About

History and background

Starting in 2014, the University of St Andrews was one of the first universities in the world to offer Laidlaw scholarships.

Through the generous donation by Lord Irvine Laidlaw, and what is now the Laidlaw Foundation, they originally started as a one-year research programme with some additional training and leadership elements.

Over the years, the programme has evolved and grown considerably. Today the scholarship runs over two years and offers students two summers of projects, one focusing on research, while the second emphasises leadership in action. The leadership component of the programme has been significantly developed and scholars now receive bespoke leadership training throughout the full course of the programme.

Scholars are now part of an ever-expanding international network of academic institutions offering the scholarship and leadership training around the world.

The Laidlaw Scholars Programme today

The Laidlaw Scholars Programme at the University of St Andrews uniquely funds both research and leadership development. As a Laidlaw scholar, you will:

  • Receive personalised leadership training to prepare for tackling the world’s most pressing challenges.
  • Grow as a leader in real-world situations through the Leadership-in-Action project, collaborating with communities for shared progress and long-term impact.
  • Conduct a research project of your choice, under the guidance of a leading academic.
  • Expand your global perspective through a meaningful international experience.
  • Develop your character and master the art of ethical leadership with a certification from the University of Oxford.
  • Join a global community of over 2,500 peers.
  • Benefit from funding to support all of the above.

To quote Lord Laidlaw himself, the aim of this experience is “to equip self-motivated and ambitious undergraduate students with the knowledge and skills to become future leaders”.

Learn more about the Laidlaw scholars' experience through this testimonial video:

 

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>>Serena Girard-Nguetsop (Laidlaw Scholar, EPFL): Being a part of the global Laidlaw Scholars Network has been an amazing experience that has allowed me to connect with other passionate Scholars from different universities and different disciplines and truly come together and share what we are passionate about. Being from EPFL, which is a technical university and doesn't have the humanities, has meant that this has been a really transformative experience for me, getting to truly learn so much more about these topics and connect with Scholars.

>>Ruby Murphy (Laidlaw Scholar, Trinity College Dublin): My research project was about the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland and literary representations of them. So, I set out to explore how can literature articulate the unsaid, how do we enshrine cultural trauma in literature, specifically in Irish literature. My favourite bit of the research process was just the depth & breadth that I was allowed to go into. I explored visual media, photography, and film, as well as my academic research, which is something I would not have got the opportunity to do in my normal academic work and it was so so rewarding.

>>Gustavo Alves de Albuquerque (Laidlaw Scholar, University College London): For my leadership in action project, I went to Freiburg in Germany to work with neurodivergent children and recent immigrants to help them integrate. I had caring experience before in London so I thought this was a good opportunity to apply what I already learnt. After a while I started seeing some real impact and actually started to build connections with many of them which was very rewarding.

>>Pallavi Bhargava (Laidlaw Scholar, Duke University): My research project was part of a small group in Brussels, Belgium. Our specific question was how will the proliferation of AI-generated content on platforms like Spotify impact the future of human artists and impact the future of creative labour as a whole. I was in Brussels, Belgium for the first three weeks, and then Paris for one week before presenting our research at the University of Oxford in the last week. So, we were travelling a little bit, and because we had so many meetings a day with a lot of different European policy makers and also local businesses, different kind of flavours of the European market, we really got a good grasp of doing work in Europe is like.

>>Ruby Murphy (Laidlaw Scholar, Trinity College Dublin): My conference experience so far has been amazing. I had the opportunity to present alongside 3 other amazing women and people in my field so that was an incredible opportunity and it was so rewarding to speak to them and learn about their projects as well.

>>Serena Girard-Nguetsop (Laidlaw Scholar, EPFL): The Laidlaw value that resonates the most with me is Ambition – because making any kind of change is such an incredibly difficult thing to do and ambition is what can keep us going when the things get hard, and so being surrounded by such ambitious Scholars for me, has also made me feel more driven to pursue my dreams and passions.

>>Gustavo Alves de Albuquerque (Laidlaw Scholar, University College London): The main lesson for me is that I didn't have to be anyone but myself to be a leader. The Laidlaw value that resonates the most with me is Good. To make a change in the world you really need to focus on justice, equity, respect; looking beyond yourself and your community and seeing what kinds of issues people face in different parts of the world. If you’re always looking to improve people’s lives and having empathy then I think that’s the most important step really.

>>Pallavi Bhargava (Laidlaw Scholar, Duke University): I love that Laidlaw tells us to always ask why. And to me it's not just why does something work or what if it worked better, but why am I here, what is my why? And when we ask why, we have better research, we have better lives, we have better opportunities to create benefits for others. And I just feel like how lucky am I to be part of a programme that knows that and names that and is cultivating people to be the next generation of asking why in the future.

