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Mathematics Institute

Funding and Opportunities

The following are some opportunities and funding that may appeal to Mathematics Students and give you a chance to get even more out of your degree:

Undergraduate Research Scholarship Scheme (URSS)

The Undergraduate Research Support Scheme (URSS) allows undergraduates to complete their own research programme, supervised by a member of staff, over 6-10 weeks in the summer vacation. The URSS gives you the chance to build your research and transferable skills (e.g. presentation and science communication), making the experience a valuable addition to your CV.

Every year we have a number of students on this scheme spending the summer working on a research project with a member of staff. It pays a modest bursary to allow students to spend their summer on campus having a go at research and has proved very popular in the past. You will need to find a member of staff willing to supervise, sometimes staff members will take the initiative and actively advertise to students, other times it has been the student's initiative to find someone.

The application deadline is usually in early February but you should not leave applications to the last minute. There is an online application form and students and supervisors will have to work together to complete the form. The URSS now also features a public engagement strand, with a separate application form, but the same deadline as the research URSS.

Examples of Projects in Mathematics

Examples of previous URSS projects from Maths students can be found on our Outreach pages.

Departmental Funding

The department may be able to fund a small number of unsuccessful URSS or LMS UG research applications. These will be capped at £1,000. The department does not fund student research projects that have not been through either the URSS or LMS application process.

Key Information for Students

  • Browse through the research groupsLink opens in a new window within the department and see who does whatLink opens in a new window research.

  • Approach staff to supervise a URSS project as early as possible - certainly some time in Term 1. Any later and you will be unlikely to find a supervisor.

  • It might be useful to talk to more than one potential supervisor.

  • Before you apply, note that the URSS process only ends some time in Term 1 of the following academic year. Along the way, you will be required to produce a variety of research outputs. You will certainly be kept busy.

  • Talk to the Maths Society if you are unsure. They may be able to put you in touch with someone who has completed the URSS.

  • We strongly encourage applications from students from under-represented backgrounds as part of the Department's commitment to the Athena Swan principles.


The London Mathematical Society (LMS) Undergraduate Research Bursaries

This is an alternative national scheme to the URSS that offers a larger bursary, but is more competitive and has a longer application form (to be completed by the member of staff concerned).

Deadline for applications is again usually early February every year.

More information can be found on their website.

Warwick In Schools (WinS)

This programme is open to students registered for EP304 Introduction to Secondary Maths Teaching.

WinS introduces students to teaching as a career by placing students in schools and providing training to prepare them for working with young people.

There is information on the very popular scheme on their website.

Warwick In Africa

WinS students will be eligible to apply for a place on the Warwick in Africa Project in the summer. Previous years students have taught in schools in South Africa, Tanzania and Ghana over July and August every year. This is a project supported by Giving to Warwick that started over 10 years ago with a handful of Mathematics undergraduates going out to South Africa, the success of which has led to the scheme expanding to more countries with support for African teachers as well as students.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Application information will be available in December, through the WinS Training Sessions.

The Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL)

The objective of the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning is to help shape teaching and learning across the University and disseminate, embed and raise the profile of new approaches and successful innovation. It aims to promote student engagement wherever possible. Its focus is

  • Academic literacy
  • Engagement with global culture
  • Interdisciplinary activity
  • Performance-based learning
  • Research-led teaching

IATL has funds for various activities, with deadlines throughout the year under their "Student as Producer" moniker including "Research Grants" and "Performance Grants" as well as money from their "Collaboration Fund" for joint projects between staff and students. Don't be put off by the names which suggest a theatrical bent, there have already been some successful Mathematics projects and there is another one taking place during the 2014/15 academic year.

More information on the funds can be found on the IATL website.

Lord Rootes Memorial Fund

The Lord Rootes Memorial Fund is intended to encourage personal development by supporting challenging projects proposed by individual and groups of Warwick students, especially projects:

  • involving observation and the intelligent use of experience in the scientific, cultural, environmental or business context.
  • demonstrating creativity of thought and the development of an original and personal idea or objective.

More information is available on the Fund's website.