Guardian

The Institute of Physics is to hold out a £1,000 carrot to students who choose to study physics at university.

The body is the first to offer all students who study physics at undergraduate level the opportunity to apply for a grant of up to ?1,000. Grants will be means tested so they will benefit the poorest students most. However, they will only be introduced if the government goes ahead with increases to tuition fees.

The proportion of students studying physics and other sciences has fallen significantly over the past 20 years.

David Wallace, the president of the Institute of Physics, said he hoped their offer would encourage more people to take up the subject. Professor Wallace said: “Physics is vital to the future of the UK economy and the Institute hopes that by offering serious cash, it can help reverse this trend as well as ensure that the brightest students are able to study what they are good at, not just what they can afford.”

He admitted it wouldn’t address the falling number of students studying physics at A-level: “It isn’t going to solve all the problems facing physics departments, but we hope it may have a trickle-down effect when pupils are thinking about what A-levels to take.”

The bursary scheme would be operational from 2006 and would use the government’s system of means testing for top-up fees in order to identify students most in need of a bursary.