate students, program alumni in graduate school, and Campus Ecology Chapter faculty advisors to attend the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting.
The Big Lottery Fund
Has an ever changing group of funding programmes. Many of which have been aimed at local community projects and school grounds improvement.
Growing Schools
Designed to support teachers in using the “outdoor classroom” as a resource across the curriculum for pupils of all ages. They have a relevant funders section on their website.
Botanic Gardens Education Network
Promotes the positive role that active, plant-based learning can play in educational settings. (Members have access to learning resources).
Opal Grant Scheme
Open to all national and local natural history societies, recording schemes and similar groups that are active within England, including regional branches of national organisations. The group’s primary focus must be biological.
MCED award for ecological modelling
Young modelers can apply, who finished their bachelor, masters, or PhD degree within the last 3 years. The MCED award follows the textbook for ecological modelling, which provides a curriculum for ecological modeling for students, either for a university course or for self-learning.
The Royal Geographical Society
Awards over 70 grants in excess of £180,000 annually to experienced researchers working on cutting-edge projects and to teams of young geographers who are looking to get out into the field for the first time. This includes Student Grants, Research Grants and Teaching Grants.
British Land Reclamation Society
The BLRS is creating a legacy initiative for investing its funds in appropriate projects. These could come from a range of fields, from ground work engineering and geotechnics, to environmental regeneration and sustainable urban reclamation and are awarded between £2,500 – £25,000.
Old Chalk New Downs Student Bursary
The OCND Student Bursary can be used to fund desktop studies, research and field work based on the OCND project objectives. This may also include travel costs, purchase of special materials and acquisition of data. It is available to undergraduate and postgraduate students and students on a year out in industry. For information on how to apply please email OCND@kent.gov.uk.
Loans
Funding your living costs
You can apply online to Student Finance England (SFE) for a means-tested maintenance loan to help with living costs.
There are different amounts of maintenance loan available. This depends on your household income and where you’ll live during term time. Only those with a low household income (£25,000) are likely to be eligible for full financial support.
If your household income is higher, you can apply for a reduced amount of maintenance loan – with the implication that you’ll find the difference elsewhere. This might be through contributions from your parents, a part-time job or savings. It’s also worth looking for other financial support such as grants, bursaries or scholarships, if you’re eligible.
Sophie Rogers13 Mar 2020
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: In spite of the uncertainties created by the current situation, you must apply for student finance as usual. Funding agencies are working hard to process all applications.
CONTENTS
- Overview
- Tuition fee loans and financial support
- Funding your living costs
- Extra funding
- Repaying your loan
Overview
This page outlines what’s available for students from England for 2020–21 entry. Check to find the exact dates, cost of fees and financial support that’s available on university and student funding websites.
Universities in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland can charge you up to £9,250 a year for undergraduate tuition. For accelerated degrees (which are completed in less time) universities in England can charge up to £11,100. The maximum Welsh universities can charge is £9,000 a year. You don’t have to pay for this upfront.
To be classed as an English student, you normally need to have lived in England for the three years before the start of your course. The funding explained below is mainly for undergraduate students (in other words, you’re taking your first degree). There are some exceptions – see our information on eligibility for details.
Tuition fee loans and financial support
If you’re planning on attending a UK university, you apply online to Student Finance England for a loan of up to £9,250 (or up to £11,100 for an accelerated degree). This’ll cover your tuition fees.
There’s a deadline for applications, usually around late spring. This is so the Student Loans Company (SLC) can pay your tuition fees to your university in time for the beginning of the course.
Funding your living costs
You can apply online to Student Finance England (SFE) for a means-tested maintenance loan to help with living costs.
There are different amounts of maintenance loan available. This depends on your household income and where you’ll live during term time. Only those with a low household income (£25,000) are likely to be eligible for full financial support.
If your household income is higher, you can apply for a reduced amount of maintenance loan – with the implication that you’ll find the difference elsewhere. This might be through contributions from your parents, a part-time job or savings. It’s also worth looking for other financial support such as grants, bursaries or scholarships, if you’re eligible.
Or, you can apply for a non-means-tested loan. If you do this, you’ll get the minimum loan available for where you live while you study.
| IF YOU… | YOU MAY GET (IN 2020/21)… |
|---|---|
| Live at home | £7,747 or less (£3,410 minimum) |
| Live away from home and study in London | £12,010 or less (£5,981 minimum) |
| Live away from home and study outside of London (including Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) | £9,203 or less (£4,289 minimum) |
| Live and study abroad (including Ireland) from one term up to one year of your course | £10,539 or less (£5,095 minimum) |
The deadline for SFE applications to guarantee funds are in place for the beginning of your course is usually around late spring. The loan’s paid into your bank account at the start of each term once you’ve registered on your course. You can still apply after the deadline, up to nine months after the first day of the academic year.
Extra funding
If you’re on a course for longer than 30 weeks and three days in the academic year, you may be eligible for a Long Course Loan. To get this, you need to have an income-assessed maintenance loan.
In 2019/20, households with an income up to £39,796 are eligible for the full weekly amount applicable to where you live while studying. Above this threshold, the amount of loan available will reduce. It’s paid at the same time as the maintenance loan, three times a year.
The maximum extra loan available per week is:
- £65 – if you’re living with your parents
- £127 – if you’re living in London
- £99 – if you’re living outside of London
- £137 – if you’re studying overseas
You may be able to get a bursary, scholarship or award from your university or college, which you don’t have to pay back.
Or, you can apply for a non-means-tested loan. If you do this, you’ll get the minimum loan available for where you live while you study.