Applications

This page outlines the application process for University of St Andrews students who are interested in applying for a Laidlaw Scholarship. Students from other Universities within the International Laidlaw Network, and who are interested in doing all (or part) of their project at the University of St Andrews, should visit the International Applications section of this website. 

Applications for the 2025 Laidlaw Scholars Programme are now closed. Thank you for applying.

If you are interested in becoming a Laidlaw Scholar or if you are curious to learn more about the programme, we invite you to watch the following informational video:

Would you like to chat with a member of the Laidlaw team about the Programme and/or the application process? Drop in to weekly Laidlaw Office Hours every Monday from 2-3pm in the Heb’s Block offices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Looking for further information about the Laidlaw Scholars Programme at the University of St Andrews? See our Frequently Asked Questions to find out more.




The Application Process


The application process can be divided into three steps:



  1.  Reviewing the eligibility criteria and agreeing to honour the Scholar Commitment;

  2.  Identifying and designing the project (including gaining support from an academic to supervise you on this project) and outlining your leadership aims; and

  3.  Completing the online application. Please make sure you read the application instructions carefully and allow yourself enough time to complete each of the steps.


If you have any questions that are not answered on the website and accompanying application documentation or need further clarification, please contact us on [email protected].


Application Step One


Please read the Laidlaw Scholars Commitment and eligibility criteria below and continue with your application once you agree to the conditions set out.

Each scholar agrees to:


  • Complete two, six-week summer projects (research and Leadership-in-Action, respectively).

  • Attend all Laidlaw events, including (but not limited to) six full days of leadership training.

  • Respond, in a timely manner, to communication from the scheme coordinators over the summer and during term-time.

  • Complete a six-month ethical leadership masterclass.

  • Produce all outputs (blog posts, essays, posters, videos, etc.) by deadline. These will need to be coordinated with the project supervisor, submitted to the Laidlaw Team, and shared on the publicly available section on the Scholars Network.

  • Be an active and engaged member of the Laidlaw Scholars community.

Eligibility criteria:

ELIGIBLE


  • Full-time, undergraduate students who, at the time of application, have at least two summers remaining at St Andrews before graduation.
INELIGIBLE


  • Students who will be studying abroad or doing a work placement during the Laidlaw Programme.

  • ScotGEM/ScotCOM students.






 


Application Step Two


Arguably the most important, and time-consuming, step two involves identifying and defining your research project and gaining support from an academic who is willing to supervise you.



  • Identify a research project and approach potential supervisors: You can either select a pre-defined project or come up with a project of your choice (you can always discuss any ideas you have with a potential supervisor and use their support to turn it into a project). NB, if choosing your own research project it must be separate from any work you have submitted for credit. A current list of available pre-defined projects can be found here. Even if your preferred project or supervisor is at an overseas institution, you must still submit your application via the St Andrews selection process. 

  • Approach a potential supervisor for your project to discuss your idea and explore if they would be willing to supervise your research project. This is a member of academic staff (not a postgraduate student). If you have elected to choose one from the pre-defined list, there will already be a supervisor in place who you should approach to discuss your interest.

  • Confirm the support of your supervisor. Ask your supervisor to provide a statement of support. They will need to complete this form and send it to you. You will need to attach a copy of the supporting statement during the application submission stage. Academics can be very busy so please allow plenty of time for this step!


Once you have worked out a project idea and spoken with an academic who is happy to support you, please follow the steps further down on this page to complete and submit your application. Please be aware that the whole process of identifying and narrowing down a project, and receiving a supervisor supporting statement, is likely to take several weeks, if not longer, so make sure you start now!


To find out more about Step Two of the application process please select one of the two options below: