Bursaries
Since 2009, Biological Recording in Scotland (BRISC) and Glasgow Natural History Society (GNHS) have been offering bursaries for natural history training courses. These bursaries are open to anyone living in Scotland who wants to improve their skills and contribute to biological recording.
In return the recipients of the bursaries are asked to write a short article for the GNHS Newsletter, and may also be asked to give a short presentation at a GNHS evening meeting. As BRISC will be no longer in existence, GNHS is continuing to offer four bursaries per year, along with two more funded from a BRISC legacy for as long as it lasts.
Why are these bursaries important?
Scotland needs more taxonomic experts who can accurately identify species and help new generations carry forward this important work. Such experts are critical to wildlife conservation because we cannot begin to conserve our wildlife unless we know what we have, where it is, and how scarce or common it is. Wildlife recording underpins all conservation efforts.
Expertise in a taxonomic group is gained through study and fieldwork, but it is unfortunately the case that many of our experts are getting older. GNHS continues to support BRISC's wish that young naturalists are given support to enhance their skills and experience, and so provide a continuity of enthusiastic recorders into the future.
Details
The deadline for 2026 bursaries is January 31st, 2026. For details of how to apply, download the Application form (a DOCX document − opens in MS−WORD etc).
A list of courses previously attended by bursary recipients may be viewed at previous courses
Some testimonials from previous course attendees are still available to be viewed on the BRISC website testimonials