NFU Mutual, the UK’s leading rural insurer, is once again offering its Centenary Award for postgraduate students in agriculture.
The 2018 award is now open for applications, and provides annual bursaries to pay up to 75% of course fees for selected students who are undertaking a postgraduate course in agriculture (Masters or PhD) within the UK.
In 2016, Sebastian Murray from Dartmoor was one of two students from the South West – one of only three students nationally – to receive the bursary.
He described winning the award as providing a “fantastic opportunity” for him to be part of supporting a sustainable future for our farms.
The Centenary Award was created by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust in 2010 to celebrate NFU Mutual’s 100th birthday.
NFU Mutual has provided £250,000 to fund the programme, and to date 33 students have received bursaries to help further their studies.
The award is open to individuals who have gained, or are expected to gain, a 2:1 or above in agriculture or a related degree, and have been accepted or provisionally accepted on a Masters or PhD course in agriculture in the UK, in autumn 2018.
Three topics
The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust has identified three topics of interest for eligible students.
At least one of these areas must form part of the applicant’s postgraduate course: Sustainable agriculture and climate change; international agricultural development and the application of science and innovative technology to the agricultural industry.
To select the students, the judging panel will be looking for applicants who are not only excellent academic performers, but are also passionate individuals who demonstrate potential to become a future leader within UK agriculture.
In 2017, four students were awarded with a Centenary Award bursary and in 2016, Sebastian Murray from Buckfastleigh and Nicholas Moss from Ashburton were two of only three students to be selected for the award for their MBAs in Advanced Farm Management, at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester.
'Fantastic opportunity'
Sebastian was brought up on Pennywell Farm, an award-winning open farm centre and tourist attraction on the edge of the Moor.
Since completing his MBA last year, the 24-year-old was offered a graduate farming consultancy role with Strutt & Parker Estate Agent in Cambridgeshire.
He said: “The Centenary Award provided a fantastic opportunity to further my understanding of strategic farm business management. Farmers have a hard enough job farming, but when you consider that farming is also about running a business and accounting, it’s quite a unique combination!
“The MBA provided me with the knowledge and skills to help me fulfil my ambition to help secure the future of farms so that they can continue to produce quality food, support wildlife and steward the countryside for the benefit of society. These elements cannot be taken in isolation.
“My role is to support farmers to operate as effectively as possible to ensure a sustainable future for farming in Britain.”
Prospective postgraduate students who think they may be eligible to apply for the Centenary Award in 2018 should contact centenary_award@nfumutual.co.uk to request further details and an application form.
