Sarah Beanland Scholarship

Sarah Beanland Memorial Scholarship

This is a prestige Scholarship for PhD study in areas of the earth, physical, biological and social sciences as specified below. It is open to both men and women, and is tenable at any university in New Zealand. The Scholarship is in memory of Dr Sarah Beanland who died tragically in a tramping accident in June 1996. In her abbreviated career, Sarah's enthusiasm, commitment and intellectual ability was an inspiration to all who knew her. She demonstrated superb skills and enthusiasm for integrating geology and geophysics to address problems in neotectonics. Sarah graduated from both the University of Otago and Victoria University of Wellington and conducted most of her research at GNS Science.

Selection criteria
The scholarship shall be awarded to the student

• who best demonstrates, through excellence in their achievements to date and their proposed research, that they are likely to make in their career a significant contribution to research of relevance to New Zealand in fields covered by GNS Science – possible fields include, but are not limited to, geophysics, geology, social science, geomicrobiology, isotope science, nanotechnology, ion-beam physics, and non-invasive scanning
• whose project best promotes collaborative research between a New Zealand university and GNS Science – applicants are therefore advised to approach potential supervisors, both at their preferred university and at GNS Science, to discuss possible projects before preparing their applications.

Eligibility criteria
It is required that

• the recipient shall follow a programme of PhD study involving presentation of a thesis at a New Zealand university
• the research shall be in a field of science of interest to GNS Science and of relevance to New Zealand
• evidence is available of collaboration in the research between GNS Science and the  university; this would normally be demonstrated by a GNS Science staff member being an associate-supervisor of the student, and the student’s intent to spend a part of each year at GNS Science in Lower Hutt, Wairakei, or Dunedin.

Award
The scholarship will normally be awarded to one student each year with a maximum tenure of three years. The award will comprise a stipend of NZ$26,000 p.a., university fees up to NZ$6,000 p.a. (incl GST), and expenses up to NZ$4,000 p.a. (incl GST).

Past recipients of the scholarship are listed here.

Application Procedure
There is no prescribed application form. Each application letter should be accompanied by the applicant's curriculum vitae and academic record, a statement of the intended research, a letter of support from the university, and the names and email addresses of at least two referees. Unbound applications should be sent, to arrive no later than 22 October, each year, to:

Dr Desmond Darby
Chairman, Sarah Beanland Memorial Scholarship Selection Committee
GNS Science
PO Box 30368
LOWER HUTT 5040, NEW ZEALAND

Fax: (04) 570 4600
Click here to email Desmond Darby