Stapledon Memorial Trust

Providing awards to both individuals and organisations on all aspects of grassland use

Awards

Travelling Fellowship

Fellowship awards can be used to support visits between the UK and Ireland, and other countries to develop studies on any aspect of grassland science. 

  • Travelling Fellowship awards cover periods of 1 – 6 months and are normally sufficient to meet economy travel and basic living costs.
  • Priority is given to supporting younger and mid-career scientists who present applications with clear proposals. Work to be undertaken should be challenging but feasible within the time available and the experience and skills gained from the Fellowship should aim to enhance the applicant’s career development.
  • UK and Ireland based applicants can apply to visit any other country
  • Non-UK/Irish applicants can only apply for a Fellowship to visit the UK or Ireland
Application Form – FROM UK/Ireland
Application Form – TO UK/Ireland

Travelling Fellowship Application Procedure

Please note the following points:

  • The fellowships are normally awarded for periods of 1 to 6 months.
  • Applicants should normally be from the post-doctoral level through to mid-career and must be either (a) individuals from any country in the world applying to undertake a study period in the UK/Ireland or (b) individuals resident in or employed in the UK/Ireland applying to undertake a study period in any other country.
  • Applications must be made through the UK/Irish Institute or University that either employs the applicant or has agreed to host the visit.
  • The fellowships will cover the cost of travel to and from the UK/Ireland and some internal travel.
  • Applications for payment of subsistence will also be considered, particularly where there are large differences in the cost of living between the two countries.
  • The Trust will not provide for the costs of attending conferences and workshops.
  • Potential applicants from the UK/Ireland should in the first place discuss the proposed study with their employer and the proposed host organisation. The application must include confirmation on the Application Form that the overseas Institution is willing to host the visit.
  • Potential applicants wishing to visit the UK/Ireland should establish contact with a host organisation in the UK/Ireland and obtain their agreement to submit the application to the Trust. In the absence of contact with a potential host organisation, potential applicants may submit brief expressions of interest directly to the Trust and the Trust will provide contact with an appropriate Institute or University.
  • Travelling Fellowships may involve periods spent at more than one location, but in all cases a single principal host organisation must be identified.
  • Once agreements have been reached in principle with the relevant organisations, the application must be made on the appropriate form and submitted through the UK/Irish organisation.
  • There are different application forms for Fellowships from the UK/Ireland and for Fellowships to the UK/Ireland (see above).
  • The normal submission date is 31 October each year, for consideration at the Trust’s December meeting. However, the Trust will consider applications at other times and applicants should email the secretary for advice on this.
  • Fellows will be required to provide the Trust with a report on the conclusion of the fellowship

Innovation Award

The Stapledon Innovation Award is a new and flexible scheme intended to provide awards to individuals to support studies of innovative practices, so that new knowledge or skills may be obtained and applied to the benefit of the grassland and forage sector.

  • Successful applicants will be required to help communicate this new knowledge to others.

  • The scheme is funded by the Stapledon Memorial Trust and supported by the British Grassland Society.

  • It is open to anyone living in the UK/Ireland who is working in grassland farming or a grassland-related business or profession.

  • Visits supported by the scheme can be made within the UK or to other countries.

  • Please note this scheme is not intended to support attendance at a conference.

  • Applications will be considered quarterly, for which the latest submission dates are and 31st August, 30th November, 28th February and 31st May.
Application Form

Graduate Awards

The Trust will consider bursary applications from recent graduates wishing to undertake a short period of unpaid work experience at a UK research institute, UK university research facility or with an appropriate extension/policy/voluntary organisation. The work experience gained should be of sufficient quality to enable the recipient to advance their career prospects in the agriculture / land use area.

Application Form

Vacation Study Awards

The Trust offers a limited number of bursaries to allow promising undergraduates – in the fields of agriculture and agri-environmental science – to spend part of the summer vacation at a UK research institute or UK university research facility. The aim is to encourage them to consider a future career in scientific research.

Application Form

Publication Grants

The Trust is prepared to consider applications to support publications relevant to the objectives of the Trust. Any such applications will normally be considered at the Annual Meeting of the Trust Committee in December and should be sent to the Secretary by 31 October each year. However, if the timescale requires a decision more urgently than the next AGM, the committee may be able to respond to requests at other times of the year. The Secretary will be pleased to advise.

Examples include:

  • Grant to support the publication and printing of a book in 2009, marking 60 years of grassland research: ‘The Hurley and North Wyke Story: 60 years of grassland research 1949-2009’ (pdf version can be downloaded from link on http://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/northwyke/Downloads.php or a hard copy can be requested by email to north.wyke@rothamsted.ac.uk).
  • Grant to the European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism to support publication of report HNV Farming in England and Wales (www.efncp.org/projects).
Application Form available soon

Conferences

The Trust is prepared to consider applications to support conferences relevant to the objectives of the Trust. Any such applications will normally be considered at the Annual Meeting of the Trust Committee in December and should be sent to the Secretary by 31 October each year. However, if the timescale requires a decision more urgently than the next AGM, the committee may be able to respond to requests at other times of the year. The Secretary will be pleased to advise.

Examples include:

  • A Grant to the British Grassland Society for its 12th Research Conference held in Aberystwyth in September 2015. This included sponsorship of past and present recipients of Stapledon Travelling Fellowships to support presentations in a special Stapledon session.
  • A Grant to the European Grassland Federation (EGF) to support attendance by young scientists at the EGF symposium on ‘Grassland and Forages in high output dairy farming systems.’ This was held at Wageningen, the Netherlands in June 2015. Benefits to the young scientists who were sponsored under this grant included support for conference attendance and participation in the pre-conference workshops
  • The Trust was a major sponsor of the 25th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation (EGF at 50: the Future of European Grasslands) held at Aberystwyth University in 2014. The Trust’s support met the cost of printing the Proceedings and sponsored the early-career Masterclasses for young scientists.

There is no specific grant application form. Organisers of conferences or other grassland-related events should discuss their proposals with the Trust Secretary in the first instance.

Past Conferences

Grassland Science and Innovation – the key to a Green Brexit?