SDC bursaries are available for university/college students, as well as ASDC participants – apply now before the deadline of 31 December!
As an educational charity, the Society of Dyers and Colourists is committed to supporting people in their journey of colour education.
Occasionally students may need a helping hand financially, and we have funding available to offer. There are a limited number of bursaries available each year from the SDC – for students wishing to develop their knowledge through either academic or professional study.
There are currently two bursary types available, the main bursary, and the ASDC bursary. Both offer up to £500 in support and can be applied for, using our online forms.
Our main bursary is designed to support students at institutions all over the world with support costs associated with carrying out colour-related projects.
This can contribute toward the general cost of specialized items such as specialist dyes, fabrics, scales and sketchbooks for carrying out projects in which colour is a key feature.
To meet eligibility, an applicant will need to be registered for, and undertaking, either:
- Final year research/special study as part of an undergraduate degree course
- Postgraduate studies at higher degree level on a relevant course
- Any study benchmarked at UK Framework for Higher Education Qualifications level 6 or above.
The applications process is relatively simple, as the form itself offers guidance for completion. Applicants are asked to provide details of themselves, their course, and a synopsis their work – with a focus on how the bursary would be spent, and how it would support their learning.
All applications must be submitted on our forms and countersigned by a university or college representative.
Submission dates for the main bursary are 31 December and 30 June/ Only one application per student can be submitted in any 12-month period.
Applications are assessed by our Bursary Working Committee (BWP) and the Society’s Examinations Qualifications and Accreditation Board (EQAB).
Successful recipients of an SDC bursary will be asked to provide a short report on how the funds have benefitted them in their studies – with a possibility for excerpts to be used in promotion for the society.
Recent recipients of SDC bursaries include Molly Talbot, a BA (Hons) Textile Design student at the University of Leeds, who used the funds to explore thermochromic and photochromic inks, to create a dynamic colour collection that changes and responds to heating and cooling.
Another recipient, Natasha Mays, used her funding to deliver a free practical natural dye workshop in London for 11-16-year-olds from black ethnicity backgrounds.
Natasha’s MA studies focused on sustainability in textile production from a social and cultural standpoint, and its impact on black people in particular.
The ASDC Bursary, meanwhile, is specifically offered to students who are registered to take the course Textile Coloration Science and technology (Level 6), leading to Associateship of the SDC (ASDC), and are self-funded, rather than being supported by an employer.
The deadline to apply, as set out in the ASDC prospectus, is 31 May 2023. As with the main bursary, applications are assessed by both the BWP and the EQAB.
For more information on either source of funding please visit our bursaries page.