19 Life-changing International Scholarships to Study Basic Science

Are you interested in studying science and want to pursue a degree in science studies in another country? If you are, you might find this article interesting. Here you will find an overview of what science is, specifically basic science, and what disciplines are considered basic science.

Already sure that you want to specialize in basic science and are seeking for scholarships to support your studies abroad? Scroll down this article to see a list of international scholarship opportunities that you may be eligible for to study basic science in another country.

What is Basic Science?

Basic science, as opposed to applied science, is the set of fundamental ideas used in science. These are so fundamental that they are used in all branches of science and technology. Basic science principally refers to the scientific disciplines of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics as well as to their sub-disciplines.

Studying basic science leads to a better understanding of natural phenomena. Basic science looks for “knowledge and discovery of facts” to enable one to understand an already existing phenomenon. For instance, Botany teaches you how plants grow, how plants synthesize food, why their leaves are green, etc. Physics teaches you why things fall, what produces light, etc. Mathematics teaches you what numbers are and how they are evaluated, what equations are and how they are solved.

Most of basic science related study does not look for an application that would benefit from it – it looks for knowledge. Applications of that knowledge is a by-product which is generally not considered primarily in basic science related research or studies.

With a degree in basic science, you have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of careers. These careers may be based within business or science and technology-related sectors. For instance, with a degree in Mathematics, you can work as an accountant, actuary, statistician, technician, economist or market researcher.

Physics graduates mostly go on to work within research roles. These are spread across many different industries, including education, automotive and aerospace industries, defense, the public sector, healthcare, energy, materials, technology, computing and IT. For Chemistry students, careers in research, chemical engineering, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and the public sectors are open widely.

As for students majoring in Biology, the careers that can be pursued are: research scientist, pharmacologist, biologist, ecologist, nature conservation officer, biotechnologist, forensic scientist, government agency roles, science writer, and teacher.

International Scholarships for Basic Science Students

There is a wide range of various scholarship programs available to international students who wants to or are currently pursuing a degree in basic science. Check out the following opportunities to see if any of these scholarships are suitable for you!

