Scholarships for Black and mixed Black heritage students.
Esri UK is establishing a new scholarship programme to encourage and support Black African, Caribbean, Black or mixed Black heritage students in the study of geography and geoscience.
On their new dedicated website for these scholarships, Esri UK explain more about the scholarships and how to apply.
Why are we doing this?
Black and mixed Black heritage students are significantly under-represented within the fields of geography and geoscience. The scholarships will:
Help to promote geography and geoscience as a positive life choice for students
Provide financial and other support for students throughout their studies
Increase the number of Black and mixed Black heritage students studying and working within the disciplines
Who are we working with?
Black Geographers have helped us to shape the scholarships and we hope to announce other collaborations shortly.
What are we funding?
There will be two awards made every academic year:
Undergraduate Award of £30,000 to study geography or geoscience (£10,000/yr). The award can be spent on fees or maintenance.
Masters Award of £20,000 (full time 1 year masters) to study within the disciplines of geography or geoscience.
Eligibility criteria
To be considered for the undergraduate award, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:
1. You have Black or mixed Black heritage.
2. You have an offer from a UK university, starting in September 2021, to study:
An undergraduate degree in geography or related geoscience
A Master’s degree in GIS or a course with a significant component of GIS
Have been assessed for fee status as a ‘home’ or ‘RUK’ (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)
3. You meet at least one of the following:
Qualified for free school meals
You are a young carer
You are a Looked After Child
Priority will be given to applicants whose household income is assessed as £23,999 or less. Applicants with a household income of between £24,000 and £33,900 may also apply
You can demonstrate how and why the scholarship will enable you to fulfil your educational and professional ambitions.
Key dates
Applications open 15th Jan 2021 for undergrad and masters
Closing date for both 7th April 2021
Awards announced at Esri UK Annual Conference May 2021
How to apply
Submit a short video (90 seconds max), a 500 word essay or other medium of your choice that answers the question below:
"Why is geography or geosciences important to you and what do you plan to do with your new skills, knowledge and qualifications?"
What will you need to do?
Fill out a questionnaire providing some personal details
Provide a cover letter introducing yourself
Submit either:
A link to your unlisted application video on YouTube
Upload an application essay
In addition, you can add links to other relevant material to support your application (optional).
To find out more, go to the The Geospatial Scholarship Fund website at: https://geospatialscholarshipfund.com/scholarships/.
Applications are now open. Please apply before the 7th of April 2021.