Our Minds Scholarship - Funding available for short collaborative projects

Background

We are now offering funds to enable students at the University of Edinburgh to carry out novel and imaginative 6 week research projects in any discipline on any topic related in some way to Our Minds. A significant portion of each project should be focussed on the development of public engagement activities.

 This year two of the studentships are reserved for Biomedical Sciences students who will collaborate with students from other disciplines. 

What we are looking for

The Our Minds programme is looking to fund up to eight 6 week long projects exploring some aspect of our thinking, past, present or future. Applicants are invited to propose projects that they would work on. The project should be relevant to questions concerning our minds, such as how it works, why we think the way we do, what we think about, and the outcomes this thinking leads to. For example, you might be interested in creating artwork that explores and questions ideas about the mind, or in exploring the phrenologist’s collection in the Anatomical Museum, you could work in a laboratory studying how the brain works or how it can go wrong, or you might want to tell stories about historical or contemporary issues/challenges related to the mind. These are just a few ideas; the possibilities are endless. As long as your proposal is relevant to the broad theme of Our Minds, we will consider it.

Applicants are required to approach potential supervisors/mentors at the University of Edinburgh to get their support and discuss their ideas. The mentors need to be willing and able to give you any help you might need with the project, for example with logistics or getting ethical approval (if your project needs it). It is also possible that you know of someone at the University working on a topic of your interest, in which case you could approach them and develop a good proposal together. You are allowed to join a team of people already working on the topic, but the research question you are proposing should be distinct.

The proposal might be something you have worked on before and want to develop further, or you might come up with a vague idea that needs to be developed in discussion. It will be important for you to establish the practicalities of what you propose, for example if access to university facilities such as archives or collections or workshops is required, or if you need specialized training. You will need to do this before you apply.   As well as proposing a project related in some way to the theme of Our Minds, you will need to propose how you will engage the public with the outcome of your project. You should be willing and able to meet at intervals with other awardees to help decide on, develop and participate in joint activities for the public during or at the end of your project (e.g. public lectures, exhibition, performance etc).     

What we are offering

We will be offering each of up to eight people the opportunity to work on their idea by providing you with a taxable 6 week scholarship total £2800.If you are a PhD student, you would need to suspend your PhD studies and PhD Scholarship to carry out an Our Minds project.  

Application process

Please complete the application form including a supporting statement from your proposed supervisor* before 5 pm on Friday 21 March 2025.  

Your Supervisor/mentor should provide a supporting statement for you to upload along with your application form which should express (i) their support for you and the project and (ii) their willingness to help you with logistics including obtaining any ethical approvals.

You can send informal queries to David Price (David.Price@ed.ac.uk) or Tom Pratt (t.pratt@ed.ac.uk). A cross-disciplinary group will review applications during April and selection will be made after interview based on the likely success of the project in the timescale and our perception of its comprehensibility and likely interest for the general public. 

See more Successful projects from the 2024 programme.