The Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund is for full- or part-time graduates wishing to study towards a doctorate in physics and from groups that are currently underrepresented in physics.
Watch the video below to hear from Jocelyn on why the fund was set up, why people should apply and other ways to be involved.
Meet the 2023 awardees
We're delighted to reveal the nine awardees of the 2023 Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund. They are:
Read more and find out about our past awardees
Video: the impact of the fund
Jocelyn and some of the awardees talk about the impact the fund is making.
Find out more about the fund’s impact in this piece by selection panel chair Professor Helen Gleeson.
About Jocelyn Bell Burnell
The fund is made possible thanks to Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell’s generous donation of her £2.3m Breakthrough Prize.
The woman behind the fund
In her journey to the highest levels of physics achievement, Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell has faced many challenges.
Read about her journey
Jocelyn’s journey of discovery
In this interview with the University of Cambridge, Jocelyn recalls the extraordinary moment she discovered pulsars, and talks about her altruistic efforts with the IOP to help more underrepresented students study physics.
Watch the video on YouTube
Read the Physics World interview:
Jocelyn Bell Burnell reveals the motivations behind her new $3m graduate-student fund
Who can apply
The fund is for full- or part-time graduates wishing to study towards a doctorate in physics, from groups that are currently underrepresented in physics.
Stephanie Merritt, 32, third year PhD at Queen’s University Belfast, astronomer specialising in the atmospheres of exoplanets, from Surrey.
Ozioma (Ozi) Kamalu, 24, fourth year undergrad at Edinburgh, studying astrophysics, originally from Bristol.
Selina Dhinsey, 24, second year PhD student at Liverpool studying the medical physics end of particle physics, from Wolverhampton.
How to apply
Applications for 2023/2024 are now open. Apply now. You can view a sample application form (PDF, 332KB) to give you an idea of what to expect.
The deadline for applications is Friday 19 January 2024.
You can also email [email protected] for further information or you can register your interest in the fund to receive further updates as they become available.
2023/2024 grants calendar
- 3 October 2023 – Fund is open for applications
- 5 December 2023 – Panel Q & A session with public (virtual)
- 19 January 2024 – Application submission deadline
- 22 January-16 February 2024 – Grants Manager review for eligibility (Stage 1)
- 19-29 February 2024 – Stage 1 unsuccessful applicants notified
- 19 February-11 March 2024 – Panel’s assessment of eligible applications and shortlisting (Stage 2)
- 12-18 March 2024 – Stage 2 unsuccessful applicants notified
- 8 April 2024 – Panel interviews shortlisted applicants and selects awardees (Stage 3)
- End of April 2024 – All interview candidates notified of outcome
Frequently asked questions
Visit our FAQ page for further details about the fund.
You can also find further information for students and prospective host universities/institutions below.
A guide to the fund
Download the guide for more information about eligibility criteria and information for students and prospective host universities/institutions.
Download the guide (PDF, 5.18MB)
As a part of the monitoring and evaluation of the Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund studentships, the IOP requires the student and their lead supervisor to submit a progress report at various intervals during the award.
How the fund is administered
The fund is administered and managed by the IOP and supported by a panel that reviews qualifying applicants and selects those to be funded. Find out more about how the fund is administered.
Committed to opening up physics
Professor Helen Gleeson, Cavendish Professor of Physics at the University of Leeds and chair of the selection panel for the Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund, explains why she is committed to opening up physics to people from non-traditional backgrounds.
Read more from Helen
Other sources of funding
For other sources of funding, studentships and scholarships that you may be eligible for, please see the links below: