Bursary

The AOUG offers occasional Bursaries to recognise a research student in their final year and to assist them with funding to undertake additional related activities that would not normally be possible within their PHd work. This might be to attend conferences or publish papers or to carry out additional research. These have been in 2000, 2006, 2009 and then in 2013 to celebrate the Silver Anniversary of our Association it was decided that we should award a Bursary in honour of our Founder, Olga Camm, who had died in 2012. An appeal was launched and most of the money was raised by donations with the Foundation making up the difference.

2018, AOUG’s 30th year, inspired another Bursary, our Pearl Anniversary Bursary which was awarded to Claire Wanless. The lecture she gave the following year which was entitled, ‘Doing it for themselves’, and was based on her research into individualised beliefs and practice. Then in the following year the East of England Region decided to donate money from their Regional funds to AOUG Foundation for Education for a special Bursary to be named after their area. This Bursary was awarded to Cathy Baldwin. Cathy was unable to present her lecture in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic and so it was not until 2022 that we were able to hear about her research into ‘Shakespeare for five year old: the Children as Storytellers project at Shakespeare ‘s Globe’.

These periodic Bursaries are offered by the AOUG Foundation for Education to an Open University research student. Unlike the annual Research Awards which always require a student to be nominated, the Bursary offers the chance for an OU research student to apply for themselves. Each time a bursary is offered, the Trustees of the charity present a set of criteria that candidates must fulfil, or agree to fulfil, before applying. Candidates then follow a selection and interview process before the Trustees final selection is made. The successful candidate will be required to submit an academic article on their work for the AOUG`s publication OMEGA and later, to present a lecture on their research.

Nominations can be accepted from other OU students, OU graduates or any OU staff, plus there is the additional option of self-nomination. However it should be stressed that all candidates whether self-nominated, or nominated by another person, must have the endorsement and recommendation of one, or more, of the research student’s supervisors.

The criteria for nominations are as follows:

• The nominee must already hold an OU degree at ordinary, honours or masters level.
• The nominee must be currently engaged in research work partly, or fully, supervised by The Open University which is to lead to an additional Open University higher level degree.
• The nominee must be in the final year towards completing this qualification.
• The nominee must be able to complete this qualification without the Bursary’s support.
• The nominee must be supported by a recommendation from one of their supervisors.
• The nominee may have already have been nominated for other AOUG Awards.
• The nominee must be available for interview during the week 5th September 2016.
• The nominee must be available to receive the Award on Friday 7th October 2016 on campus.
• The nominee must produce an academic article, written in layman’s terms, for AOUG’s magazine OMEGA, within six months of being presented with this Award.
• The nominee must present a lecture on the OU campus.

When a Bursary is advertised, all applications must be sent to AOUG Office, Walton Hall. Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA by the specified date

AOUG Bursary application form to be completed only after a Bursary has been advertised.

Previous Bursaries have been awarded to:

2024 Daniel Clarke

2019 Cathy Baldwin
2018 Claire Wanless
2016 Tamsin Waterkeyn
2013 Natalia Kucirkova
2009 Stephen Arnold
2006 Helen Craggs
2000 Zena Barker