Ramsay Fellowship

Established 1920

The Ramsay Memorial Fellowships were instituted in 1920 as a memorial to Sir William Ramsay (1852-1916). The Fellowships are offered to postdoctoral chemists who already have some postdoctoral experience of research but who are in the early stages of their career, so that they may initiate a programme of original and independent research.

Sir William Ramsay was a Professor of Inorganic and General Chemistry at UCL from 1887-1913 and Britain's very first recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, in 1904, for his discovery of the noble gases. He was also SCI President from 1903 to 1904.

Award Information

Award History

The Ramsay Memorial Fellowships Trust was constituted for the purpose of administering the award of Ramsay Memorial Fellowships for Chemical Science. The Fellowships comprise a British Ramsay Fellowship and a number of overseas Fellowships.

The fellowships were established a century ago, with a view to promoting the development of the science of chemistry by encouraging postdoctoral researchers to undertake original and independent research utilising the award of a Fellowship.

Applications

The Fellowships are awarded by the Ramsay Trustees and Advisory Council and applications run from 1 August - 15 November. To submit your application you must complete the online application form during the application period.

Within the overall scheme the British Ramsay Fellowships are awarded to early career chemists of the requisite standard from the British Commonwealth, who are nominated by an Advisory Council consisting of Professors of Chemistry at UK universities.

Presentation Details

British Ramsay Fellowships are awarded annually by the Ramsay Memorial Fellowships Trust to postdoctoral chemists in the early stages of their career, so that they may conduct original and independent research at universities in the United Kingdom.

Ramsay Fellows typically continue to work in the chemistry field after their Fellowships have ended. Many have become Professors of Chemistry; others have gone on to occupy responsible positions in industry and public service.

Eligibility Criteria

    Background
    • University Graduates with distinction in chemical sciences
    • Postdoctoral chemists with some postdoctoral experience of research
    • Candidates who may initiate a programme of original and independent research
    • Applicants from under-represented groups are particularly welcome
    • Fellowships are usually tenable at a university or other place of academic research within the United Kingdom
    Career Stage
    • Postdoctoral candidates
    • PhD thesis must be submitted by 31 Dec, following the deadline for receipt of applications
    • Candidates in the early stages of their career
    Areas
    • Inorganic Chemistry
    • General Chemistry

Timetable

Applications open 1 August
Applications close 15 November
Frequency Annually

Related Links

Previous Recipients

Sir William Ramsay

Wikipedia - Sir William Ramsay

Contact Us

Additional Information

Online brochure - Ramsay Trust Memorial Fellowship
Ramsay Trust Memorial Fellowship brochure (PDF)
Ramsay Trust Memorial Fellowship - Extended Eligibility Criteria (PDF)

Ramsay Fellowship - Image credit: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Current Ramsay Fellows

2020 - 2022

Jemma Gibbard – based in the Department of Chemistry at Durham University and co-sponsored by the Department

Dr. Joseph Forth – based in the Department of Chemistry at UCL and co-sponsored by the Department

Christopher Savory – based in the Department of Chemistry at UCL and co-sponsored by the Department.

2019 - 2021

Dr Adam J Clancy – based in the Department of Chemistry at UCL and co-sponsored by the Department

Dr Ashok Keerthi – based in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Manchester and co-sponsored by the Department

Dr Gi-Byoung Hwang – based in the Department of Chemistry at UCL and co-sponsored by the Department.

2018 - 2020

Dr Clare Bakewell – based in the Department of Chemistry at UCL and co-sponsored by the Department

Dr Cameron Luke Bentley – based in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick and co-sponsored by the Department

Dr Jennifer Anne Garden – based in the School of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh and co-sponsored by the School

Dr Antoine Gabriel Félico Maruani – based in the Department of Chemistry at UCL and co-sponsored by the Department

Ramsay Trustees

Professor David Phillips CBE, FRS was elected as Chairman of the Trustees for a term of three years at the annual meeting of the Trustees on 19 July 2018. Professor Phillips is Emeritus Professor of Physical Chemistry at Imperial College London and was formerly President of the Royal Society of Chemistry from 2010-12.

  • Dr Dave Allen, Senior Vice President and Chief Chemist at GlaxoSmithKline
  • Professor Judith Howard CBE, FRS, Professor of Chemistry, Durham University
  • Professor Graham Richards CBE, FRS, Emeritus Fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford
  • Ms Suzanne Ellis, Research Director, Johnson Matthey
  • Ms Sharon Todd, BSc Hons, MIoD, DipCIM, Chief Executive, SCI

Ramsay Advisory Council

  • Professor Claire Carmalt, Head of Department, Inorganic & Materials Section, UCL (Chair)
  • Professor Alan Armstrong, Professor of Organic Chemistry and Head of Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London
  • Professor David Garner FRS, Emeritus Professor of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, University of Nottingham
  • Professor Damien Murphy, Professor of Physical Chemistry and Head of School of Chemistry, University of Cardiff
  • Professor Carole Perry FRSC, Distinguished Professor, School of Science & Technology, Nottingham Trent University
  • Professor Alice Sullivan, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, CChem, MRSC, Queen Mary University

Other SCI Awards

SCI Scholarships

The SCI Scholars fund, established in 1920, was endowed by the bequests of Rudolph Messel and John Gray, former presidents and founding members of SCI. SCI is proud to offer 2-year scholarships to up to three outstanding PhD students who are approaching their final years of study.

Read more

RS/SCI Studentships

Former SCI life member, Dr Sydney Andrew, left a legacy to SCI to support academic research into 'neglected science'. SCI currently funds a maximum of one PhD studentship for a successful Fellowship applicant per year, working in an appropriate research area.

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