Application Deadline: November, December, or January
LOCATION: England
Oxford is committed to nurturing the global researchers, academics and scientific leaders of the future. However, financial barriers are known to prevent some talented students from pursuing postgraduate study at the University, particularly those from more disadvantaged backgrounds. This situation is further compounded in STEM disciplines (excluding biomedical and life sciences), where, despite progress in recent years, additional barriers have resulted in lower participation of women in postgraduate courses—both internationally and at Oxford. This scholarship programme will increase the number of women from low and middle-income countries taking up offers for postgraduate science courses at Oxford. The programme has been made possible by a generous donation from the Optiver Foundation.
ELIGIBILITY:
Up to six scholarships are available to females who are ordinarily resident in an eligible country and who are applying to start an eligible master’s course at Oxford in October 2026.
For selection purposes we will include all candidates on relevant courses who have indicated on the postgraduate application form that their sex is female. The sex on the application form must match that shown in identity documents, e.g. passport or visa, but does not have to be the applicant’s legal sex. Transgender people may be able to obtain a passport or visa in a binary sex other than their legal sex.
This scholarship is not open to applications from candidates who hold deferred offers to start in 2026-27.
To be considered for this scholarship, submit your application for graduate study by the relevant November, December, or January deadline for your course, and tick the relevant box on the graduate application form.
If you meet the advertised eligibility criteria, we will ask you to complete an additional scholarship application form to ask about your socio-economic situation and to assess for potential disadvantage and under-representation.
BENEFIT:
The programme, which will provide support for up to 30 taught master’s students over a period of five years, has been made possible by a generous donation from the Optiver Foundation. The next Optiver Foundation Scholars will begin their studies at Oxford in October 2026, and will be the fourth cohort of the scholarship scheme. Scholars will join the Departments of Statistics, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering Science, or the Mathematical Institute, and will receive full financial support to cover their course fees, as well as a grant for living costs.
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