Wellcome Trust Biomedical Vacation scholarships

The scholarship provides the opportunity for an undergraduate to gain a paid, first-hand experience of research working in cutting-edge research facilities at the University of Sheffield.

Summer 2025 projects will be released in spring 2025.

Overview

The University is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a grant to provide Wellcome Biomedical Vacation Scholarships for the summer vacation periods of 2020-2025. The Scholarship provides the opportunity for an undergraduate to gain a paid, first-hand experience of research working in cutting-edge research facilities at the University of Sheffield.

The University of Sheffield will aim to host at least six of these scholarships each year.

We recognise that financial, socio-economic and other circumstances can make it difficult for some to continue studying beyond an undergraduate degree. A key priority of the Biomedical Vacation Scholarship is to provide research opportunities for groups that are currently underrepresented in postgraduate research. As such, we aim to award at least 50% of these scholarships to individuals currently underrepresented.

Applicants who do not meet any of these criteria are still eligible to apply.

Projects must take place at the University of Sheffield over a six week period during the summer vacation. All potential applicants must apply to one of the projects advertised as part of this scheme.

The scholarship

The Wellcome Biomedical Vacation Scholarship provides the successful applicant with knowledge and experience in a professional research setting, useful for supporting applications for postgraduate study and postgraduate employment.

It also provides:

a basic salary at the University of Sheffield minimum hourly rate (currently £12 per hour) plus holiday pay and National Insurance contributions for the duration of a six week project
working hours of 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday
up to £1500 to cover or subsidise accommodation and travel if required
£500 towards the cost of materials and consumables provided to the host research group

Successful applicants will be registered as employees at the University and will be required to complete right to work checks before the project starts.

Projects

A full list of projects available over summer 2025 will be available to view from spring 2025.

Eligibility and suitability

To apply you must:

be in the middle years of your first degree;
be registered on a relevant undergraduate course in the UK or Republic of Ireland. Relevant subjects include science (biomedical, natural, computing or physical sciences), medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, engineering, mathematics and psychology;
either have home status or be an EU/international applicant with evidence of your right to work in the UK;
be expected to obtain a First or Upper Second class honours degree;
have not yet undertaken a substantial period of research.

We are particularly interested in applications from students who meet one or more of the following criteria:

You are from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background.
You are a care leaver.
You are from a low-income background evidenced by receipt of maintenance grant and/or a higher rate of maintenance loan during undergraduate studies. Consideration will be given to the number of years that a maintenance grant was received and the amount awarded, or the rate of maintenance loan received (if you started your undergraduate course following the phasing out of maintenance grants).
You come from one of the most deprived areas of the UK as indicated by ACORN and LPN data. This is based on home postcode before attending university.
You are from an area of the UK with lower participation in higher education with a postcode (before attending university) listed as quintile 1 & 2.
You are/were in receipt of a Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) as part of your undergraduate studies or are receiving/received support from your undergraduate university's disability office.
You have been recognised as a refugee or asylum seeker or been granted humanitarian protection status by the UK government, or are the partner or child of someone who has been granted refugee, asylum seeker or humanitarian protection status.
You are the first generation in your family to attend university and study an undergraduate or equivalent qualification (neither of your parents has a BA, BSc or equivalent undergraduate degree).

Applicants will be assessed on the basis of scientific and academic merit. Where applicants are determined to be of 'equal merit' following this process, the University will use positive action under the Equality Act 2010 to tackle the underrepresentation of, and overcome the disadvantaged experienced by, the groups mentioned above.

We also welcome applications from students who are currently studying at a non-Russell Group university and would like to explore the possibility of postgraduate research (Link to Russell Group https://russellgroup.ac.uk/about/our-universities/)

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria are still eligible to apply to the scheme.

You are not eligible to apply for this scheme if you:

Are in your first or last years of your degree (please note that you are considered a first year student during the summer after your first year at university and you are considered to be in your last year of university in the summer after your final year)
Have previously undertaken a vacation scholarship from Wellcome or another funding body, or have had significant research experience
Have completed or are currently undertaking an intercalated year
Have completed or are currently undertaking a one-year placement in research, or lab-based placement, as part of a degree (eg a sandwich year)
Are a graduate-entry medical student who has completed a previous undergraduate degree in a science-related subject
Are enrolled on a course outside the UK or the Republic of Ireland.
Do not have the Right to Work in the UK.

Successful applicants will be registered as a member of staff at the University of Sheffield for the duration of the project and will be required to complete Right to Work checks before the project commences.

How to apply

**Please note that the information below is not current, but it has been retained to give potential applicants a general sense of the application process. The application form will be updated for the next intake of the Biomedical Vacation Scholarship in spring 2025**

You will need to complete an application form and inform your tutor that you may require a reference, if you are selected to interview. These must be completed on the templates available to download below.

Completed application forms and references must be uploaded to this google form. The google form contains equality and diversity and widening participation information.

Please note: Please upload a document stating your tutor's name, position and email address to enable you to complete the google form. A reference will be requested if you are shortlisted for interview.

All applications will be assessed based on academic merit and potential to do research in biomedical sciences, as evidenced on academic record and answers provided in application form (e.g. motivation, contribution to host lab, skills to be gained).

Deadline for receipt of applications is 12 noon, 8th April 2024. Applications received after this will not be considered. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email. Please ensure that your email is entered correctly.

Any queries regarding the application process, please email WTVacation@sheffield.ac.uk.

Timeline

While the following timeline is not current, it provides a general overview of the application and recruitment process.

15.03.24 - 08.04.24 (12 noon)	Projects are advertised to undergraduate students and applications are invited
From 15.04.24	Project supervisors review and shortlist applications
Week commencing 06.05.24	Shortlisted candidates are notified and invited to interview
No later than 03.06.24	Successful candidates notified
No later than 08.07.24	Completion of pre-employment and Right to Work checks
15.07.24 - 23.08.24	Projects start w/c 15.07.24 and end no later than 23.08.24

Privacy information

The University of Sheffield takes the security and integrity of all the personal data it holds seriously. Read the University's privacy notice.

For all applicants, your data will be kept for the duration of the scholarship programme (a minimum period of five years) for planning and reporting purposes. It will not be published or used in a way that identifies you.

If you are successful in securing a place on the scholarship programme, your personal data will also form the basis of your record of employment.

The University makes certain statutory disclosures of information and your data may be used for those purposes. Your data will be used to report specifically to Wellcome Trust on the scholarship programme.

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