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Scholarships for postgraduate students

Postgraduate Scholarships at Oriel

Oriel currently offers 17 main types of postgraduate scholarships: some are awarded jointly with other funding bodies (e.g. RCUK), or for specific subjects, and others are offered in open competition.

Our main scholarships are listed below (please note that some scholarships only run in certain years).

Our Graduate Scholarships
Alec Bond DPhil Scholarship in Chemistry
  • Courses: DPhil in Chemistry
  • Award value: £3,400
  • Duration: Period of fee liability (usually 4 years)
  • Eligibility: Open to all
  • Status: Closed for applications (next award for Michaelmas Term 2024 entry)

Launched in 2020, the Alec Bond DPhil Scholarship in Chemistry is awarded every two years and provides funding to cover College fees (currently £3,400) for a 4-year DPhil candidate in the Department of Chemistry. The scholarship is intended to provide additional support for Chemistry DPhils who already have funding to cover their University fees and a stipend.

This scholarship does not include any additional dining rights or accommodation entitlement, but recipients will benefit from membership of Oriel’s MCR community and associated facilities. Applications for this scholarship are managed through the Department of Chemistry.

Oxford – Basil Reeve Graduate Scholarship in MPLS or Medical Sciences
  • Courses: DPhil in Physical or Biomedical Sciences
  • Award: This scholarship is awarded in conjunction with a Clarendon Fund Scholarship, which provides full funding (course fees and a grant for living expenses).
  • Duration: Period of fee liability (usually 4 years)
  • Eligibility: Open to Clarendon Scholarship holders only
  • Status: Closed to applications (next award for Michaelmas Term 2026 entry)

This Scholarship will be awarded to a Clarendon scholar. The recipient of the Scholarship will have their application moved to Oriel College if originally accepted at another College. Please note that all graduate applicants to a degree-bearing graduate course are automatically considered for Clarendon Scholarships; no additional application is necessary.

More about the Clarendon Scholarships: https://www.ox.ac.uk/clarendon

Black Academic Futures DPhil Scholarship in History
  • Courses: DPhil in History
  • Award value: Full scholarship with a minimum stipend of £15,609/yr
  • Duration: TBC
  • Eligibility: postgraduate students of Black or Mixed Black ethnicity ordinarily resident in the UK
  • Status: Closed to applications (next award TBC)

As part of Oxford University’s Black Academic Futures scholarship programme, Oriel offers a Black Academic Futures DPhil Scholarship in History for a talented postgraduate student of Black or Mixed Back ethnicity who is ordinarily resident in the UK. The scholarship covers University and College fees along with a stipend for living costs. In order to be considered for the scholarship, candidates should submit their application to the University as normal, providing the relevant ethnicity information. All eligible candidates will be automatically considered.

Find out more about the Black Academic Futures Scholarship programme.

David N. Lyon Graduate Scholarship in Politics: The Politics of Sex and Gender Identities in Diverse Societies
    • Courses: MPhil, MSc or DPhil in Politics
    • Award value: £8,500/yr
    • Duration: 1 year with potential to renew
    • Eligibility: Open to all
    • Status: Open for applications for Michaelmas 2024 entry. Applications closing 22nd March 2024

    The David N. Lyon Scholarship provides support for postgraduate students of any nationality who have applied to study for the MPhil, MSc or DPhil in Politics at the University of Oxford to undertake research into the politics of sex and gender identities in diverse societies. Current University of Oxford MPhil and DPhil students are also welcome to apply, and would be expected to migrate to Oriel College if successful in their application. This scholarship can be combined with other awards.

    Find out more about the David N. Lyon Scholarship and how to apply.

DPhil BAME Scholarship in Law – Oriel College & Faculty of Law
  • Courses: DPhil in Law
  • Award value: £25,000
  • Duration: Period of fee liability (usually 3 years)
  • Eligibility: Students from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds ordinarily resident in the UK
  • Status: Closed for applications (next award TBC)

Provided jointly by the Faculty of Law and Oriel College, the DPhil BAME Scholarship in Law provides full fees and maintenance support (£25k per year for up to 3 years) for a student from a Black or Minority Ethnic (BAME) background to study for a DPhil in Law at the University of Oxford.

The faculty of Law and Oriel College are committed to attracting the very best candidates for research degrees, irrespective of their background or ability to pay. Students from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who are ordinarily resident in the UK have been under-represented in our doctoral programmes in recent years and this scholarship has been launched to help encourage future applications.

