Biomedical Vacation Scholarships
These awards provide promising undergraduates with hands-on experience of research during the summer holidays, with the aim of encouraging them to consider a career in research.
We’re changing our funding schemes
The way we fund research is changing to support our new strategy.
The remaining Biomedical Vacation Scholarship programmes will end in summer 2025 unless otherwise indicated.
Scheme at a glance
- Lead applicant career stage:
- Administering organisation location:
- UK
- Funding amount:
Salary at the real Living Wage
- Funding duration:
6 to 8 weeks
- Coapplicants:
- Not accepted
Eligibility and suitability
Who can apply
You can apply for a Biomedical Vacation Scholarship if you're studying for an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject and you want to find out more about research in the biomedical sciences.
Examples of relevant subjects include:
- science (including biomedical, natural, computing or physical sciences)
- medicine
- dentistry
- veterinary medicine
- engineering
- mathematics
- allied health professionals.
The university where you're currently doing your undergraduate degree must be in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
See the 'How to apply' section on this page for a list of universities that run our Biomedical Vacation Scholarships.
You're eligible to apply in the middle year(s) of your degree, when you have not yet undertaken a substantial period of research.
We particularly encourage students from groups that are currently underrepresented in postgraduate science research, including black and minority ethnic (BME) students and those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
What we offer
A Biomedical Vacation Scholarship is for six to eight weeks. It provides a salary at the real Living Wage regardless of age.
If you need help with travel and accommodation costs, you can ask for:
- up to £1,500 outside London
- up to £2,000 inside London.
How to apply
Applicants should apply directly to one of the following universities running our Biomedical Vacation Scholarships:
- Health Data Research UK
- King's College London
- Queen Mary, University of London (running until 2026)
- University College London
- University of Bristol
- University of Dundee
- University of East Anglia
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Leicester (running until 2026)
- University of Nottingham
- University of Oxford
- University of Sheffield
More information
Before February 2019, students who wanted to do a Biomedical Vacation Scholarship submitted their application forms to Wellcome. From 2021, students will apply direct to one of the universities that run our Biomedical Vacation Scholarships.
We're changing how we award Biomedical Vacation Scholarships because we're hoping to provide more opportunities for students from underrepresented groups.
Contact
If you applied to a Biomedical Vacation Scholarship programme in 2020, and have any questions about the cancellation (due to COVID-19), please contact the programme directly.
If you have a question about your application, contact the relevant university Biomedical Vacation Scholarships programme.