Summer Studentships

The BMSS Summer Studentship Programme

The call for BMSS-ChromSoc Summer Studentship applications is now open. See below for details of how to apply. The application deadline is the 31st January 2027.

Purpose

The British Mass Spectrometry Society (BMSS), in partnership with the Chromatographic Society (ChromSoc) accept applications annually for their Summer Studentships scheme. The scheme funds summer research projects for undergraduate students, providing them with opportunities to directly experience mass spectrometry and chromatography, going beyond what they will learn in lectures.

The studentships are typically of 6-8 weeks duration, and focus on involving the undergraduate student in scientific research, resulting in the opportunity to present their work in both a scientific report and a conference presentation.

Please click here to read about the experience of one previous awardee.

Benefits of the scheme

  • The BMSS and/or ChromSoc will cover an undergraduate summer student participating in a research project with a mass spectrometry and/or chromatography component.  The undergraduate student must be paid the national living wage to cover 6-8 weeks with costs up to a maximum value of £3,500 per studentship.  Within the £3,500 maximum award, applicants may request up to £300 for project consumables, where justified.  Any consumables requested must be included within the overall £3,500 budget and do not represent additional funding.
  • The undergraduate student receives complimentary 5-Year BMSS Membership (or choice of ChromSoc Membership instead for joint BMSS/ChromSoc-funded students).*
  • Complimentary registration for the undergraduate student for one BMSS Annual Meeting (or choice of one ChromSoc meeting instead for joint BMSS/ChromSoc-funded students).*
  • The undergraduate student will receive complimentary registration for one BMSS Introduction to Mass Spectrometry course (applicable for BMSS only, or joint BMSS/ChromSoc funded students).*
  • A travel grant to facilitate the undergraduate student attendance at one BMSS Annual Meeting/Course.*
  • Beneficiaries are encouraged to make a scientific contribution to the next BMSS Annual Meeting (may be deferred by one year).

* Funded by the relevant society

Eligibility

In order to qualify for consideration of funding:

  • The application must be submitted by the project supervisor.
  • The supervisor must be a BMSS member of at least 3 months standing, or a ChromSoc member.
  • The supervisor must be a bona-fide employee of the institution/company in which the project will be conducted, to which the funds will be paid (not to named individuals).
  • Only a single application per supervisor per round will be considered by this scheme.
  • Funding should typically be used to provide direct financial support to the undergraduate student e.g. as stipend to cover living expenses and a wage and is not to be used for conference attendance or travel (BMSS or ChromSoc travel grants are available for this purpose) or continuation of PhD studies/projects. Grants must be used solely for the purposes set out in the application.
  • Funding is open to supervisors who are in full-time employment at a British university or research institution and who will be fully employed for the duration of the project and report deadline, or where in part-time employment, name a full-time collaborator who is able to provide suitable cover.
  • Successful candidates may recruit undergraduates who are UK or EU nationals, or who have UK residence qualifications, and to overseas undergraduate students who are attending a British university or research institution for full time education with valid undergraduate student visa for the period of the Summer Studentship. 
  • Some degree of matched funding will be looked upon favourably. As such, the involvement of industrial bodies (as co-sponsor or collaborator) is acceptable, but the studentship application should be made solely by the supervisors where the undergraduate student will be based, and that the institution and undergraduate student both fulfil the aforementioned criteria, otherwise such applications will not be considered.
  • The application may be submitted before a suitable undergraduate student has been identified.

