This scholarship was made possible by a generous legacy gift from Marjorie McDermott, an alumna of the Department of Mathematics. She graduated with a BSc in Mathematics in 1951 and then completed a DIC (MSc) in 1952. The Department also make an annual contribution of up to £22,000 to fund the scholarships. The Department aims to use the Marjorie McDermott scholarship to promote our women scholars as well as Imperial's commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity.

There are two routes to apply for the scholarships, one open only to Year 2 women in Imperial's undergraduate mathematics programme and the other open only to students following one of the MSc programmes offered by the Department. Please note it is the Department's ambition to extend eligibility for the scholarship to students from underrepresented socio-economic backgrounds, as well as women.

Eligibility criteria for MSc students

The following students are eligible:

  • Each autumn, women in Imperial’s MSc programmes will be invited to apply for a Marjorie McDermott Scholarship. If you are following one of the MSc degrees part-time, you are invited to apply in the second year of your studies.
  • Up to two women will be awarded a scholarship through this route each year.
  • Applicants are expected to have been awarded a First Class or equivalent undergraduate degree in Mathematics, Statistics, or a closely related field.
  • Individual students are not allowed to hold more than one of these scholarships.

Assessment criteria

All applications for the scholarship will be assessed against the following criteria:

  • Academic merit
  • Applicants are expected to be women
  • Intention to pursue further study in Mathematics (e.g. a PhD)
  • Students should be 'good citizens' e.g. applications from students who have volunteered to help other students in school with academic work, have served as a class representative, have helped organised activities/events for other students, or have volunteered for a charity will be looked upon favourably

Benefits of the scholarship

Recipients of the scholarship are awarded:

  • A total of £7,500 in two instalments during their masters study
  • Opportunities to gain training in and participate in Departmental outreach activities

How to apply

Please send your CV and a personal statement of 1 page along the above assessment criteria to the PG administrator (mathsmsc.administrator@imperial.ac.uk) by 1 pm on 11 November 2024. Interviews will be held on 27 or 28 November.

Kindly note that being awarded this scholarship does not guarantee you an offer to do a PhD at Imperial College after your MSc.