Find out more about the DPhil BAME scholarship in Law.

James Meade DPhil Scholarship in Physical and Life Sciences
  • Courses: DPhil in Mathematical, Physical or Life Sciences
  • Award value: Full Home/ROI Fees and stipend at median value for living costs
  • Duration: Period of fee liability
  • Eligibility: Open to all
  • Status: Closed for applications (next award for Michaelmas Term 2025 entry).

The James Meade DPhil scholarship supports one Home/ROI postgraduate student undertake a DPhil in any subject offered at the College. However, candidates applying to study a DPhil in the Physical and Life Sciences are particularly encouraged. The scholarship, awarded on academic merit and financial need, covers full tuition fees and median living costs for up to three years, provided the recipient remains on course at Oriel.

Made possible thanks to a generous gift from an Orielensis and his wife, the scholarship is named in honour of James Meade (1907–1995), who earned an outstanding first-class degree from Oriel in 1930 and was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1977 for his contributions to twentieth-century economic theory.

Find out more about the James Meade scholarship.

James Mellon DPhil Scholarship in Longevity Research
  • Courses: Any DPhil course with a research focus on Ageing and Cell senescence
  • Award value: Covers full fees and stipend in line with RCUK rate
  • Duration: up to 3 years
  • Eligibility: Must have a research focus on Longevity, Ageing or Cell senescence
  • Status: TBC

Based within Professor Lynne Cox’s lab, this scholarship is intended to support a DPhil candidate in the area of longevity science and healthy ageing. The scholarship covers the full costs of a DPhil, including residence at Oriel, UK/Home fees and an allowance for lab consumables.

The recipient becomes a member of Oriel College, the Cox lab, the Oxford Ageing Network (co-run by Professor Cox), and the University-wide ARCH initiative (Ageing Research Collaborative Hub) that brings together researchers from all academic divisions including the Humanities, Social Sciences, Medical Sciences and Mathematical, Physical, Engineering and Life Sciences to promote and support interdisciplinary research in ageing.

Jardine Foundation Graduate Scholarships
    • Courses: Any graduate course (taught or research).
    • Award value: Full funding including tuition fees, college fees, and an annual stipend
    • Duration: Up to 4 years.
    • Eligibility: Open to applicants who hold an offer of a college place from Oriel who are a national of or resident of Cambodia, mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam for a period of at least 7 years.
    • Status: Open for applications for Michaelmas term 2024 entry. Applications closing Sunday 17 March 2024.

    The Jardine Foundation was set up in 1982 to mark the 150th anniversary of the Jardine Matheson Group. The Foundation offers students from across the Group’s markets full scholarships to study at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The goal is to develop future leaders who will give back to their communities.

Find out more about Jardine Foundation Scholarships here.

Keith Hawkins Graduate Research Scholarship in English or American Legal History
  • Courses: Graduate Research Degree in Legal History (MPhil or DPhil)
  • Award value: £7,000/yr and guaranteed accommodation in first year
  • Duration: 1 year with potential to renew
  • Eligibility: open to new applicants or existing students of any nationality
  • Status: Closed to applications (next award TBC)

The Keith Hawkins Graduate Research Scholarship in English or American Legal History, named following a benefaction in honour of Emeritus Professor Keith Hawkins, provides financial support for a student undertaking a graduate research degree in the field of English or American Legal History at the University of Oxford. The scholarship is open to candidates of any nationality.

The scholarship includes a financial award of £7,000 per year and guaranteed College accommodation for at least the first year of their course. Current University of Oxford MPhil and DPhil students are also welcome to apply for this scholarship, and would be expected to migrate to Oriel College if successful in their application.

Find out more about the Keith Hawkins scholarship.

Oriel and Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) Graduate Scholarship
  • Course: DPhil candidate affiliated with INET
  • Award: £5,000/yr for fees or living costs
  • Duration: up to 3 years
  • Eligibility: Must be studying on a graduate course affiliated with INET
  • Status: Closed to applications (next award TBC)

First awarded in 2018, the Oriel and INET Graduate Scholarship provides financial support of £5,000 per year towards fees or living costs for a DPhil student affiliated with the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET). This scholarship is awarded in collaboration with INET, who are responsible for nominating suitable candidates for consideration. Each award lasts for a period of three years providing the recipient remains at Oriel and continues their affiliation with INET.

Find out more about INET.

