SORSAS Application and Selection Procedure 2011/12
SORSAS (the Scottish Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme) provides funding to help outstanding full time postgraduate research students from outside the UK and European Union. Details about the award, and an application form, can be found on the Admissions website: Scottish Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme (SORSAS)
In 2011/12 there will be 3 awards made by the University of St Andrews. Please note that the scheme will be discontinued after this cycle, and from 2012 funding will only be available for continuing awards.
The deadline for receipt of SORS application forms has been extended to the 25th February 2011. Any SORS applications still incomplete or not legitimate by the revised deadline will not be considered.
A legitimate SORS application must:
- consist of two copies of a signed and dated SORS application form, if sent by post. We also accept forms sent from the applicant’s email address to pgscholarships@st-andrews.ac.uk.
- be submitted by an applicant who has been granted the offer of a PhD place (MRes or MPhil are not accepted), or will receive that offer by the above deadline. Any SORS applications from students without offers at that point will not be considered unless the Schools notify Admissions that an offer is forthcoming.
Please note that if the applicant’s start date is earlier than August 2011 (i.e. the student will commence in the 2010/11 academic year), only 2 years of funding will be offered, to commence on the anniversary of the student’s start date.
Current students who will be entering the second year of PhD study at the University of St Andrews at the start of or during the 2011/12 academic year are also eligible for a SORSAS award, which would cover the latter two years of their research.
Admissions will send the forms out to the Academic Schools within a week of the revised application deadline. Schools must each choose one application that they wish to nominate for the final selection meeting, and return it (along with supplement – see below) to Alice Carradice, Postgraduate Scholarships, Student Recruitment & Admissions, email: pgscholarships@st-andrews.ac.uk by the 25th March 2011.
The selection panel will ONLY be able to consider applications that have been returned by the cut-off date of 25th March. Nominations that have been received after that date will be disqualified.
For any application that they wish to nominate for the selection meeting, each Academic School will be asked to submit a statement stating why they wish to nominate, with reference to the proposed research project. Prior to nomination, in the case of new applicants, the Academic Schools will have viewed the academic references and transcripts that were submitted with the application for postgraduate admission. Therefore references are not required as part of the SORSAS selection process for new applicants. Please note if any such documents are included they may not be submitted to the selection panels.
For any continuing applicants (i.e. those entering second year in 2011/12), we request that the applicant’s supervisor submits internally an updated reference to be considered at the initial (School) selection stage only.
The nominated applications from each School will be considered by an adjudicating committee consisting of academics from the Faculties of Arts and Science, to be convened by the Provost, Professor Dina Iordanova, who will meet on the 31st March to make the final awards. The decision will be made on both academic merit and research potential.
A shortlist of 8 will be decided by the committee, with the top 3 as successful and the bottom 5 as reserve. Should any successful applicant turn down their offer, it will be given to the nearest reserve candidate.
Additional Funding
As with last year, Schools will also be asked (at the nomination stage) to confirm whether they will contribute up to 50% of the home fee and stipend for the duration of the award should their nomination be successful, if the applicant has applied for such additional funding.
In 2011/12, the amounts are expected to be as follows:
Home fee: £3,732 (School contribution = £1,866)
Maintenance: £13,590 (School contribution = £6,795)
Please note that fee rates will normally increase each year, and Schools should factor in such increases.