The Spark their Imagination; power their future initiative includes the Welsh Sparc Award which aims to encourage more young people in Wales to study and pursue careers in semiconductors. The award will provide financial support and other benefits to students from Wales who are starting an undergraduate degree in Electronics or a related course in the academic year 2024/25 at a Welsh university or one of the UKESF partner universities. See full eligibility details below.
Financial Support
Each of the 24 Welsh Sparc Award recipients will receive the following bursary payments:
- A first-year bursary of £1,000 – paid in October 2024
- A Learning & Development (L&D) bursary of £1,500 – paid in February 2025
Further Benefits
In addition to the financial award, the Welsh Sparc Award recipient will benefit from the following:
- Mentor: each award recipient will be allocated both a professional mentor and a ‘buddy’, to support them throughout their university studies. The ‘buddy’ will be another Electronics undergraduate or recent graduate.
- Peer support: support from peers in an online forum.
- UKESF Scholarship Scheme: all Welsh Sparc Award recipients will be eligible to apply for a UKESF Scholarship in September/October 2025, at the start of their second year of university.
How to Apply
Nominations by students, or teachers on behalf of their students, are now being accepted. Click on the link below to submit a nomination. Please check eligibility before you nominate.
The deadline for nominations is 10pm on Friday 17 May 2024.
During May 2024, shortlisted students will be notified by UKESF. Additional information will be requested from shortlisted applicants in June 2024.
Eligibility
Students can apply for the award if they meet the following criteria:
- The student lives in Wales.
- Are a Year 13 student attending a state-funded school/college in Wales (or hold a full scholarship at a fee-paying school).
- The recipient has a firm UCAS offer to study either Electronic Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or Physics starting in September 2024 at a Welsh university or at a UKESF partner university in the rest of the UK.*
*UKESF partner universities (excluding partner universities in Wales): Aston University, University of Bath, University of Bristol, University of Birmingham, University of Cambridge, Coventry University, The University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, Heriot-Watt University, Imperial College London, King’s College London, Lancaster University, University of Leeds, University of Liverpool, Loughborough University, The University of Manchester, Newcastle University, University of Nottingham, Queen’s University Belfast, Royal Holloway University of London, The University of Sheffield, University of Southampton, University of Surrey, University of Strathclyde, The University of Warwick, University of York
Induction Day
The award recipients will be required to attend an Induction Day at CSA Catapult in August 2024, before the start of their undergraduate degree course.
Key Dates