Oriel DPhil Scholarship in Artificial Intelligence
  • Course: DPhil in Engineering or Computer Science with an AI research focus
  • Award value: up to £5,000/yr
  • Duration: Period of fee liability
  • Eligibility: open to new applicants of any nationality
  • Status: Closed for applications (next award for Michaelmas Term 2025 entry)

Following a generous gift from an Orielensis, we are able to offer a scholarship to support one postgraduate student focused on artificial intelligence research as part of a DPhil course in either Engineering Science or Computer Science.

The Oriel Graduate Scholarship in Artificial Intelligence provides an annual award of £5,000 for up to three years, provided the recipient remains on course at Oriel.

Find out more about the Oriel DPhil Scholarship in Artificial Intelligence.

Oriel DPhil Scholarship in Engineering Science
  • Courses: DPhil in Engineering Science (preference for the NERC-Oxford DTP)
  • Award: This scholarship is awarded in conjunction with the Clarendon Fund, which provides full funding (course fees and a grant for living expenses)
  • Duration: Period of fee liability (3 or 4 years depending on course)
  • Eligibility: Open to Clarendon Scholarship holders only
  • Status: Next award for Michaelmas Term 2024 entry

This Scholarship is funded by Oriel College from the generous gift of an Orielensis and their family. It will be awarded as part of the Clarendon Fund Scholarship allocation process, making up part of a full funding package. The recipient will have their application moved to Oriel College if originally accepted at another College. Please note that all graduate applicants to a degree-bearing graduate course are automatically considered for Clarendon Scholarships; no additional application is necessary.

This scholarship is available for DPhil studies at Oriel in any discipline of Engineering, with a preference for Environmental Engineering.

More about the Clarendon Scholarships: https://www.ox.ac.uk/clarendon

Find out more about the Oriel DPhil Scholarship in Engineering Science.

Oriel Graduate Scholarship in Science and Religion
  • Course: Any discipline with a research focus on the intersection between theology and scientific thought.
  • Award: £10,000/yr
  • Duration: Period of fee liability
  • Eligibility: Open to applicants of any nationality
  • Status: Open for applications for Michaelmas Term 2024 entry

This £10,000 scholarship is awarded annually for up to three years to a postgraduate student whose research focuses on the intersection of theology and scientific thought. Students from all disciplines (including those outside of Theology) are eligible. Candidates from other colleges will be considered provided that they migrate to Oriel upon acceptance of the scholarship. New postgraduate students who have applied to Oriel are also eligible.

Find out more about the Oriel Graduate Scholarship in Science and Religion.

Oriel Graduate Student Scholarships for Academic Merit
  • Course: Any current Oriel graduate student on a research degree of more than 1 year in duration.
  • Award value: £3,205/yr plus High Table dining rights once per week during term time. Guaranteed accommodation (couples and family accommodation subject to availability).
  • Duration: 1 year with potential to renew
  • Eligibility: Current graduate students on research degrees of more than 1 year in duration who have shown academic merit.
  • Status: Open for applications for Michaelmas 2024. Applications closing Thursday 14th March 2024, 12pm noon.

The College offers 3-4 of these Scholarships each year to current graduate students pursuing a graduate course by thesis or examination (BPhil, MPhil, DPhil, MLitt, MSt, MSc, PRS). Please note these scholarships can only be awarded to research degrees of more than one year. The Scholarships are effective from Michaelmas Term and are awarded for academic merit. It is also intended that these scholarships will benefit students who do not have a full funding package.

Find out more about the Oriel Graduate Student Scholarships for Academic Merit.

 

Oriel Graduate Scholarship for Sub-Saharan African Scholars
  • Courses: Any graduate course (taught or research)
  • Award value: £1,500/yr
  • Duration: TBC
  • Eligibility: Open to applicants normally resident in a Sub-Saharan African country (as defined by NATO)
  • Status: Next award for Michaelmas Term 2023 entry

The Oriel Graduate Scholarship for Sub-Saharan African Scholars was launched in 2022 and is open to all Oriel graduate students who are citizens of any sub-Saharan African country and/or have permanent residence in a country in sub-Saharan Africa, all of whom will be automatically considered for the award upon receiving an offer to study at Oriel.

The prize exists to support students from sub-Saharan Africa who are interested in solving the biggest problems currently facing the African continent, be that public health, ensuring stable economic growth, mitigating the worst effects of the climate crisis, or something else.

