Scholarships at University of Oxford

This new scholarship programme will increase the number of women from low and middle-income countries who are able to take up offers to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects at postgraduate level at Oxford. 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.

About

The next Optiver Foundation Scholars will begin their studies at Oxford in October 2025, and will be the third 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. The donation will also enable the provision of tailored induction activities, mentoring, and on-course support for the scholars.

Thanks to the generosity of the Optiver Foundation, Oxford will also develop and pilot a new way of assessing the socio-economic background of international applicants. This will ensure that the funding provided through the new Optiver Foundation Scholarship Programme is finely targeted at eligible offer-holders who are most in need of financial support. Key findings from this pilot will be used to inform future scholarship programme development at the University.

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 on postgraduate courses – both internationally and at Oxford.

By targeting support at women from low to middle-income countries, the Optiver Foundation Scholarship Programme will play an important role in increasing postgraduate diversity in STEM subjects at Oxford, as well as contributing to a more a diverse workforce in the longer term.

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 2025. 

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.  

Eligible Courses

• MSc Energy Systems (Engineering Science)

• MSc Advanced Computer Science

• MSc Mathematical and Theoretical Physics

• MSc Mathematical Modelling and Scientific Computing

• MSc Mathematical Sciences 

• MSc Mathematics and Foundations of Computer Science

• MSc Statistical Science

• MSc Theoretical and Computational Chemistry