Benefits of the Laidlaw Scholarship and How to Apply

The Scholarship uniquely funds both a research experience and leadership development for undergraduates.

It invests in talented and motivated undergraduate students, giving them the knowledge, skills and experience to become active global citizens and future leaders.

10 Reasons to become a Laidlaw Scholar

Produce important research. The Laidlaw Scholars programme gives you the opportunity to spend 6 weeks over the summer researching a subject about which you are passionate; that you believe pushes the frontiers of knowledge and will solve one of the world’s intractable problems or unanswered questions.
Work with a leading academic. Experience PhD level opportunities as an undergraduate, be supervised by a leading academic and / or work with an experienced research team exploring primary data, developing your investigative skills; honing your critical thinking in any Arts & Humanities, Medicine & Health, Social Sciences or STEM topic area.
Know what makes you succeed. Understand your own strengths and weaknesses, motivators and preferences. The Laidlaw Scholars programme provides assessments, training, coaching and a retreat to help you know what brings you joy and success.
Develop your leadership skills. In bespoke training days, workshops and social gatherings, explore leadership values, understand and develop core leadership attributes; discover the latest leadership thinking and meet leadership experts. Join in group work, cultural capital experiences and paying it forward activities to make you a better #NextGen Leader.
Put your leadership knowledge into practise. Spend 6 weeks in your second Scholarship summer, putting into practise what you have learnt in theory about purpose, strategy, planning, execution, communication and influencing skills, team work, resilience and being a global citizen.
Be the change you want to see in the world. Whether it is implementing the findings of your research, joining a leadership expedition with the likes of Raleigh International or Think Pacific (leading a community project in one of the world’s poorest communities) or joining a social enterprise or NGO programme, this is your opportunity to challenge yourself, appreciate what you have and support those less fortunate.
Live and work overseas. Immerse yourself in a completely new and challenging environment, living and / or working with local communities who have experienced hardship and deprivation. Build your resilience and experience life outside of your comfort zone.
Create memories to last a lifetime. When you join a Laidlaw volunteering expedition, you will meet Scholars from other universities and countries, work on projects that test your ingenuity and strength; in doing so, you will build memories, develop cultural awareness, acquire leadership skills and forge friendships that will last a lifetime.
Join a network of Global Scholars. All Laidlaw Scholars become part of an expert community of ambitious, brave, curious, determined and extraordinary peers; contributing and collaborating to the Laidlaw Scholars Network. This on-line community platform enables you to publish your research, connect, collaborate and flourish.
Be paid. You could spend your summers working in a bar, fast food chain or faceless corporation; or you could spend it researching something that will make a difference, becoming a better leader and an active global citizen. Come on, you have made a lot harder decisions than this in your life.

Want to know about the types of projects you can undertake as a Laidlaw Scholar? Download our 2019 Scholar profiles, which give overviews of the research projects which were available in that year.