Quick access: Reports | Application | Awardees | Other Awards
Aims
Given the current circumstances, we are unable to guarantee lab access for students and this scheme is therefore on hold. We are monitoring the situation and will update this information should we decide to go ahead with this year’s competition.
The Gurdon/The Company of Biologists Summer Studentship scheme provides financial support to allow highly motivated undergraduate students an opportunity to engage in practical research during their summer vacation. We look for students with a strong academic record and clear career vision, who have taken the initiative to establish contacts with a research laboratory where they can perform projects in the area of Developmental Biology. We expect this experience to enrich and complement their portfolio of expertise and to inspire them to pursue a career in research.
Every year, 10 successful applicants spent 8 weeks in the research laboratories of their choices, and the feedback we received was outstanding.
Reports
See below a list of all successful awardees, and read some of the student reports here:
- (41) Vlad Arimia (2019)
- (40) Nivetha Manobharath (2019)
- (39) Lauren Mulcahy (2019)
- (38) Grace Blakeley (2019)
- (37) Jake Cornwall Scoones (2019)
- (36) Isabel Swinburn (2019)
- (35) Luca Argirò (2019)
- (34) Matyas Bubna (2019)
- (33) Réiltín Ní Theimhneáin (2019)
- (32) Franklin Lo (2019)
- (31) Natalie Dugdale (2018)
- (30) Rachel Jackson (2018)
- (29) Oliver Beaven (2018)
- (28) Annabel Adams (2018)
- (27) Rachel Wong (2018)
- (26) Courtney Lancaster (2018)
- (25) Marketa Novotna (2018)
- (24) Robert Haret (2018)
- (23) Lucienne Pullen (2018)
- (22) Melissa Gomez (2018)
- (21) Liam McMulkin (2017)
- (20) Miguel Robles García (2017)
- (19) Nicole Serzhantova (2017)
- (18) Agata Czap (2017)
- (17) Katarina Grobicki (2017)
- (16) Jake Cornwall Scoones (2017)
- (15) Eleanor Sheekey (2017)
- (14) Rachael Adams (2017)
- (13) Jack O’Shea (2017)
- (12) Josie Elliott (2017)
- (11) Christopher Taylor (2016)
- (10) Iona Imrie (2016)
- (9) Lauren Miller (2016)
- (8) Ji Hye Moon (2016)
- (7) Oliver Davis (2015)
- (6) Anna Klucnika (2015)
- (5) Aran Shaunak (2015)
- (4) Isabella Watts (2015)
- (3) Benedetta Carbone (2014)
- (2) George Choa (2014)
- (1) George Hunt (2014)
Application Details:
- Please, download the application form.
- Applications must be submitted by the end of March.
- The student must be an EU resident.
- The student must be an undergraduate at the time of applying.
- Final year undergraduate students are eligible to apply on condition that the host university is able to accommodate them as a visiting researcher during the summer after they complete their degree. It is the responsibility of the host supervisor to confirm this.
- No more than one application is allowed per host lab.
- Awards comprise a student stipend of £200 per week for 8 weeks. Consumable costs are not provided.
- Applications must be made by the undergraduate student and contain the information and support letters specified in the application form. The project proposal and application form should be written by the undergraduate student, with guidance from the host supervisor.
- The proposed project supervisor must be a BSDB member.
- The project must be on a topic in the broad area of Developmental Biology. Note, that projects will be assessed according to their aims, achievability and opportunity to the student.
- The successful applicant will be required to submit a short project report of ≤1000 words by 31st of October. It must adhere to the report guidelines, should include images and may be selected for publication on The Node and/or in the BSDB Newsletter.
- Completed applications should be sent to the email address provided on the application form. You will receive an e-mail to confirm that your application has been received. Please contact us if you have not received a confirmation within 7 days.
Selection process:
- Applications will be reviewed by a panel of members from the BSDB committee, using the student’s CV, the quality of the project and the expected training opportunities as criteria.
- Applicants will be informed of the outcome within one month of the application deadline. Feedback on unsuccessful applications will not be provided.
- Successful candidates must accept the award within two weeks of notification. Note that Gurdon Studentship cannot be held alongside another summer studentship award from another funding body. If awardees choose to accept an offer from another funding body, they are expected to notify the BSDB and forgo the Gurdon award.
