undergraduate scholarships

Undergraduate Ellison Scholars

Applications are now live

Apply for fully-funded undergraduate scholarships for study at the University of Oxford and work towards solving the world's biggest problems.

Undergraduate Ellison Scholars

Education, Innovation and Solving Global Problems

Alongside their studies at the University of Oxford, Undergraduate Ellison Scholars work on cutting-edge EIT projects that aim to direct their efforts towards positive global impact. These research and innovation projects, conducted as internships, are central to the undergraduate Ellison Scholars programme. We seek academically excellent individuals who have put their knowledge and passion into action and have the ambition to make a real impact.

Scholars collaborate with each other and with world-leading experts to solve real-world problems, while pursuing a fully-funded undergraduate degree in any discipline at the world-leading University of Oxford. Selection for this programme is highly competitive.

We are particularly interested in students with skills in fields such as computer science, artificial intelligence, economics, mathematics, robotics, plant sciences, machine learning, chemistry, biology, engineering, medicine or microbiology. This list is not exhaustive and strong candidates who believe they have skills that would benefit one of our projects are welcome to apply.

As an Ellison Scholar, you will:
Work on innovative EIT projects
Access state-of-the-art facilities
Receive generous financial support
Work alongside science and technology leaders

Internships for undergraduate Ellison Scholars

The internships include ten weeks at EIT each long vacation (summer) between academic years. Undergraduate Ellison Scholars will work with EIT teams on existing EIT projects that aim to solve big global problems through the advancement and translation of science and technology. Those internship projects will span one or more of the following humane endeavours, which provide focus areas for the global problems that EIT is trying to solve:

Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology

Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture

Climate Change & Managing Atmospheric CO2

Artificial Intelligence & Robotics

undergraduate ellison scholars

Application Timeline

This is the timeline for the application journey for undergraduates. Application guidance, further details around entry requirements and other frequently asked questions can be found in our FAQs section.

Application window opens

May – July 2026

Applications open on 1 May and closes on 31 July. 

Semi-finalist selection

September – October 2026

Semi-finalists are selected. They then apply to the University of Oxford and follow the University’s separate and independent admissions process.  

Finalists identified

January – February 2027

Semi-finalists who receive an offer from the University of Oxford automatically progress to the finalist stage. Following the final selection process, Ellison Scholars are chosen from the pool of finalists. 

Ellison Scholars announced

March – April 2027

Ellison Scholars are selected, onboarded, and announced, and are supported by the Education & Scholarships team as they prepare for their arrival in Oxford. 

Scholars begin their studies

October 2027

Ellison Scholars start their first academic year at the University of Oxford and their engagement with EIT Oxford.

Undergraduate Ellison Scholars

Undergraduate eligibility

Applicants will need to meet the University of Oxford’s entry requirements for their chosen undergraduate course.

accepted qualification

Applicants must have, or be on track to be awarded, a secondary education/high school leaving qualification, diploma or certificate accepted by the University of Oxford

course requirements

Applicants must have met, or be on track to meet, the minimum grade requirements for their chosen undergraduate course

english language requirements

Applicants must have met, or be on track to meet, the University’s English language requirements for their chosen undergraduate course

Selection Criteria

Eligible applicants must also meet our selection criteria before starting an application

view selection criteria

Applicants who do not meet these criteria are strongly dissuaded from applying for this scholarship opportunity.

Could you be the next Ellison Scholar?   

To help you understand your eligibility for the Ellison Scholars programme, we have built an eligibility checker. Before answering these questions, we encourage you to review the key eligibility information on the University of Oxford admissions page. 


This includes:

  • Checking which international qualifications are accepted
  • Understanding the grade requirements for your chosen course
  • Ensuring you meet the English language requirements for the course

These questions are designed to help you assess whether you meet these requirements before proceeding to our application form. Providing accurate answers will ensure you're on the right path.

Learn more

Explore our resources

Explore the programme further by registering for one of our online webinars, where you can meet the team and learn more about the scholarships. You can also view further information on the application process and the opportunity.

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