TPS Bursary Competition 2023 launches

The Transport Planning Society is delighted to announce the launch of the 2023 Bursary competition.

The TPS Bursary competition encourages younger members of TPS to produce a structured written paper on a topic of current relevance to transport planning.

You will be supported by a mentor appointed by the TPS Board who will be a senior member of the profession. 

If your proposed title is accepted, you will be asked to write the full paper with the help of your mentor and present it at a special meeting of TPS Board members in January 2023. You will then receive £500 and be featured in a TPS news item.

This year’s Bursary asks you to:

‘Investigate a transport intervention that has been shown to reduce environmental damage. How did it interact with poverty / social exclusion? How transferrable is that solution for other places/problems?’

We are looking forward to hearing your thoughts on how transport initiatives have addressed environmental and / or social exclusion problems.

We are keen to build an evidence base of case studies from the UK and internationally to help develop our understanding for the 2023 Transport Planning Day campaign on tackling transport-related social exclusion and delivering a just transition to a decarbonised future.

The papers will be judged by members of the Transport Planning Society board and the best paper will receive the “Bursary of the Year” engraved award and an additional £250.

The bursary competition provides a great opportunity to:

• expand your knowledge of your chosen topic,
• raise your profile within the profession,
• contribute towards completing the TPS PDS requirement
• promote your career development and;
• to benefit from your mentor’s experience and advice.

Previous applicants have been enthusiastic about their experience:

“It has been a very worthwhile process in terms of writing and practising presentation, and I am pleased that other transport professionals have been able to hear my views”

“It is important for the industry to facilitate engagement between its junior professionals and those at the top. The Bursary process has been excellent in this regard. Long may it continue.”

The panel are looking for you to present innovative ideas and new perspectives, preferably supported by your own experience or new research, written clearly in no more than 5000 words.

The deadline for applying to take part in this year’s competition is Friday 21^st July 2023. To apply to take part, please fill in the application form here and follow the guidance uploaded here.

If successful, you will be assigned a mentor in August and have three months to complete your research. The finished paper needs to be submitted by 8th December 2023.