Undergraduate studentships run over the summer and are normally designed for students who have just finished their second year of study (although this is flexible in some cases).

Royal Society of Biology - Plant Health Undergraduate Summer Studentships

We offer a number of undergraduate studentships in plant health to be carried out over the summer. These placements offer experience of research aligned with Defra priority areas in plant health.
Award: £380 per week, for a studentship period of 10 weeks

External organisation grants

Studentships are essentially work experience in a specific area of biology and may involve laboratory research or practical fieldwork. Normally you have to find these research placements on your own but some of our Member Organisations may be able to help you organise them.

Alzheimer's Society - Undergraduate Bursaries

Alzheimer's Society provides undergraduate summer studentships. The purpose of the awards is to give experience of research within the field of dementia to undergraduates with research potential and to encourage them to consider a career in scientific research.
Award: A stipend of £200 per week can be requested for up to 8 weeks (maximum £1600). Up to £500 can be claimed towards project expenses.
Application deadline: See website for specific details

NERC - Research Experience Placements

Research experience placements (REPs) aim to teach environmental science students quantitative skills by offering funding for summer placements.
Award: Up to 10 weeks, at least National Living Wage
Application deadline: See website for specific deadlines

Biochemical Society - Summer Vacation Studentships

The Biochemical Society sets aside as much funding as possible for its annual Summer Vacation Studentships and makes every effort to increase this total each year, providing many undergraduate students with the valuable experience of laboratory research.
Award: Stipends of £294.50 per week for 6 weeks.
Application deadline: See website for specific deadlines.

Botanical Society of Scotland - Fieldwork projects

Support for Student Fieldwork is available to undergraduate students and those in their first year following the date of graduation for both Fieldwork Projects and Fieldwork Training Courses with a botanical theme.
Award: Maximum £700 for each project
Application deadline: See website for specific deadlines

British Dragonfly Society - Grants

They offer two grants for young (anyone up to the age of 25) people who are engaged in, or wish to establish, a small odonatological research project. The potential research topics are wide-ranging and could involve almost anything that may further biological or ecological knowledge, or support the conservation of British dragonflies. Another grant is available for over 25s.
Award: up to £250
Application deadline: See website for specific deadlines

British Lichen Society - Summer Vacation Scholarship

The British Lichen Society offers one student scholarship annually for a summer vacation project at a British academic or other research institution. Suitable candidates are likely to be higher education/university students who would like to pursue a project investigating some aspect of lichenology. This could involve, for example, their ecology, taxonomy, physiology, structure, evolution or chemistry, or an area of particular local interest.
Award: Not normally exceeding £1000
Application deadline: See website for specific deadlines

British Mycological Society - Undergraduate Student Bursaries

The British Mycological Society offers a number of Undergraduate Student Bursaries to give students experience of research in any branch of mycology in the summer vacation prior to their final year of study.
Award: Variable
Application deadline: See website for more information

British Pharmacological Society - Vacation Studentships

These are aimed at either school leavers entering a biomedical science degree, or undergraduates studying biomedical science. Studentships will receive funding to help support students while they undertake a research project in the host laboratory.
Award: Up to £1,850
Application deadline: See website for specific deadlines

British Phycological Society - Summer Research Projects

These undergraduate summer research projects last 6 to 8 weeks and the emphasis is on providing a research experience and training for the student.
Award: See website.
Application deadline: See website for deadline.

British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy - Vacation Scholarships

These are designed to give undergraduates experience in research.
Award: £270 a week for a maximum of 10 weeks , and £500 consumables
Application deadline: See website for deadline.

British Society for Cell Biology - Summer Studentship

These are offered to high calibre undergraduate students, who wish to gain research experience in cell biology during their summer vacation. Applications must be made by the prospective supervisor on behalf of a named student.
Award: £340 per week for up to 8 weeks.
Application deadline: 6th April.