Applications

  • Applications must be submitted by the project supervisor. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to have full consent of all co-applicants prior to submitting this proposal.
  • Applications should not exceed 3 A4 pages and should be structured according to the format below:
    1. Proposed sponsor
      1. BMSS (must have a mass Spectrometry element)
      2. ChromSoc (must have a separations element)
      3. BMSS/ChromSoc joint award (must contain a chromatographic & mass spectrometry element. Note: Ion mobility will not be considered as a chromatographic technique)
    2. Project title (20 words or less)
    3. Name and email addresses of any co-applicants
    4. Background information (250 words or less)
    5. Project objectives (300 words or less)
    6. Experimental plan, detailing student involvement
    7. Proposed outcome and impact of the research
    8. Ensuring a positive student experience of mass spectrometry and/or chromatography
    9. Level of funding required for student stipend, including information to demonstrate alignment with the national living wage: As part of the application, the BMSS require the applicants to demonstrate that their combined budget and timeframes are compliant with the National Living Wage (https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates).
    10. Consumables funding requested (up to a value of £300) outlining the type and cost of the consumables the funding will be used for (500 words or less)
    11. Anticipated start and end dates
    12. Institutional sign-off complied with (yes/no – if no, supervisor letter of support to be provided.
    13. Outreach and Publicity. As part of the Summer Studentship Scheme, supervisors and students are strongly encouraged to support BMSS and ChromSoc outreach activities. The BMSS–ChromSoc Summer Studentship Scheme provides not only an opportunity to undertake a rewarding research project, but also a platform to inspire future scientists and showcase the impact of mass spectrometry and chromatography research.  Contributions from participants help promote the scheme, celebrate student achievements, and encourage the next generation of scientists to pursue careers in these fields.   Applicants are therefore encouraged to consider how they can share their experience with the wider community.  Supervisors and students are strongly encouraged to contribute to at least one of the following outreach activities: (Where a student has been identified, a consent form for the use of photographs, videos, and student experience materials can be obtained from the BMSS Administrator at admin@bmss.org.uk and included with the application where appropriate).

13.1  Photography and Student Experience: Applicants are encouraged to provide consent for the use of photographs and a short summary of the student's experience for promotional and outreach activities. Content may be featured on BMSS and ChromSoc communication channels, including LinkedIn, Instagram, websites, and newsletters.
13.2  Video Contribution Supervisors and students are strongly encouraged to create a short video highlighting their Summer Studentship experience. This could include:

  • An introduction to the project
  • Key skills and knowledge gained
  • Insights into a typical day during the placement
  • Reflections on the overall experience

13.3  Student Experience Blog
Supervisors and students are also strongly encouraged to submit a short blog article describing the project and the student's experience. Photographs are welcome and can help showcase the research, working environment, and impact of the studentship.

14. Project supervisor signature (accepting the terms and conditions of the BMSS and the award)
15. Applications should be emailed to the BMSS Administrator: admin@bmss.org.uk.

Terms and Conditions

  • The available funding. The BMSS will fund approximately four Summer Studentships, each with funding of up to £3,500 to support a 6–8 week student stipend.  Within the £3,500 maximum award, applicants may request up to £300 for project consumables, where justified.  Any consumables requested must be included within the overall £3,500 budget and do not represent additional funding.   In addition, ChromSoc will fund up to a further two projects to a maximum value of £3,500 per studentship, provided that they contain a strong focus on separation science. Some degree of matched funding will be looked upon favourably.
  • The decision-making process. The BMSS Advisory Board and ChromSoc representatives will rank and select the projects that will receive funding based on criteria including their mass spectrometry and/or chromatography content, relevance to current topics, novelty of the project, deliverables, development of the student, and student experience.
  • The project report. The student/supervisor team must produce a project report of 2-3 pages (1600-2400 words, excluding references) describing the results of their project, once completed, for inclusion in the BMSS newsletter (MassMatters), ChromComm, LCGC's The Column, on the BMSS and/or ChromSoc web site, across BMSS and/or Chromsoc social media platforms, or in other material relevant to either society. 
  • Project reports must be returned to the BMSS Administrator: admin@bmss.org.uk, within 6 weeks of project end date. Delayed publication (so as not to prejudice journal submission) can be negotiated, but report submission must be on time. Late reports may negatively affect the chances of future applications for any future BMSS funding.
  • The summer studentship blog experience of a maximum of one page with pictures/photographs, must be included in the report.
  • Acknowledging financial support. All sponsoring societies (BMSS and ChromSoc) must be specifically acknowledged in all presentations/publications and grants resulting from the student’s work.
  • We would not normally expect to award more than one grant to the same PI in any twelve-month period. 
  • Complimentary student benefits may not be transferred to another person. The complimentary registration for the Introduction to Mass Spectrometry Course and to attend the BMSS Annual Conference, plus the travel grant to support attendance, may be deferred by up to one year. The student attending the conference would be expected to present the results of their research project in poster form.

If you have any questions about the Summer Studentship programme, please contact the BMSS Education Officer: education@bmss.org.uk