Graduate Funding

About

Each academic year, the University expects to be able to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships for new students. You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships, if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant January deadline. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential. Funding is also available by applying to relevant doctoral training programmes. See the tab on these for more information.

Scholarships typically provide funding for fees and living expenses, and some scholarships also include research funding. Although Oxford’s scholarship portfolio is complex, applicants are automatically considered for almost all scholarships for which they are eligible. However, a small number of scholarship programs require applicants to submit a separate application.

Details of Biology-specific scholarships currently available are given in the Scholarships tab, and the University website linked below has a Fees, Funding and Scholarships search tool designed to assist graduates looking for funding sources. All applicants should use this search tool to identify potential funding sources, and we encourage you to discuss scholarships with your potential supervisor.

Scholarships

Details of Biology-specific scholarships currently available are given below.

Clarendon Scholarship

Every year, we have the opportunity to offer a Clarendon scholarship to at least one outstanding applicant in Biology. Clarendon scholarships are Oxford’s most prestigious and competitive graduate scholarships, and applicants of all nationalities are eligible for this award. Clarendon scholarships covers course fees and a provides a generous grant for living costs. All applicants are who apply by the January deadline automatically considered for a Clarendon scholarship.

Academic Futures Scholarships

We are eager to recruit underrepresented students to postgraduate study in all areas of Biology. The University of Oxford will award up to 50 Academic Futures scholarships for postgraduate study.

Eligible applications that are submitted by the January deadline will automatically be considered for these scholarships. Applicants will be considered regardless of their stated college preference; however, successful applicants will be transferred to the relevant partner college in order to take up the scholarship.

Oxford-Oxitec Graduate Scholarship in Biology

This scholarship was created by funding from the University and Oxitec, a spinout company that works to develop better ways to control insect pests that spread diseases and damage crops. Oxitec Graduate Scholarships fund students who work in any research topic, and all eligible applicants who apply by the January deadline will be automatically considered for this scholarship. 

This scholarship is open to Home/EU applicants only and covers course fees and a stipend the level of the UKRI doctoral stipend per annum.

NaturalMotion Graduate Scholarships in Biology

The Department of Biology has recently established fully-funded ‘NaturalMotion’ graduate scholarships spanning all areas of the department’s research activity. The awards may be made in partnership with a college. There is no separate application procedure for these scholarships. All applications to the DPhil in Biology programme will automatically be considered.

Each year we are able to offer Oxford NaturalMotion Graduate Scholarships in Biology, this has been made possible by funding from participating colleges, the University and through the success of one of the Department of Biology's previous graduate students, Torsten Reil, who founded NaturalMotion Ltd. NaturalMotion Ltd develops computational methods for animating movement, as used in Hollywood films and computer games. Preference will be given to projects which involve the application of computational methods to biological questions.

NaturalMotion Scholarships cover course fees and a stipend of at least £18,622 per year.

Robert and Valerie Appleby Research Scholarship

This scholarship was established by the legacy of Valerie Joan Appleby to support the study of vertebrate palaeontology by students in the Department of Biology or, in the event that no suitable candidate can be found within the Department of Biology, by students in other departments or museums of the University as are most appropriate. All applications should be in this field of research.

The Robert and Valerie Appleby Research Scholarship is awarded for up to 3.5 years and at present, offers:

  • a maintenance grant at the current RCUK stipend rate per annum
  • payment of fees at the rate for “Home” students (Overseas candidates must have secured other funding which will cover the difference)

  • Research Support Grant of £5,000 per annum for the first three years of the scholarship

Candidates must submit their applications for the Robert and Valerie Appleby Research Scholarship to the Director of Graduate Studies in the department in which they are hoping to work by the relevant January deadline. Separate applications for admission to study in the University must be submitted to the University by the relevant January deadline.

For further information, please contact: Biology Trust Fund Administrator: trustfunds@biology.ox.ac.uk

Boise Trust Scholarship

Information for applicants to the Departments of Anthropology, Archaeology, Biology, and Earth Sciences

The Boise Trust Fund was established by Charles Watson Boise to support research on the antiquity and evolutionary origin of modern Homo sapiens and other hominins, with particular emphasis on the continued exploration of appropriate sites in Africa, and on the early migration of Palaeolithic communities. All applications should be in this field of research.

The Boise Trust Scholarship is awarded for up to 3.5 years and at present, offers:

  • a maintenance grant at the current RCUK stipend rate per annum - payment of fees (Home/Overseas)
  • Research Support Grant of £5,000 per annum for the first three years of the scholarship (with the potential to apply for up to a further £3,000 per annum under the small Boise Trust awards scheme).

Applications are made online using the standard University application form.  All eligible applications received by the relevant department will be automatically considered for this scholarship. The details of how to apply are available on the University website.

For further information, please contact: Biology Trust Fund Administrator: trustfunds@biology.ox.ac.uk

Doctoral Training Programmes

As well as applying directly to the DPhil in Biology, you can apply to the University’s Doctoral Training Programmes. These are four-year graduate training programmes that award fully funded scholarships, involving a training period of taught courses and, in some cases, the opportunity to undertake rotation projects before deciding on a DPhil project. We encourage you to consider both entry routes. Programmes which are relevant to Biology are listed below.

Please note these do not apply for the MSc by Research in Biology.