University of Birmingham - The James Mann Prize

The James Mann Prize

You get a one-off prize of about 614 EUR (around £500) for the best fourth-year applied mathematics project on the MSci Mathematics programme at the University of Birmingham. The MSci is the four-year maths degree that leads to a Master in Science. The School of Mathematics awards the prize in memory of James Mann, a student who died of leukaemia during his doctoral research.

Who can apply

• Degree: You are in the fourth year of the MSci Mathematics programme at the University of Birmingham.
• Field: Your final-year project is in applied mathematics.
• Supervision: A member of the Applied Mathematics group supervises your project.
• Result: You produced the best applied project of the year.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply. What counts is your place on the programme.

How to apply

There is no application. The prize goes automatically to the strongest qualifying fourth-year applied project. The leader of the Applied Mathematics group and the external examiner recommend the winner. Winners are announced at the School's graduation reception in July.

How realistic are your chances?

One prize goes out each year to a single student on one degree at one university, so the field is tiny. You cannot enter directly. It goes to whoever writes the best applied maths project in their final year. If you are on the Birmingham MSci, the only lever you have is to write a strong applied project.