Professor Frank Burnet MBE Bursary for Science Communication

The Science Communication Unit at UWE Bristol is offering the Professor Frank Burnet MBE Bursary which will part-fund a place on its renowned MSc Science Communication. The value of the bursary is £1500.

Frank established and was the first director of the Science Communication Unit, as well as co-founder of the Cheltenham Science Festival. With a background in biochemistry, Frank thrived in making science enjoyable, accessible and innovative, and enjoyed bringing different disciplines together to share research creatively. Frank was also a key founder of the MSc Science Communication course at UWE Bristol.

To apply for the bursary, you must have applied for the MSc Science Communication by Friday 12 June 2026 and wish to start the course in September 2026. Only those who have been or who are in the process of being offered a conditional or unconditional place will be considered eligible. The bursary may only be used on the MSc Science Communication at UWE Bristol.

To apply for the bursary, submit a short piece of writing on the following:

1. Reflect on a personal and/or professional experience that has led you to want to pursue an MSc in science communication – up to 200 words.
2. Explain how you plan to foster creativity and/or inclusion in your work within the science communication community after completing the course – up to 200 words.

These examples do not have to be the same as the personal statement you provided when applying to the programme.

In line with Frank’s values, we want to understand what has inspired and motivated you to study science communication. These drivers don't have to be large-scale, but they should be important to you. We also want to gain insight into your ambitions to include creativity and/or inclusive practice in your future work, and how this will impact on the wider science communication community.

You may include reflections on your own background or personal characteristics, if this is relevant. The information that you provide is not confidential as it will be reviewed by a small number of staff in the Science Communication Unit team. It will, however, not be shared beyond this and will be treated sensitively.

Your short piece of writing should be emailed to Dr Amanda Webber (contact details below) to be received by 17:00 UK time on Friday 19 June 2026.

You will be informed if you have been successful in your application for a bursary by Friday 10 July 2026.

The successful applicant should inform us if they are subsequently successful in receiving funding from a different source or sponsor, for example, employers or local schemes, so that the bursary may be allocated to a different student.

Further information on UWE Bristol fees, studentship and bursary advice is available on the funding and scholarships page.

If you are not interested in applying for a bursary, the deadline for applications to the programme is 27 July 2026. We are currently receiving a high number of applications and would encourage you to apply as soon as your application is ready.

• Email: amanda.webber@uwe.ac.uk
• Tel: +44 (0)117 32 81629