Mary Anning Scholarship 2025

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

Five 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
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?

You'll need to complete a form by following the link below.

Apply now

The deadline to apply for this scholarship is 11.59pm (UK time) on Tuesday 1 July.

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

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.

Scholarship withdrawal and repayment

The scholarship offer will be withdrawn if the student fails to enrol, suspends, withdraws, or defers their studies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.