The scholarships will provide financial and career support to five students from Black or mixed Black backgrounds studying motorsport related degrees.
The Royal Academy of Engineering and Mission 44 partnered in June 2022, with the support of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, to develop the MSc Motorsport Scholarship Programme. The scholarships aim to address the underrepresentation of Black people in UK motorsport and build on the recommendations of The Hamilton Commission’s report.
Five successful applicants make up the first cohort:
Each student will receive a grant of £25,000 to cover full tuition fees and living costs, along with wraparound support through networking events and motorsport experiences, with the objective that within two years of completing the MSc most, if not all, will be employed in the motorsport sector.
The second round of applications for the MSc Motorsport Scholarship open today and close in March 2024.
“The first recipients of the MSc Motorsport Scholarship represent an exciting step towards addressing the barriers for Black and mixed Black students and a more diverse motorsport sector. The scholarship aims not only to address financial barriers but provide the wraparound and community support to accelerate their careers. This is just the start of their journeys and we can’t wait to see where the next year takes them.”
“It is imperative that engineers better reflect the diversity of the society they serve and that engineering careers are not only open to all but are seen to be open to all. The recommendations in the Hamilton Commission report were intended to make that a reality for the motorsport sector, which relies so heavily on a technical workforce. I am delighted that we are able to support these five talented engineers in their studies and wish them every success in building exciting and rewarding careers in motorsport.”