Women in STEM — United Kingdom

The United Kingdom offers a strong portfolio of STEM funding for women, including Research Councils UK fellowships, Royal Society grants, and industry partnerships through the Athena SWAN Charter. Programs cover undergraduate through postdoctoral levels.

47Programs
33With Funding
5Women-Only
6Program Types

Scholarships (2)

Fellowships (12)

Funded

Daphne Jackson Fellowship

Other

The UK's only fellowship program specifically for researchers returning to STEM after a career break of two or more year…

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Women's Engineering Society (WES)

Engineering

A UK professional membership society founded in 1919 that supports women in engineering through its MentorSET cross-sect…

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Funded Women-Only

L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science UK & Ireland Rising Talent Programme

Other

Deadline: Spring

Annual fellowships of £15,000 each awarded to early-career women researchers in the UK and Ireland conducting postdoctor…

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Funded

Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship

Royal Society

All STEM

Deadline: October

Up to 1.87M GBP over 8 years for early-career researchers who need a flexible working pattern due to caring responsibili…

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Funded

Royal Society Newton International Fellowship

Royal Society

Other

A postdoctoral fellowship enabling early-career international researchers in the natural and social sciences to work at …

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Funded

Wellcome Early-Career Awards

Wellcome Trust

Biomedical

A Wellcome Trust award giving early-career researchers in health-related science the funding and support to develop thei…

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Funded

Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships

Other

Three-year postdoctoral fellowships in the UK for researchers within four years of their doctorate, open to any subject …

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Funded

UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships

UK Research and Innovation

Other

Deadline: Recurring rounds (Round 11 deadline June 2026)

A flagship UKRI scheme supporting early-career researchers and innovators across all disciplines to establish independen…

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Funded

Royal Society University Research Fellowship (URF)

The Royal Society

Other

Deadline: Annual (~September)

A prestigious eight-year fellowship enabling outstanding early-career scientists (three to eight years post-PhD) in the …

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Funded

Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellowships

Engineering

Around 35 postgraduate fellowships and scholarships awarded annually by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 …

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Funded

Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowships

Engineering

A Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub programme for engineers and technologists commercialising a deep-tech inno…

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Funded

Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowships

Engineering

A Royal Academy of Engineering scheme supporting outstanding early-career researchers to establish an independent resear…

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Certificates & Bootcamps (14)

Online

WISE Campaign

Engineering

A UK charity founded in 1984 that works with schools, universities, and employers to increase the participation of women…

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Women-Only Online

Stemettes

Other

An award-winning UK social enterprise running mentoring programs, hackathons, work experience, and qualification academi…

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Funded Online

Multiverse Apprenticeships

Computer Science

Multiverse delivers employer-based apprenticeships in software engineering, data, and AI, where apprentices learn on the…

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Funded

STEM Returners

Engineering

A UK program offering paid return-to-work placements for experienced STEM professionals re-entering the workforce.…

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UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Challenges

Mathematics

UK charity running mathematics challenges and olympiads for hundreds of thousands of students annually, plus team challe…

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Nuffield Research Placements

Other

A UK programme placing students in the first year of a post-16 STEM course alongside professional scientists, technologi…

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In2scienceUK

Other

A UK charity programme giving under-represented and low-income 16 and 17 year olds studying at least one STEM subject an…

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British Physics Olympiad (BPhO)

Physics

The UK's national physics competition series for secondary school students, running a graded sequence of rounds through …

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UK Chemistry Olympiad (UKChO)

Chemistry

The Royal Society of Chemistry's national chemistry competition for UK students aged 16 to 19. Round one is a written pa…

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British Biology Olympiad (BBO)

Biology

The UK's flagship biology competition for students in the final years of secondary school, developed and run by UK Biolo…

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NCSC CyberFirst

Cybersecurity

The UK National Cyber Security Centre's programme for developing young cyber security talent, spanning free courses for …

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Sutton Trust Summer Schools

Other

Residential university summer schools run by the Sutton Trust for UK state school students from backgrounds under-repres…

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Engineering Development Trust (EDT) Industrial Cadets and Student Programmes

Engineering

The Engineering Development Trust runs UK-wide STEM experiences for school and college students, centred on the Industri…

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Tech Returners

Computer Science

A UK return-to-work programme for experienced technologists re-entering the industry after a career break, aimed particu…

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Undergraduate Programs (12)

Funded

ICE QUEST Undergraduate Scholarship

Institution of Civil Engineers

Engineering

Deadline: May

Provides up to GBP 8,000 over the course of study plus paid summer placements to students starting an ICE-accredited civ…

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Funded

IET Future Talent Awards

Institution of Engineering and Technology

Engineering

Deadline: September

Undergraduate engineering scholarships from the Institution of Engineering and Technology supporting students on accredi…

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Funded

IMechE Undergraduate Scholarships

Engineering

Deadline: June 30

IMechE Undergraduate Scholarships is a engineering scholarship or research award providing funding to undergraduate stud…

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Funded

Royal Society of Chemistry Undergraduate Research Bursaries

Chemistry

Royal Society of Chemistry Undergraduate Research Bursaries is a chemistry scholarship or research award providing fundi…

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Funded Women-Only

King’s College London Women in STEM Scholarship

King’s College London

Other

A £3,000-per-year undergraduate scholarship (up to three years) for female, non-binary, and trans students in the Facult…

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UK Quantum Hackathon (NQCC)

Physics

The National Quantum Computing Centre's annual hackathon for students and early-career researchers, who use quantum algo…

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Funded

London Mathematical Society Undergraduate Research Bursaries

Mathematics

Bursaries from the London Mathematical Society supporting undergraduates registered at UK institutions to undertake a su…

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Funded

Royal Astronomical Society Undergraduate Summer Bursaries

Physics

Deadline: 31 March annually

Bursaries from the Royal Astronomical Society enabling motivated undergraduates considering a research career to spend p…

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Funded

Royal Society of Biology Undergraduate Studentships

Biology

Studentships from the Royal Society of Biology supporting undergraduate students to carry out a summer research project …

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Funded

Biochemical Society Summer Vacation Studentships

Biology

Studentships funding six-week summer placements for undergraduates in biochemistry, molecular bioscience, and related su…

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Funded

Genetics Society Summer Studentships

Biology

Studentships from the Genetics Society enabling undergraduate students in any area of genetics to gain research experien…

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Funded

Microbiology Society Vacation Studentships

Biology

A limited number of awards from the Microbiology Society enabling undergraduates to work on a microbiological research p…

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Graduate Programs (3)

PhD Programs (4)

Frequently Asked Questions

What scholarships are available for women in STEM in the UK?

Key UK programs include the L'Oréal–UNESCO UK & Ireland Fellowships for Women in Science, Royal Society Grants, the Daphne Jackson Fellowship for returners, and the Women in Engineering Society bursaries. Many UK universities also offer dedicated women's scholarships at the undergraduate level.

What is the Daphne Jackson Fellowship?

The Daphne Jackson Fellowship is a UK-specific program designed for women (and some men) returning to a STEM career after a break of two or more years. Fellows receive a part-time research fellowship, typically lasting two years, hosted at a UK university or research institute.

Are UK STEM programs available to international students?

It varies by program. Some UK scholarships (e.g., Chevening, Commonwealth Scholarships) are specifically for international students. Others (e.g., Research Council fellowships) typically require UK residency or citizenship. Check individual program eligibility requirements.

Browse programs by country: