Avril McDonald Memorial Fund

The Avril McDonald Memorial Fund encourages promising young female scientists to pursue an academic career. The fund is an initiative of the Rosalind Franklin Fellows of the university of Groningen and is a memorial to Avril McDonald, a Rosalind Franklin Fellow that unexpectedly passed away at the age of 44 years. She embodied the qualities that the Rosalind Franklin Fellowship program stands for: excellence in research, a passion for her subject, and a commitment to teaching others.

• Rosalind Franklin Fellowship

Each year, up to four students will receive an award of 1,000 EUR. The purpose of the prize is to reward the master's thesis of a female student who defended her master's thesis in the past twelve months. The awards will be spread across all faculties and research areas (each year, up to one prize can be awarded to each faculty). 

Call for nominations for 2023

Rosalind Franklin Fellows and all researchers affiliated with the University of Groningen can nominate outstanding female students who have defended their master's thesis between 01/06/22 al 31/05/23 for the award. Nominations must be sent by the supervisor (staff of the University of Groningen) and composed of the following:

• a one-page nomination letter written by the supervisor;

• the master thesis in pdf format. 

Nominations should be emailed to amcdprize23 rug.nl by the 15th of July, 2023, at 23:59 CEST.

A broad committee of Rosalind Franklin Fellows will review the applications and decide on awarding the prizes. The award ceremony will be held during the Avril McDonald dinner."

Annual fundraising dinner

Since 2010, the organizers of the AMcD Memorial Fund have been hosting an annual charity dinner. The charity dinner features musical entertainment, a tombola with prizes donated by the fellows and by local businesses, great food, drinks and company.

The AMcD Memorial Fund and the AMcD Prize are administered under the University of Groningen's Ubbo Emmius Fund.