The awards are intended to provide opportunities for established researchers to work at the Laboratory of the Marine Biological Association (Citadel Hill, Plymouth). The current value of the Ray Lankester Investigatorship is £1,500 per calendar month for a maximum of five months. The funds can be used at the discretion of the Investigator to enable the proposed schedule of work to be carried out, which must take place within 2 years of the award being made. Usually one Investigatorship will be awarded each year.
Read more about the Ray Lankester Investigatorship
The awards are intended from post-doctoral scientists interested in research in Marine Biology. Applications are particularly encouraged from those interested in physiological research. The Fellowship may be held at any time during the year and will provide living and travel expenses for the successful applicant to spend approximately two months working at the Laboratory of the Marine Biological Association, Plymouth. Usually one Fellowship will be awarded each year.
Read more about the Peter Baker Fellowhip
Dr Molly Spooner was an eminent marine biologist who worked at the MBA between 1934 and 1976. She was best known for her work on the effects of oil pollution which culminated in 1973 with her being appointed as chief adviser to the Department of the Environment on oil pollution precautions and procedures. Molly died in 1997 and bequeathed a sum of money to the MBA to encourage enterprising students to experience marine biological research at the MBA. Molly’s bequest has recently been kindly supported further by her family to increase the opportunities available to undergraduate students at the MBA.
Bursary: One bursary awarded annually and valued at £1500 for approximately 10 weeks work experience with an MBA Research Fellow’s group, usually taken up during the summer vacation.
Eligibility: This bursary is open to university-level students who are current undergraduates at the time of application (see closing date below) and who are interested in pursuing a research career. Applicants must be a current member of the MBA (see Membership at: http://www.mba.ac.uk/membership/). The bursary will be available from June 1st in any one year and can be taken up at any time thereafter during the summer period.
Application procedure: Interested students should first contact an MBA Research Fellow in an area of marine biological research you would like to work. The purpose of this is to register your interest in applying and to outline a project you could undertake in support of an MBA Fellow’s research programme (see list of Fellows and their research interests at: http://www.mba.ac.uk/research-staff/). An application consisting of a cover letter together with a brief CV including at least one referee (preferably your academic tutor) should be sent by email to the MBA Director’s Secretary (email: sec@mba.ac.uk) by the closing date. The cover letter should detail why you are interested in working at the MBA and particularly in the research area identified, and why you think you should be considered for this bursary.
Closing date: 1st March annually.
Dr Mary Parke FRS was an eminent phycologist who began working at the Marine Biological Association’s Laboratory in Plymouth in 1940 and remained there for the rest of her career. Mary made pioneering studies on the distribution, life-histories and systematics of marine phytoplankton and macroalgae. Her seminal work on the flagellates using new approaches in microscopy provided a catalyst that essentially established the field of marine phytoplankton. Many of the organisms she discovered and meticulously described laid the foundations for future earth system science research that showed their importance in the global cycling of carbon dioxide and the production of volatile sulphur compounds. Her work was also of central importance to commercial mariculture; she not only described important flagellates but went on to demonstrate that one of these was indeed excellent food for oyster larvae. The flagellate cultures arising from her work were used in oyster farms throughout the world and enabled oyster culture to become a commercial proposition. Her contribution to science was recognised internationally by her election to honorary membership of the Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands (1970), the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters (1971) and to a Fellowship of the Royal Society (1972). Mary died in 1989 and as a tribute to her the Marine Biological Association and the British Phycological Society established a small fund to provide support for phycologists wishing to carry out research at the MBA.
Applications to the Mary Parke Fund are not currently being sought while the MBA attempts to build up the fund such that it will allow an annual bursary to be available in perpetuity. The MBA would kindly welcome any donations to the Mary Parke Fund. Please contact us through the Director’s Secretary on +44 (0)1752 633331 or by email to sec@mba.ac.uk, or visit the donations area on the MBA website (http://www.mba.ac.uk/donate/).
The Association awards a number of bursaries each year to support Student Members of the Association attending conferences and meetings. Typically five bursaries are available each year up to a maximum of £200 per bursary. Applications should be sent to the membership secretary at membership@mba.ac.uk. The application should include a copy of your abstract for a talk or poster along with a few lines (no more than 100 words) on how you feel it contributes to the overall theme of the conference. The abstract will be judged according to its quality (e.g. writing style) and novelty (i.e. scientific interest).
Due to overwhelming number of applications for bursaries for the 10th MBA Postgraduate Conference in Aberystwyth, submissions for this event has now closed and Bursary Winners have been selected. Please do apply however for other conferences taking place in 2013. Any enquiries can be directed to membership@mba.ac.uk
Applications will be assessed by the Association. Successful recipients will be asked to acknowledge the support of the MBA in their poster or presentations and will also be expected to provide a very brief report (i.e. a few paragraphs but not more than 1 page) on their experience at the conference and the benefit of attendance. This may be used on the MBA website and/or the MBA newsletter.
Read about our 2011 Bursary Winners.
Each year at the Plymouth University Awards Graduation Ceremony, the MBA provides a prize to the best marine-themed honours project, awarding the best performing student with MBA Membership and a bursary of £160 per week for 4 weeks to carry out research at the Citadel Hill laboratory.
Plymouth Marine Science and Education Foundation
The Plymouth Marine Science & Education Foundation (PlyMSEF) is a charitable body, established to provide funds to enable students and early career scientists to attend scientific conferences and symposia or to attend advanced training courses or workshops in the marine sciences. A grant of up to £250 may be awarded to successful candidates following scrutiny of their applications.
Applicants for funding should be from one of the following Plymouth Marine Sciences organisations:
The awards are usually advertised during October/November of any year, with a current deadline date for submission of 18 January 2013. The Trustees of the PlyMSEF form the scrutiny panel and will meet soon after this date to consider the applications and agree the awards – typically seven to nine per year. Successful applicants will be announced by the end of February 2013. To apply to this scheme it is not necessary to be a member of the MBA.