Viking Bursary opens for applications
Applications are now open for the Viking Bursary which awards up to £2,000 to higher education students, helping fund original study and research.
The Royal Forestry Society (RFS) has opened applications today for its respected Viking Bursary, an award for students in higher education to study any aspect of forestry which benefits the practical management and resilience of woodlands.
The bursary will fund all costs directly associated with the project, including travel, accommodation and equipment.
In most years the RFS makes one award of up to a total value of £2,000, but on some occasions will make more than one award. For applications of an exceptional standard, awards of over £2,000 may be granted.
Recipients will be invited to submit an article sharing their findings that will be published by the RFS on its website, with an extract and link in the Quarterly Journal of Forestry.
All applications must be submitted by Thursday 1st May at 12pm. Applications will be reviewed by RFS HQ and then shortlisted by the RFS Yorkshire Division Committee.
Find out more and apply
Previous bursary recipients include William Hagan Brown (2023). Based at the University of Plymouth and conducting research at the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research Free-Air Carbon Enrichment (BIFoR FACE) facility, William used the award to help fund his research on the impact of climate change on the forest canopy temperatures.
Last year’s award went to two students. Emily Grace, a PhD student at the University of Birmingham, studied how viruses that infect bacteria, named bacteriophages, can influence bacterial tree diseases, particularly Acute Oak Decline (AOD).
Andrea Rabbai, also from the University of Birmingham, used the bursary to support his work studying the implications of drought on forest stands. His research involves analysing water use efficiency (WUE) using carbon isotopes in tree rings. He and his colleagues hope to gain insights into how trees in complex mixtures recover from drought stress.
Application criteria and conditions:
- Candidates must be in full-time or part-time higher education
- The area of study can cover any aspect of forestry which benefits the practical management and resilience of woodlands.
- The project must be original, independent, self-directed study or research. It must have clear objectives, methods, outcomes and timeframe.
- The area of study is limited to the UK with priority given to projects focused on England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Candidates are expected to submit travel budgets with their application.
- Co-funding with other sources of funds is acceptable.
if you have any questions about making an application, please email careers@rfs.org.uk.
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