Mary Anning Scholarship 2026

The Mary Anning Scholarship provides a cash award of £3,000 for new postgraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds studying for an Earth Sciences MSc by Research degree at Royal Holloway, University of London. Five scholarships are available for new full-time students with Home or International fee status. The scholarship is named after Mary Anning, a pioneering paleontologist who overcame significant financial and social barriers, and aims to improve access to postgraduate study and increase diversity within the discipline. As well as a cash award, it offers additional mentorship and networking opportunities to help students excel in their academic and professional careers. Recipients must come from underrepresented backgrounds including low-income or socioeconomically disadvantaged, first generation university students, Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities, or women and other underrepresented gender identities in geosciences. Applicants must also demonstrate financial need and not be in receipt of conflicting funding.