£10,000 Data Science scholarships available

Scholarships worth up to £10,000 are available now at the University of Salford in two subjects that are in huge demand by industry and could lead to well-paid careers.

For January 2024 entry the University is offering scholarships to eligible students on one of  two postgraduate Data Science conversion courses; MSc Data Science and MSc Internet of Things with Data Science.

Funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Office for Artificial Intelligence, the scholarships are designed to increase diversity in the AI and data science sector and to support students from underrepresented groups to access, participate and succeed in higher education.

Shelley Gates, MSc Data Science student at Salford, successfully applied for a scholarship earlier this year and is thriving on the course. She said: “You hear so much about there being a skills shortage in data science even though it’s well paid. It can be so overwhelming to think about finance when you want to study, but the scholarship has given me a safety net, financial stability for the future, and provided me with the opportunity to be the best I can be.”

Students who successfully apply for a scholarship will receive £10,000 to help with course fees, and associated costs such as living costs, childcare and transport. Scholarships will be paid out in three regular intervals across the duration of course. Scholarships are available to home fee students who are part of one of nine underrepresented groups as identified by the Office for Students, with scholarships prioritised for women, black students, students registered disabled and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

Professor Mo Saraee, Programme Leader said: “Receiving this funding is one of the highlights of my academic career and I am delighted that we will be able to support 32 aspiring Data Scientists from underrepresented groups through their studies this academic year. With the first 14 scholarship students starting the course in September it’s already having a real impact.”