1. Science International Scholarships at UQ: Scholarships offered at the University of Queensland to high-achieving international students who can demonstrate their potential to contribute to science.
2. School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences Indian Scholarship: Scholarship for science students in India, who want to pursue postgraduate coursework programs administered by the School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences at the University of Queensland in Australia.
3. International Scholarship in Conservation Biology: Biology scholarships of up to 10,000 AUD offered by the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Queensland to international students who apply and are accepted to the Master of Conservation Biology program.
4. Gen Foundation Scholarships: Postgraduate scholarships for studies or research at the University of Birmingham in the field of natural sciences, in particular food sciences / technology. Scholarships are available to all students from any country.
5. University of Birmingham Scholarships: A wide variety of scholarships and bursaries for undergraduate students, many of which are open to international applicants.
   • BP STEM Scholarships: Annual scholarships offered to up to 8 students from the University of Birmingham. Each scholarship is worth up to ₤12,000 with scholars receiving ₤3,000 per year for the duration of their degree (up to four years). Eligible students are those attending studies within the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) areas. This year, applications from Computer Science students are welcome.
   • International Chemistry Achievement Scholarship: Scholarships worth ₤2,000 in first year (renewable), for all international fee status students entering the School of Chemistry at the University of Birmingham, who satisfy the criteria and who do not receive a BP Scholarship.
   • International Computer Science Scholarships: Achievement Scholarship (worth 1,500 GBP and renewable) and Excellence Scholarship (worth an additional 1,500 GBP, awarded for first year only and not renewable) for international students studying computer science at the University of Birmingham.
   • International Mathematics Scholarships: Achievement Scholarship (worth ₤1,500) and Excellence Scholarship (worth ₤2,000) for international students applying for undergraduate programs within the School of Mathematics at the University of Birmingham.
   • School of Physics and Astronomy Scholarships: Various scholarships offered by the Schools of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Birmingham, to both domestic and international students attending the School.
6. Biomedical Science Scholarship – Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute in Haining, China: Scholarships for international students (non-Chinese nationals) to study BSc Integrative Biomedical Sciences or BSc Biomedical Informatics at Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh (ZJE) Institute.
7. CAS-TWAS President’s Fellowship Program: Fellowships for international students to pursue doctoral degree at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), or institutes of CAS around China.
8. IBS Young Scientist Fellowship: Opportunities to conduct independent research for PhD candidates who are not researchers currently participating in the IBS research centers. The available areas of research are: Mathematics, Theoretical Physics, Experimental Physics, Life Sciences, and Interdisciplinary. Locations of where the research should take place vary within each research area.
9. IMU-Simons African Fellowship Program: Funded by the Simons Foundation, NY, USA, the fellowship supports research sabbaticals for mathematicians from African developing countries employed in Africa to travel to an internationally known mathematical center of excellence (worldwide) for collaborative research. All travel and living expenses of the grantees will be covered by the fellowship up to 5,000 USD.
10. IMU Breakout Graduate Fellowships: A limited number of grants for excellent students from developing countries who plan to complete a doctoral degree in a developing country, including their own home country. Nominees must have a consistently good academic record and must be seriously interested in pursuing a career of research and teaching in mathematics.
11. The Baden-Württemberg Stipendium for University Students: Scholarships for highly qualified international students to study in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The duration of the scholarships are 3-11 months, each worth 500-1,400 euros per month. The amount of each scholarship depends partly on the course semester and the course progress for undergraduate or graduate level.
12. The Baden Württemberg Stipendium for Students – Regional Developmental Component: Scholarships for students from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the Least Developed Countries (LDC), as well as students from some other countries (i.e. all remaining countries of the African continent, Bolivia, Columbia, India, Palestine, Peru, Venezuela and Vietnam) with good to excellent academic results, who want to study in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The scholarships are offered for the duration of 2-11 months.
13. Research Scholarships at Swansea University: Tuition fee reduction PhD scholarships for international (non-UK/EU) candidates. Up to five scholarships are available in the following areas of research: Applied Physics and Materials; Atomic Molecular and Quantum Physics, and; Particle Physics and Cosmology Theory. Candidates must have a First, Upper Second Class Honors or a Master’s degree with Merit, or equivalent, in a relevant discipline. These are three-year partly-funded College of Science scholarships, with each scholarship worth ₤8,650.
14. Inspiring Innovation Scholarship: Need-based and merit-based scholarships for both current and future students at Curtin University, Australia. The scholarships are available to all Australians, New Zealanders and international students. This is a biannual contest with one $1,000 scholarship per each part (total of 2). Applicants must be currently enrolled at an accredited college or university during the 2018-2019 academic year. Students of all majors are encouraged to participate.
15. Meng Fei Innovative Future Leader Scholarship: Scholarship that awards eligible students 25% of their first year of tuition (up to a maximum of AUD$10,000) at Curtin University. The scholarships are available for undergraduate and postgraduate (coursework only) future students in the areas of business and law, health sciences, humanities, science and engineering. The scholarship is merit-based and is aimed at international students. It includes a Curtin Housing Scholarship for Curtin on-campus accommodation only, providing a subsidy of $3,000 towards rent paid directly to the on-campus accommodation over the applicable Accommodation Agreement period.
16. Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners Scholarship: Two scholarships for both current and future students at Curtin University studying science and engineering, who are Australians, New Zealanders or international students. This is a one-time merit-based scholarship worth $2,000 (USD). Applicants should be majoring in natural, physical, or biological science, in Bachelor’s or advanced degree level.
17. Dundee Excellence Scholarships Undergraduate (September 2019/20): Scholarships for students applying for a full-time undergraduate study at the University of Dundee. The scholarship is worth up to ₤5,000 per year of study, for up to 5 years, and can be used to help with tuition fees. The scholarship is available to UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales), EU (27 countries) and overseas students (170 countries). Applicants must hold an academic offer of entry for an undergraduate program in any of the University’s academic schools for September 2019 entry.
18. Science Graduate Scholarship (International) at The University of Melbourne: Scholarship providing one-off tuition fee remission worth $10,000 to high-achieving international students undertaking graduate study at the University of Melbourne in Australia. The scholarships will be awarded to approximately 50-100 students majoring in environment and natural resources, or sciences and mathematics, in graduate (coursework) level. No application is required. You will be automatically considered for this scholarship.
19. SCU International Women in STEM Scholarship: A scholarship aiming to attract new female international students wanting to study a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate degree from the School of Environment, Science and Engineering or School of Health and Human Sciences at the Gold Coast, Lismore and Coffs Harbour campuses at Southern Cross University. The scholarship is worth $5,000, paid in the second session of full-time study as a reduction in tuition fee.