Funder: IOP Publishing
Due Dates: December 8, 2026 (Applicant Q&A) | January 18, 2027, 5pm (Application) | April 6, 2027 (Interviews) | End of April 2027 (Notification)
Funding Amounts: Up to £38,000 for doctoral co-funding or £10,000 for top-up support; up to four years or part-time equivalent
Summary: Supports physics doctoral students from underrepresented groups at eligible institutions in the UK and Ireland.
Key Information: Applicants must be nominated by their host institution, whose physics department must hold a qualifying inclusion award.
Description
The Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund supports full- and part-time doctoral students from groups currently underrepresented in physics. Instigated by Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell and the Institute of Physics (IOP), it was launched in 2019 following her donation of her £2.3 million Breakthrough Prize. The IOP administers the fund, with a panel reviewing eligible applications and selecting awardees.
The fund supports physics-based doctoral study rather than a specified research topic. It aims to widen participation by helping students overcome financial barriers to completing their studies, including accessibility and caring-related needs. Awards contribute either to doctoral programme costs through institutional co-funding or to additional costs needed to complete an otherwise fully funded PhD. Awardees also serve as ambassadors, engaging people of different backgrounds in physics.