Preference will be given to those taking a personal and academic interest in Africa’s future and flourishing, those whose research or area of study might be applicable to problems currently facing Africa, and those who have expressed intent to work in Africa at some point after their study in Oxford.

Find out more about the Oriel Graduate Scholarship for Sub-Saharan African Scholars.

Oxford University Graduate Scholarships for Ukraine
  • Courses: See link below for a list of eligible courses
  • Award value: Full course fees, £10,000 towards living expenses, free accommodation, and free meals when college kitchens are open
  • Duration: Period of fee liability
  • Eligibility: Open to nationals of Ukraine who have been displaced by the war in Ukraine
  • Status: Closed to applications (next award for Michaelmas Term 2024 entry)

As part of Oxford University’s Graduate Scholarships for Ukraine programme, Oriel offers a scholarship for a master’s student who has been displaced by the war in Ukraine.

The Ukraine graduate scholars will join eligible taught master’s courses in Oxford’s Divisions of Mathematical Physical and Life Sciences, the Medical Sciences, Continuing Education and Social Sciences (for the Master of Public Policy), and they will receive funding to cover their course fees as well as a grant for living costs.

This scholarship programme is designed to assist Ukraine in ‘building back better’, the aim being that the scholars should be able to return and contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine with the knowledge and networks gained from their one-year course.

Find out more about the Oxford University Graduate Scholarships for Ukraine.

Sir Walter Raleigh MSc Scholarship in Environmental Change and Management
  • Course: MSc in Environmental Change and Management
  • Award value: £4,000
  • Duration: 1 year
  • Eligibility: Open to applicants of any nationality
  • Status: closed to applications (next award for Michaelmas 2024 entry)

The Sir Walter Raleigh Scholarship is an award of £4,000 and is open to any student applying to study for the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Change and Management at the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) in the University of Oxford and with Oriel College. Students who have successfully applied for the MSc in Environmental Change and Management will be contacted with information about how to apply for the scholarship.

The selection criteria for the Scholarship are:

  • Academic achievement and potential
  • Breadth of vision
  • Career aspirations and commitment
  • Global orientation
  • Potential as Leader/Agent/Manager of Change
  • Multi-disciplinary training in relevant fields prior to graduation (vacation jobs etc)
  • Range and depth of experience relevant to the MSc course

One scholarship is awarded per year.

Find out more about the Sir Walter Raleigh MSc Scholarship in Environmental Change and Management.

Thomas F. Torrance DPhil Scholarship in Theology

Thomas F. Torrance DPhil Scholarship in Theology

  • Course: DPhil in Theology
  • Award: £3,400/yr
  • Duration: Period of fee liability
  • Eligibility: Priority given to students who work in the field of Patristics, Systematic Theology, or Philosophy of Religion.
  • Status: Open for applications for Michaelmas Term 2024 entry

The Thomas F. Torrance Graduate Scholarship in Theology is a £3,400 scholarship that is awarded annually for up to three years to a DPhil student in Theology at Oriel College, subject to satisfactory academic progress. Priority is given to candidates who work in the fields of Patristics, Systematic Theology, or Philosophy of Religion.

Candidates from other colleges will be considered provided that they migrate to Oriel when they accept the scholarship. New postgraduate students who have applied to Oriel are also eligible. Those who have already begun their doctoral studies are especially encouraged to apply.

Find out more about the Thomas F. Torrance DPhil Scholarship in Theology.

Yalda Hakim Graduate Scholarship for Female Afghan Scholars
  • Course: Any 1-year Masters course
  • Award value: Full course fees and a stipend for living costs
  • Duration: 1 year only
  • Eligibility: Open to female applicants from Afghanistan only
  • Status: Next award for Michaelmas Term 2024 entry

Oriel has partnered with the Yalda Hakim Foundation to offer a fully-funded scholarship, awarded on the basis of academic merit and potential, for a woman from Afghanistan to complete a one-year Master’s course in any subject at the University of Oxford.

It is intended that the scholarship  will benefit a student from an economically and socially disadvantaged background. Priority will be given to students who are refugees or other people with lived experience of displacement.

With the dangers faced by women in education in Afghanistan, not least the continued threat of violence and attacks on educational facilities in the country, this scholarship aims to offer one Afghan woman the opportunity for an educational experience free from the threat of violence, at one of the best universities in the world, where you can expand your knowledge and build networks that will help transform you into a leader for the future.

Find out more about the Yalda Hakim Graduate Scholarship for Female Afghan Scholars.

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