About vacation scholarships

Why do a vacation scholarship research project?

Vacations scholarships allow you to explore an area of mathematics outside of the curriculum over the summer. In particular, they enable you to do one or more of the following.

• Research a topic or carry out original research with the guidance of a professional mathematician, without the constraints of studying for credit.
• Gain an appreciation of the nature of advanced mathematics and what it is like to work with it in a research environment.
• Gain a broader and more professional understanding of mathematics, and some familiarity with the research ideas being worked on by lecturers in the School.
• Record the completed project on your HEAR transcript.

How are the projects run?

Each scholarship will last for the duration of 6 weeks, and the suggested time frame is the months of June, July and August. The value of each scholarship is £300 per week.

At the end of your project, you will be asked to submit a short written report (typically around 10 pages).

Who is eligible to apply?

The majority of scholarships will be available to Year 3 students on a (possibly joint) maths degree, with some funding also available to Year 2 students and Year 4 students on a five year degree. Priority will be given to students that have not been awarded a scholarship previously, in the sense that a maximum of two scholarships per year is available to students who have previously been awarded School of Maths vacation scholarships. You should be looking to do a research project in the School of Mathematics, i.e with a supervisor from the School of Mathematics. Please see the Frequently asked questions for further details and other possibilities.

What is the application process?

The Vacation Scholarship Coordinator will hold a ‘Summer Opportunities Information Event’ from 2 to 3pm on Friday 23rd January 2026 (Week 2) on Zoom (students will be provided with a link via email nearer the time). The application process for vacation scholarships and other research and non-research opportunities available to you in summer 2026 will be discussed during the event.  The slides will be made available here after the event.

The Vacation Scholarships application is a two stage process:

1. Interested students must submit an initial expression of interest by completing the spreadsheet at Topics of Interest - 26.xlsx, including information about the research topics that are of interest to them. The deadline for completing the spreadsheet is the end of the day on Friday 30^th January 2026. (Please note that this does not constitute an application per se, but is a mandatory first step in the application process. It is not essential to have contacted a potential supervisor at this point.)
2. After the expression of interest deadline has passed, the School will reviews submissions, and the top students will be invited to submit a full School of Mathematics Vacation Funding Application by the end of the day on Monday 16th March 2026. 

School of Mathematics Vacation Funding Application Form

At this stage, the Vacation Scholarship Coordinator will facilitate contact between students and potential supervisors if required. Any student applying for a Vacation Scholarship will be expected to be on track to obtain a 2:1 (second class upper division) Honours degree as a minimum requirement.

The School of Mathematics is committed to offering a minimum of seven Vacation Scholarship research projects every summer. Students should apply for School of Mathematics Vacation Funding, as well as at least one other source of funding. Details of all sources of funding, including the School of Mathematics Vacation Funding, can be found via the following link.

Sources of Funding for Vacation Scholarships

Key dates 2026

• Friday 23^rd January (Week 2), 2 to 3pm on Zoom: Summer Opportunities Information Event
• Friday 30^th January (Week 3): Deadline for expressing interest by completing the ‘Topics of Interest’ spreadsheet (mandatory first step in application)
• Monday 16th March: Deadline for invited students to submit a School of Mathematics Funding Application Form
• May: Outcomes announced
• June-August: Research projects take place
• Friday 27th August: Report submission deadline

Who to ask about vacation scholarships?

If you are considering a vacation scholarships project, you should discuss this with your Academic Cohort Lead, who might be able to offer some guidance on potential research topics and project supervisors.

The Vacation Scholarship Coordinator is also happy to discuss queries, and will be available to answer questions at the Summer Opportunities Information event. If you send an email, please put ‘Summer Vacation Scholarships’ in the subject. Before emailing, please make sure you have checked the Vacation Scholarships Frequently asked questions for an answer to your question.