SPECIES offers up to three scholarships for current research students and recent PhD graduates in its areas of interest (see below for more detailed information on eligibility). The scholarships will involve an in-person internship of three months in one of the host institutions, working under the supervision of an advisor. The list of host institutions available in 2023 can be found here.

The selected scholarship candidates will receive an allowance of 900 euros per month as contribution towards accommodation and living expenses as well as any other additional cost related to the scholarship.

Applicants will be selected based on merit by a committee designated by the SPECIES Executive Board. The evaluation criteria will take into account the strength of the candidate (in relation to their career stage), the quality of the research statement and the match with the chosen project(s). Applications that foster new collaborations will be given an advantage.

Candidates and host institutions will be matched following preferences indicated by both sides (at most one scholarship per host institution).

The start of the internship must be agreed between the student and the host institution and should be no later than 30/09/2024 (unless agreed otherwise with SPECIES).

Eligibility and Requirements

  1. Current research students and recent PhD graduates (up to 24 months prior to the application deadline) from any country are welcome to apply. Research students include PhD students as well as students on research-oriented master programmes (e.g., MPhil, MRes, MSc with a significant research component).
  2. Either host or candidate (or both) need to be affiliated with a European institution (in the geographical sense). The host institution must be in a country different from the current residence/affiliation of the candidate. The candidate must not have been affiliated with the host institution in the last three years.
  3. The scholarship must be done in-person at the host institution. It does not cover working remotely, nor periods of absence due to holidays, travel to conferences or other events, or illness if it implies leaving the host country. The allowance will be paid monthly upon presentation, and acceptance, of a progress report.
  4. At the end of the internship, at least one paper must be submitted to one of the EvoStar conferences with the results of the work carried out; if accepted, the conference registration fee for the scholarship recipient will be waived.
  5. The host institution will cover any registration or matriculation expenses (“bench fees”) that are necessary; they may also provide funds to cover up to three additional months, and any other advantage they wish to offer (e.g. travel funds).

Timeline

Host applications open24/04/2023
Deadline for host applications15/05/2023 (AoE)
Candidate applications open22/05/2023
Deadline for candidate applications30/06/2023 (AoE) 03/07/2023 (AoE)
Notificationstbc
Start of the scholarshipno later than 30/09/2024

How to apply

Prospective advisors/host institutions

Submit the following to students@species-society.org specifying HOST in the subject of the email:

  1. A single PDF containing:
    • short CV of the advisor(s) (max 1 page)
    • description of the research group (max 1 page)
    • description of the work to be carried out by the student (max 1 page)
    • other relevant information (e.g. additional funding, accommodation arrangements, location information) (max 1 page)
  2. A PNG of the institution’s logo

Scholarship Candidates

Submit the following to students@species-society.org specifying CANDIDATE in the subject of the email:

  1. A single PDF containing:
    • a short CV (max 1 page)
    • a description of research interests and current work (max 1 page)
    • up to 3 ranked host/project preferences including a brief statement explaining the choices (see Scholarship Hosts 2023 for more information); choices must be specific about the project if a host offers more than one option (max 1 page)
      Note: Please carefully consider eligibility criteria and requirements for candidates and hosts listed above.
      More information: Scholarship Hosts 2023
  2. Proof of matriculation at a university/research institution OR proof of having submitted a PhD thesis in the 24 months prior to the deadline
  3. A reference letter from their current supervisor: This can either be submitted by the candidate together with the rest of the application or directly by the supervisor to the below email address. Please indicate the latter in your application.

Further Information

SPECIES Scholarships Chair: Christine Zarges, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK

Contact: students@species-society.org

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