Additional Information

Benefits of being a Laidlaw scholar

The rewards to being a Laidlaw Scholar, include:

  • an insightful research experience
  • a comprehensive leadership development programme
  • a £6,000 scholar stipend
  • a travel fund
  • having the Laidlaw Programme listed on your HEAR degree transcript
  • joining a global network of Laidlaw scholars and alumni

Programme requirements

To successfully complete the Laidlaw Programme, scholars are required to:

  • attend all Laidlaw events
  • complete two, six-week summer projects, focused on:
    • research
    • leadership-in-action
  • submit all required outputs by the deadline
  • complete a six-month ethical leadership masterclass (Oxford Character Project)
  • be an active and engaged member of their cohort and of the global Laidlaw Scholars Network

Eligibility for third-year students at the University

To be eligible for the Laidlaw Programme, you must be a full-time undergraduate student who at the time of application has at least two summers remaining at the University of St Andrews. Most applicants are in their first or second year of study. However, third-year students who are on a five-year programme should be eligible.

Studying abroad or doing a work placement if selected for the Laidlaw Programme

Scholars are required to study in person, full time at St Andrews during their participation in the Laidlaw Programme. This is approximately 20 months, starting in early March of the first year of the programme through to mid-November of the second year of the programme. Scholars cannot study abroad or do a work placement during this time.

Previous research experience

The Laidlaw Programme is designed to allow scholars to explore their interest in research. Whilst some scholars may enter the programme with previous research experience, most Laidlaw scholars are first-time researchers.

Academic supervisors during the summer 1 research project

Any permanent academic staff member at the University can serve as a Laidlaw research supervisor, although postgraduate students are not eligible.

Finding an academic research supervisor

First, decide if you wish to do a pre-defined or self-defined research project. If pursuing a pre-defined project, consult the list of pre-defined projects on the Laidlaw website and contact the designated research supervisor. If doing a self-defined project, consider your chosen research topic and research academic staff at the University to see whose research interests and specialisations best match your project and contact them directly.

If you are choosing your own research project, it must be separate from any work you have submitted for credit.

The two summer projects

In the first summer, scholars complete a six-week research starting on the first day of the summer semester. On a case-by-case and with prior approval, scholars may start or end their research project up to one week earlier or later. In the second summer, scholars complete a six-week Leadership-in-Action project. The timing will be confirmed depending on project type and scholar preference.    

Living in St Andrews during the summer 1 research period

Scholars must live in St Andrews, or within reasonable commuting distance, and attend weekly, in-person events and workshops during the six-week research period in the first summer. The summer 1 research period typically begins on the first day of the summer semester.

Time commitment

Participating in the Laidlaw Programme requires scholars to use effective time management skills. Scholars are expected to work full time for six weeks on their two summer projects.

During the programme, scholars also:

  • attend an equivalent of six full days of leadership training development
  • attend a launch event and two celebration events
  • dedicate one to three hours per month to completing a six-month ethical leadership 
  • attend the Laidlaw Scholars Conference over a weekend

Additional time should also be allocated to completing outputs and attending occasional informational sessions and events.

Attending events

An integral component of the Laidlaw Programme is a bespoke leadership development programme that runs throughout the entire programme. Scholars are expected to attend all events, barring exceptional circumstances.

The following is a sample event schedule and the final schedule is subject to change:

Year 1

  • March:
    • a launch event of approximately 2 hours
    • a weekend residential, from Friday to Sunday
  • Summer 1 includes:
    • six weeks, starting the first day of the summer semester
    • summer research project
    • weekly in-person events
    • a full-day leadership event   
  • September: a leadership event lasting all day
  • October: Scholars Conference, from Friday to Sunday
  • November: a celebration event of over 2 hours
  • November to April: the Oxford Character Project, requiring one to three hours per month

Year 2

  • March: a half-day leadership event
  • April - a half-day travel preparedness training session
  • Summer 2: six weeks, with timing to be confirmed, for the Leadership-in-Action project
  • October: a leadership event lasting all day
  • November: a celebration event of over 2 hours

Going overseas during the Leadership-in-Action project

Unless you are already an international student at the University of St Andrews, scholars are expected to spend at least six weeks overseas during the Laidlaw Programme. Most scholars will go overseas during the summer 2 Leadership-in-Action project.

Scholars have access to a travel fund.

Re-applying after an unsuccessful application

You can apply for the following year after an unsuccessful application as long as you still have two summers remaining at the University of St Andrews when you apply.

If you are unsure about some aspects of the Laidlaw Scholars Programme or have any questions, you can contact the Laidlaw team at laidlaw@st-andrews.ac.uk.