British Society for Neuroendocrinology - Undergraduate Student Laboratory Experience Grants

To provide some financial support for a student who undertakes a vacation lab project.
Award: £2,440
Application deadline: 1st April

British Society for Plant Pathology - Undergraduate Vacation Bursary Fund

The objective of the bursaries is to provide undergraduates considering a research career with some practical experience in a plant pathology laboratory and to assist supervisors to meet some specific research objectives. Bursaries will be for 6, 8 or 10 weeks.
Award: £350 per week to cover living expenses and £500 will also be provided for consumables, and additional funds up to £1000
Application deadline: 1 April each year

Carnegie Scholarships - Undergraduate Vacation Scholarships

These are available to undergraduates who were born in Scotland or who have a parent born in Scotland or who have at least two years of secondary education in Scotland, may be considered for the award of a Vacation Scholarship for the pursuit of a full time research project, usually in the vacation between their second and third years.
Award: Stipend based on Scottissh Living Wage, for 35 hours per week, for 2-12 weeks.
Application deadline: See website.

Experimental Psychology Society (EPS) - Undergraduate Research Bursary Scheme

This scheme will finance a limited number of bursaries (5) to support undergraduates in the summer vacation immediately prior to their final year.
Award: Maximum of £2,500
Application deadline: Early March each year

Genetics Society Genes and Development - Summer Studentships

These are offered to undergraduate students in any area of genetics, to gain research experience by carrying out a research project in the long vacation, usually prior to their final year. Studentships will only be awarded for students who have yet to complete their first degree i.e. who will still be undergraduates during the long vacation when they do the studentship.
Award: The studentship will consist of an award of £300 per week for up to 8 weeks to the student, plus a grant of up to £750 to cover expenses incurred by the host laboratory
Application deadline: See website for specific deadlines

Marine Biological Association of the UK - Grants

These are available each year to Members for work to be carried out in Plymouth. A limited number of bursaries are available to enable undergraduates to gain experience by working in the MBA Laboratory.
Award: Variable
Application deadline: See website for specific deadlines

Microbiology Society - Undergraduate Studentships

The Microbiology Society funds over 50 summer vacation studentships each year. These support 6-8 week projects undertaken by undergraduate students in thesummer vacation before they enter the final year of study. Applications are made by SGM members and the successful students are also offered 1 year's free membership of the SGM.
Award: Variable.
Application deadline: See website

Royal Microscopical Society - Summer Studentships

Six studentships are offered, split evenly between physical sciences, biological sciences and interdisciplinary projects.  Applications must include a significant microscopy component and should come from a suitable host academic on behalf of a student.
Award: up to £2000
Application deadline: See website

Society for Applied Microbiology - Students into Work

For  any SfAM member in a position to supervise an undergraduate student. For 6-8 week projects.
Award: Maximum award, £2,500.
Application deadline: See website.

Society for Endocrinology - Summer Studentships

These are to assist undergraduate students in gaining research experience by working in a research environment. A stipend is offered for a period of study of up to 10 weeks, together with a sum for the host department consumables.
Award: £185 per week up to a maximum of £1850 per grant for a period of up to 10 weeks plus £1000 for consumables
Application deadline: See website for specific deadlines

Society for Reproduction and Fertility - Vacation Scholarships

They offer a maximum of 8 week vacation scholarships for undergraduate students. The work is offered in university departments or research institutes in the UK or Irish Republic on research projects related to reproduction, fertility and lactation in man and other animals.
Award: For projects up to 8 weeks long, £250 a week for living costs of student, plus £1000 to be paid to host laboratory for consumables.
Application deadline: See website for specific deadlines

The Gatsby Charitable Foundation - Sainsbury Undergraduate Studentships

Sainsbury Undergraduate Studentships are awarded to support undergraduate summer projects in plant science. The studentships are open to students in their second year (or in their third year, if on a four year course). Seven Sainsbury Undergraduate Studentships are offered each year.
Award: £5000 total, including £3000 for host institution and £2000 to student.
Application deadline: See website for specific deadlines

Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) - Student Scholarship

There are various awards available to students studying at universities or colleges in the British Isles or an overseas institution at which there is a UFAW University Links representative. Students will usually be undertaking courses in the agricultural, biological, psychological, veterinary or zoological sciences.
Award: Variable, see webstie.
Application deadline: See website for specific deadlines