The STEM Education teacher scholarship, funded by Wipro Limited, a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, covers 70% of fees. 13 scholarships are available and are now open for applications for the 2025-26 academic year.
The scholarship is available to students studying on the MA in STEM Education programme who are working in a state-funded school in England (e.g. comprehensive, academy, free school). This includes primary, secondary and FE-levels. They should be a specialist teacher in: Science, Mathematics, Computer Science, Design & Technology or Geography and have been teaching for a minimum of 6 months on application.
Find out if you are eligible, learn more and apply on the King's funding pages.
The Rosalind Driver Scholarship Fund was set-up in honour of Professor Driver’s seminal research concerning students’ ideas in science, carried out at Leeds University and King’s College London. The fund was endowed with the purpose of supporting the advancement of research in science education and takes the form of funding the fees and stipend for one or two PhD studentships per year within CRESTEM.
Rosalind Driver (1941–97) was a science teacher and academic whose work focused on the practice of teaching and learning science in schools, and in particular on the active role of the learner. Her 1983 book The Pupil as Scientist?, which was written primarily for teachers, articulated her central contention that children do not enter the classroom as ‘empty vessels’ but as active thinkers with their own preconceptions about the natural and physical world. In this account, the role of the teacher is to encourage scientific enquiry and experimentation in order to engage with and challenge these preconceived ideas.
Throughout her academic career, Ros worked with practising science teachers – mainly in West Yorkshire but also overseas, including Sierra Leone and Malaysia. The aim of this work was to influence and enhance teachers’ classroom practice; this was achieved through discussion of teaching strategies and collaborative development of learning materials. For Ros, collaboration with other researchers and practitioners was essential, and a way to ensure that her own thinking and practice remained fresh and relevant.
We are looking to recruit an imaginative, proactive, and enthusiastic student to undertake a PhD study in an aspect of science education commencing October 2025.
The Fund will provide studentship (a stipend of £21,000 pa for 3.5 years for full-time students and the pro rata equivalent for parttime students) and tuition fees for the successful applicant at the home fee level (although international applicants are welcome to apply). The successful applicants will become a member of the Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CRESTEM) and will be supervised by CRESTEM staff. The studentship will be based at King’s Waterloo campus.
Applicants are asked to submit a short Research Proposal (max. 3 sides of A4) outlining a proposed study. The following represent current on-going areas of research amongst the team, although we welcome proposals on any aspect of the teaching of science or learner engagement in science.
· The use of narrative / stories in science education
· Intersectional analyses of participation in science education
· Interdisciplinary and or new pedagogical approaches to support equitable science learning and assessment
· Analyses of science education policy development and implementation
For an informal conversation, please email Professor Heather King: heather.1.king@kcl.ac.uk
Eligibility criteria
Open to all nationalities
Essential criteria that candidates will need to demonstrate include:
· A good (2:1 or 1st class) honours degree
· High merit/distinction at Masters level (or equivalent qualification) in the social sciences/ education or a related field (including some research experience);
· Recent experience of formal or informal learning settings
· A commitment to social and environmental justice and equitable access to education
Application procedure
The application deadline is May 2, 2025
Interviews are expected to take place in the weeks beginning 12th May and 19th May
To apply please go to: https://myapplication.kcl.ac.uk/
· On the online application form, please select “Education Research MPhil/PhD (Full-time)” from the programme list and select October 2025 as the programme start date. Please clearly mark your application “RosDriver25” in the Research Proposal box, and enter “RosDriver25” in the funding section of your application.
· Applicants are asked to submit a short Research Proposal (max. 3 sides of A4) outlining a proposed study relating to areas outlined above. Please include the following: provisional title, aims, background, research questions, methodology/ methods, timeline and how the proposal fits with CRESTEM.
· In the personal statement section please include details of why you meet the criteria, how your qualifications* and experience have prepared you to do a PhD and the reasons for your interest in this studentship.
· Please also submit a sample of Masters-level writing with your application (e.g. a chapter from a Masters thesis; a journal paper, etc.)
· Please note that you will be asked to provide the contact details of one academic referee, and they will need to upload a reference for your application to be considered.
*Official final academic transcripts (in English) for all completed undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. Transcripts should show modules completed, grades obtained and your overall degree classification. Only candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted.
The Bernard Dawson Scholarship Fund was set up to support chemistry education research. Dr Bernard Dawson was an academic in chemistry education at King’s and pioneered new approaches to science teaching.
Dr Bernard Dawson (1924–2009) read Chemistry at King’s and continued on to complete his PGCE. He then taught in London schools for more than 10 years. He returned to King’s as an academic in the Faculty of Education, where he worked until his retirement, becoming Senior Lecturer in Science (Chemistry & Physical Science) Education. Among his many achievements in teaching, higher degree supervision and curriculum development, he was heavily involved from 1963-1986 with five of the National Science Teaching Projects, sponsored by the Nuffield Foundation. From 1987-1992 he initiated and then produced Surveys of Research and Development in Science Education. He was elected as a Fellow of King’s College London in 1984.
We are currently looking to recruit an imaginative, proactive, and enthusiastic student to undertake a PhD study in an aspect of chemistry education commencing academic year 2025-2026.
The Bernard Dawson studentship will provide a stipend of £21,000 pa for 3.5 years for full-time students and the pro rata equivalent for part-time students. Tuition fees for the successful applicant at the home fee level (although international students are welcome to apply) will also be covered.
The successful applicants will become a member of the Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CRESTEM) and will be supervised by CRESTEM staff. The studentship will be based at King’s Waterloo campus.
Applicants are asked to submit a short Research Proposal (max. 3 sides of A4) outlining a proposed study on any aspect of the teaching of chemistry or learner engagement in chemistry.
For an informal conversation, please email Professor Heather King: heather.1.king@kcl.ac.uk
Eligibility criteria
Open to all nationalities
Essential criteria that candidates will need to demonstrate include:
· A good (2:1 or 1st class) honours degree
· High merit/distinction at Masters level (or equivalent qualification) in the social sciences/ education or a related field (including some research experience);
· Recent experience of formal or informal learning settings
· A commitment to social justice and equitable access to education
Application procedure
The application deadline is May 2, 2025
Interviews are expected to take place in the weeks beginning 12th May and 19th May
To apply please go to: https://myapplication.kcl.ac.uk/
· On the online application form, please select “Education Research MPhil/PhD (Full-time)” from the programme list and select October 2025 as the programme start date. Please clearly mark your application “BDawson25” in the Research Proposal box, and enter “BDawson25” in the funding section of your application.
· Applicants are asked to submit a short Research Proposal (max. 3 sides of A4) outlining a proposed study. Please include the following: provisional title, aims, background, research questions, methodology/ methods, timeline.
· In the personal statement section please include details of why you meet the criteria, how your qualifications* and experience have prepared you to do a PhD and the reasons for your interest in this studentship.
· Please also submit a sample of Masters-level writing with your application (e.g. a chapter from a Masters thesis; a journal paper, etc.)
· Please note that you will be asked to provide the contact details of one academic referee, and they will need to upload a reference for your application to be considered.
*Official final academic transcripts (in English) for all completed undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. Transcripts should show modules completed, grades obtained and your overall degree classification. Only candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted.