The Ellison Scholars program seeks at least twenty candidates from around the world each year who are passionate about solving humanity’s most serious problems. Scholars are expected to fully commit to their studies at the University of Oxford and their ongoing project work with the Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine (EIT).

A Scholar’s relationship with the Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine (EIT) will continue even after they receive their degree from Oxford. They will have ongoing access to EIT technology and resources as they work towards making significant changes in their home countries and globally. Projects may receive long-term funding as spin-off companies. Additionally, Alumni Scholars are expected to mentor and guide future Scholars.

The academic scholarship covers all course fees at the University of Oxford and provides a generous stipend for travel, programming, accommodation, and living expenses. This multi-year program includes paid internships, allowing scholars to continue working on projects within EIT’s humanitarian initiatives.

Each Scholar will be selected by an EIT Faculty Fellow to collaborate on their project. All projects are multidisciplinary and involve a team that includes other Scholars, Faculty Fellows, EIT scientists and engineers, as well as students and faculty from affiliated universities, all working together to help the Scholar achieve their goals.

About the Fully Funded Ellison Scholarship

• Covers full tuition fees
• University: University of Oxford 
• No application fee
• All Countries 
• Level of Study: Undergraduate and Masters Studies
• Number of scholarships: 20

• Undergraduate Application is currently open till 1st August 2024 4pm UK Time 
• Post Graduate application will open in August

What the Fully Funded Ellison Scholarship covers

• Full Tuition fees
• Flight
• Accommodation
• Living Expenses

Eligibility Criteria for the Fully Funded Ellison Scholarship 

Applicants must meet the University of Oxford’s entry requirements for their chosen course. Specifically, they must:

For Undergraduate Studies:

• Have met, or be on track to meet, the University’s English language requirements for their chosen undergraduate degree.
• Have, or be on track to have, a secondary education qualification, diploma, or certificate accepted by the University of Oxford.
• Have met, or be on track to meet, the entry requirements for their chosen undergraduate degree, including minimum grade requirements.

For Post Graduate Studies:

• Have met, or be on track to meet, the University’s English language requirements for their chosen Post Graduate degree.
• Have, or be on track to have, an undergraduate education qualification, diploma, or certificate accepted by the University of Oxford.
• Have met, or be on track to meet, the entry requirements for their chosen post graduate degree, including minimum grade requirements.

Additionally, applicants must meet our selection criteria before starting an application.

• Applicants must demonstrate alignment and commitment to EIT’s vision by showing a deep understanding of global problems in at least one of EIT’s four humanitarian endeavors.

• Additionally, applicants should demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Advanced technology-related skills
• A proven track record of innovative problem-solving
• Outstanding aptitude in a subject related to one of EIT’s humanitarian endeavors or projects

Application Procedure for the Fully Funded  Ellison Scholarship

To become an Undergraduate or Graduate Ellison Scholar, applicants must follow separate application routes. Admission to the program requires selection by the Ellison Institute and acceptance by the University of Oxford through their standard, independent process.

Undergraduate Ellison Scholars will work on a project year-round alongside their university studies, and full-time during much of the University’s long vacation (i.e., the summer break). This unique scholarship program allows students to work with world-leading experts to solve real-world problems through technology while pursuing a fully-funded undergraduate degree at one of the top universities in the world.

The projects will benefit from skills in computer science, artificial intelligence, mathematics and statistics, robotics, plant sciences, machine learning, chemistry and chemical engineering, biology and molecular biology, engineering, physics/nuclear physics, medicine, and microbiology. This list is not exhaustive; candidates with skill sets and ambitions aligned with EIT’s humanitarian endeavors are encouraged to apply.

For more information, refer to the Selection Criteria tab to assess your alignment with our program. The application form and process will ask you to demonstrate how you meet our criteria, why you are a good fit for this program, your chosen humanitarian endeavor, and the associated project.

Applicants selected as semi-finalists for the Ellison Scholars program will be invited to apply to the University of Oxford. The program funds any full-time undergraduate course at the University of Oxford, including all three-year bachelor’s degrees (e.g., BA), four-year integrated master’s degrees (e.g., MChem or MMath), the four-year graduate-entry medicine degree, and the full six-year undergraduate medicine degree.

Please note that applications to the University of Oxford will follow the University’s separate and independent admissions process.

Final Selection of Ellison Scholars:

Those who receive an offer of study from the University of Oxford automatically become Ellison Scholars finalists. The final stage of the application process will include interviews, with final selection decisions made by the EIT Faculty of Fellows.

Undergraduate Ellison Scholars will be selected by April 2025, ahead of starting their studies at Oxford in October 2025. Click here for undergraduate application.

Graduate applications will open August 2024. Please check back for more details.

Official scholarship page