The Burdett Fellows Studentship

The Burdett Trust for Nursing was established in 2002 with the aim of making charitable grants to support the nursing contribution to healthcare. The scholarships have a particular focus on developing research capacity and leadership within the nursing profession. It is hoped that these scholarships will form the research capacity building required for a future nursing research career for those successful in securing a scholarship, who will be known as The Burdett Fellows OR Nursing Studies Burdett Fellows.

The MSc by Research (Nursing) programme in Nursing Studies offers the highest quality of education and development for those nurses interested in developing world class research skills that would ideally position them to progress to PhD study. It aims to provide students with an advanced understanding of research design, data collection and data analysis issues in nursing and the wider health and social care context. The programme enables students to develop their understanding of debates about research, evidence and practice from a nursing lens. The programme is designed for qualified nurse practitioners and for graduates (or equivalent) interested in pursuing a future career as a research leader in the field to drive real-world positive change for global population health.

You will be supervised by academic colleagues within Nursing Studies in the School of Health in Social Science and will be part of the thriving PGR community within the School.  You will also be aligned to the work of the Edinburgh Global Nursing Initiative (EGNI) and existing established research teams within Nursing Studies and the Global Health Academy. This will provide access to successful world leading research teams.

We will be collaborating with the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery & Palliative Care, Kings College London and their Burdett Fellows, also funded through The Burdett Trust for Nursing. This collaboration will have a particular focus on building a research leadership network for Burdett Fellows. This will provide peer support and an opportunity for growth and sustainability building both nationally and globally.

Within The University of Edinburgh, you will have access to the wide range of research methods courses available to postgraduate students to meet your learning needs. The University is one of the leading Universities in the world, and the School offers a research-rich environment that specialises in research capacity development through doctoral and post-doctoral education and opportunities.

The Studentship is for 1 year full time. For UK (Home) students this will cover a stipend of £10,506 per annum and University fees. For International students this will cover a stipend of £17,860 per annum and University fees.

Funding will cease at the end of Year 1.

The MSc by Research (Nursing) programme will start September 2025.

Application to this Studentship is a two stage process – you must have carried out both stages by the deadline to be considered for the funding. If you are having any difficulty with your submission, have queries about the application process, or wish to check that your application has been received please contact our Research Admissions Administrator before 11.59pm (GMT) Monday 21 April 2025 via email at PGRAdmissions.Health@ed.ac.uk or by telephone at 0131 651 5144.

Please complete the University of Edinburgh online application for the MSc by Research (Nursing) by the deadline. 

There are two deadlines for applications to this programme, which are: 11 November 2024, 11.59pm (GMT) and 21 April 2025, 11.59pm (GMT). 

You will be asked to provide your degree certificate(s); degree transcript(s); references and other documents. For further information please refer to: MSc by Research (Nursing)

Scholarship applications must be submitted online by 21 April 2025, 11.59pm (GMT). The online scholarship application form is located in EUCLID and can be accessed via MyEd, our web based information portal, at https://www.myed.ed.ac.uk. In order to gain access to the scholarship application system, applicants must have applied for admission to the University of Edinburgh. Please note that, following the submission of an application for admission, it can take up to five working days for all system checks to be completed and for access to be granted. 

Please also attach the following as additional documents to your programme application by the deadline:

• a CV of no more than two pages
• a 2/3 page research proposal, the template is included on our admissions pages
• a short (500-word) personal statement on how the Burdett Fellow Scholarship would impact you and your local/professional communities
• a covering letter, outlining why you are interested in applying for this studentship and how you fulfill the essential (and desirable) attributes described below

International applicants will need to provide a letter of support from one or two named academics from their supporting Higher Education Institution (HEI) or health institution who will be supporting their research activities in their country (i.e. access to study sites for data collection).

Essential:

• A registered nurse
• A degree in Nursing (First-Class Honours or Upper Second-Class Honours or International equivalent)
• Applicants must have applied or plan on applying to the MSc by Research (Nursing)

Desirable:

• Experience of undertaking empirical research
• Working as part of a research team
• Publication(s)

Interviews will be approximately 30 minutes and you will be required to give a 10-minute presentation to demonstrate your research idea and how you plan to execute it.

Applicants should also note that as part of the Burdett Fellows Scholarship successful candidates will be required to submit a personal statement at the end of their studies demonstrating the impact of the scholarship, their experience and the benefits of their selected area of continued professional development.

Burdett Fellows will also be invited to, but not required to attend, suitable Burdett Trust for Nursing events.

Professor Aisha Holloway, Professor of Nursing Studies (Aisha.holloway@ed.ac.uk) and Dr Catherine Clarissa, PGR Director (catherine.clarissa@ed.ac.uk).