Increased support from Amazon means the company will fund up to 24 female students annually through the course of their undergraduate studies
Bursaries offer recipients funding, support and mentoring from Amazon’s three UK Development Centres
Amazon has announced it is doubling the size of its Amazon Women in Innovation Bursary Programme. The programme currently offers female students support and mentoring at Churchill College in the University of Cambridge as well as universities in Edinburgh and London, and will double the number of places on the programme to 24 students annually, starting this academic year.
The programme offers funding of between £3,500 and £7,500 per year to a female student planning to attend one of the three universities which neighbour its three UK Development Centres, including Churchill College in the University of Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh and King’s College London. Two female students a year who take up a degree that supports high-tech innovation, including Electronic Engineering, Robotics & Intelligent Systems and Computer Science courses will be offered the chance to apply for funding, starting this autumn.
Bursary recipients are chosen by the universities, and qualify if they are from a household with an annual income under £42,620.
In addition to providing financial support, students are appointed a female mentor from the tech sector and employed at their neighboring Amazon Development Centre, to provide help and advice on business skills like interview techniques and CV building.
Amazon’s UK Development Centres support Amazon’s innovations used around the world, including:
- Supporting product development and design from East London for web and mobile applications used for Amazon Video.
- The use of machine learning science in Edinburgh to power Amazon’s smart features in multiple languages like personalised recommendations.
- The development in Cambridge of Alexa, the cloud-based voice service, and Prime Air, a future delivery system designed to deliver parcels to customers in 30 minutes or less using small unmanned aerial vehicles.
“We launched the Amazon Women in Innovation Bursary last year to support the next generation of high-tech superstars and help female students from all walks of life invent for the future,” said Doug Gurr, UK Country Manager, Amazon. “So, we’re delighted to be doubling the intake from this autumn at Churchill College in the University of Cambridge, King’s College London and the University of Edinburgh to help more women on their career journey into high tech roles.”
Sophie Durrant has recently completed her first year in her Computer Science with Natural Science degree at Churchill College in the University of Cambridge with Amazon’s support. She said:
“It is great for young women to have this support from Amazon to be able to take their passion for STEM further. I think the mentoring system is a great help and it has really give me lots of direction and guidance as I go forward in my learning and career.”