Mary Anning Scholarship 2026

About the project

Cash award of £3,000 for new postgraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds studying for a Earth Sciences MSc by Research degree.

Two scholarships are available for new full-time students with Home or International fee status.

The scholarship is named after Mary Anning, a pioneering paleontologist who overcame significant financial and social barriers, and aims to improve access to postgraduate study and increase diversity within the discipline. As well as a cash award, it offers additional mentorship and networking opportunities to help students excel in their academic and professional careers.

Am I eligible?

• Offer to study Earth Sciences MSc by Research
• Come from an underrepresented background, including but not limited to: Low-income or socioeconomically disadvantaged First generation university student Black, Asian and other minority ethnic group Disability Women and other underrepresented gender identities in geosciences
• Low-income or socioeconomically disadvantaged
• First generation university student
• Black, Asian and other minority ethnic group
• Disability
• Women and other underrepresented gender identities in geosciences
• Demonstrate financial need
• Not be in receipt of conflicting funding ie students who have secured external funding or another Royal Holloway scholarship that fully covers tuition fees are not eligible.

How do I apply?

Applications for this scholarship have now closed.

Application guidelines

As part of your application you'll need to provide a supporting statement of no more than 3,000 characters outlining why you should receive the scholarship. The statement should include:

• Your motivation for choosing the postgraduate degree you have applied for
• How the scholarship will help remove barriers and support your pursuit of postgraduate study
• Your future aspirations and how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals.

Terms and conditions

Scholar responsibilities

Scholarship withdrawal and repayment

• Scholars may be asked to participate in promotional activities such as interviews, testimonials, or events supporting diversity in Earth Sciences
• Recipients of donor-funded scholarships may be required to write a letter of thanks and provide updates on their progress
• Scholars must maintain satisfactory academic progress and remain enrolled in their MSc programme for the full duration of the scholarship.
• The scholarship offer will be withdrawn if the student fails to enrol, suspends, withdraws, or defers their studies
• If a scholar changes their mode of study (e.g. switches to part-time) or does not meet academic progression requirements, their eligibility will be reassessed, and the scholarship may be withdrawn
• If a student is subject to disciplinary action resulting in termination of registration , Royal Holloway reserves the right to withdraw the scholarship and seek repayment of any funds awarded.

Contact us

If you have any queries, please contact jurgen.adam@rhul.ac.uk

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