Watkins: eagerly awaiting applications

Watkins: eagerly awaiting applications

Nuffield Farming Scholarships has announced it is bringing forward the closing date for applications to 31 July.

Chairman Stephen Watkins explained that the strategic decision will allow newly awarded scholars to attend Nuffield's annual conference and have more time to plan studies before participating in the pre-study international conference and embarking on their studies at the beginning of the following year.

He said: "Scholarships span 18 months and require at least eight weeks of travel, they provide an opportunity for scholars to stand back from their day-to-day occupation and typically provoke an assessment of a business or role within an organisation.

"This has been reinforced by a recent survey that identified an impressive 92 per cent of scholars who said their career prospects had broadened or their business benefited, following the award of a scholarship. And with 100 per cent proud to be associated with Nuffield, there was clear evidence of the esteem in which these awards are held by the industry.”

The application process requires one online form available from www.nuffieldscholar.org to be submitted. Scholarships are open to those aged between 22 and 45 years old and who have been engaged in farming, rural land-based industries, food industries and agricultural associated industries for at least two years, and who intend to remain in these industries. Prospective scholars do not need academic qualifications.

Nuffield awards study and travel bursaries to individuals in farming, food, horticultural and rural sectors which provide opportunities for scholars to learn and explore topics of interest in the UK and abroad.