Successful Awardees:
- 2018: Natalie Dugdale (University of Liverpool; host: Thomas Butts);Rachel Jackson (University of Edinburgh; host: David Lyons); Oliver Beaven (Durham University; host: Colin Jahoda); Annabel Adams (King’s College London; host: Andrea Streit); Rachel Wong (King’s College London; host: Karen Liu); Courtney Lancaster (University of Cambridge; host: Benjamin Steventon); Marketa Novotna (University of Dundee; host: Pauline Schaap); Robert Haret (University of Cambridge; host: Matthias Langraf); Lucienne Pullen (University of Oxford; host: Duncan Sparrow); Melissa Gomez (University of Aberdeen; host: Martin Collinson).
- 2017: Liam Mcmulkin (University of Dundee; host: Marios Stavridis); Jake Cornwall Scoones (University of Cambridge; hosts: Anna Philpott & Roberta Azzarelli); Josie Elliott (University of Oxford; host: Prof. Alison Woollard); Jack O’Shea (UCL; host: Dr. Richard Poole); Miguel Robles Garcia (UEA; host: Andrea Münsterberg); Agata Czap (UCL; host: Paola Oliveri); Nicole Serzhantova (University of Cambridge; host: Jennifer Nichols); Rachel Adams (University of Cambridge; host: Peter Lawrence); Eleanor Sheekey (University of Cambridge; host: Dr Peter Rugg-Gunn); Katarina Grobicki (University of Oxford; host: Sebastian M Shimeld)
- 2016: Ji Hye Moon (KCL; host: Richard Wingate, KCL), Iona Imrie (Edinburgh University; host: Jamie Davies, Edinburgh), Daniyal Jalil Jafree (UCL; host: Pete Scambler, UCL), Paige Paddy (UEA; host: Andrea Münsterberg, UEA), Jack Weaver (University of Aberdeen; host: Lynda Erskine, Aberdeen), Mireya Vazquez-Prada (UCL; host: Stephen Price, UCL), Christopher Taylor (Sheffield University; host: Karin Sofefan, Sheffield), Lauren Miller (UCL; host: Richard Poole, UCL), Lilli Hahn (Cambridge University; host: Brian Hendrich, Cambridge), Jaylee Boer (Edinburgh University; host: Mike McGrew, Roslin Institute, Edinburgh)
- 2015: Emma MI (Cambridge University; host: J Gurdon, Cambridge), Oliver DAVIS (Brighton and Sussex Medical School; host: JP Vincent, Crick Institute), Anna KLUCNIKA (Cambridge University; host: Aziz Aboobaker, Oxford), Julia OH (Edinburgh University; host: Megan Davey, Edinburgh), Ortlaith MANNION (Natl Univ Ireland Galway; host: Maura Grealy, Galway), Rachel WANG (Univ College London; host: Yanlan Mao, UCL), Joe WATKINS (University of Birmingham; host: Yun Fan, Birmingham), Samantha COOPER (Cambridge University; host: Daniel St Johnston, Cambridge), Arun SHAUNAK (Cambridge University; host: Jose Silva, Cambridge), Isabella WATTS (Oxford University; host: Tatjana Sauka-Spengler, Oxford)
- 2014: Ashley Bae (host: Ildiko Somorjai, St Andrews), George Hunt (Ian Hope, Leeds), Ariana Mihai (Val Wilson, Edinburgh), Benedetta Carbone (Keisuke Kaji, Edinburgh), Lydia Dugmore (Iwan Evans, Sheffield), Sian Martin (Susanne Dietrich, Portsmouth), Rachel Turner (Alistair McGregor, Oxford), Kadri Oras (Martin Collinson, Aberdeen), George Choa (Claudio Stern, UCL), Kwok Lun Man (Arantza Barrios, UCL)
[…] 2014, the BSDB has initiated the Gurdon Summer Studentship program with the intention of providing highly motivated students with exceptional qualities and a […]
[…] The Gurdon Studentship scheme provides financial support to allow undergraduate students an opportunity to engage in practical research during their summer vacation. Details can now be found here […]