Explore the FAQs below to learn more about the programmes

The Education & Scholarships programmes currently fund study at the University of Oxford only.

Eligibility for the Undergraduate Ellison Scholars programme requires applicants to have, or to be on track to receive,  a secondary education/high school leaving qualification, diploma or certificate accepted by the University of Oxford, as well as meeting our selection criteria. Applicants should start by using the eligibility checker on our website and, if eligible, proceed to the online application form. Applications must be submitted online by the 31 July 2026, as late submissions will not be considered.

EIT supports exceptional doctoral students at the University of Oxford through several graduate funding routes.

• The Graduate Ellison Scholars programme supports students undertaking EIT-linked doctoral projects in Pathogen, Materials & Devices for Life Sciences, Plant Biology and Economics. Graduate Ellison Scholars complete a DPhil (PhD) at Oxford while contributing to research developed jointly by Oxford and EIT.

• EIT also funds students through selected doctoral programmes at the University of Oxford which include the CDT in Fundamentals of AI, the DTP in Generative Biology and Correlates of Immunity. These routes have their own application processes, project availability, and funding arrangements. Further information is available here.

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Applications for October 2027 entry are now open, the deadline to apply is 1 December 2026.  

The application process varies across EIT’s research areas. For students applying to DPhil (PhD) projects in the Pathogen Program, Materials & Devices for Life Sciences (MDLS), Plant Biology and Economics please click here.

For other research areas, you should apply through the relevant University of Oxford route:

• Generative Biology: DTP in Generative Biology

• Artificial Intelligence and Robotics: CDT in Fundamentals of AI

• Correlates of Immunity: please review the available projects and apply directly through this link.  

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The Education & Scholarships programmes cover both undergraduate and graduate (doctoral) studies at the University of Oxford. There is a separate application and selection process for the undergraduate and graduate scholarships.

Interested candidates should read through the eligibility and selection criteria carefully before applying.

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Given the nature of the scholarship and the importance of aligning with the Institute’s research areas, most applicants choose to apply for STEM-related courses. However, the programme is open to all undergraduate subjects, provided applicants present a strong rationale explaining how their Oxford course and studies will enable them to contribute meaningfully to EIT’s Humane Endeavours and research priorities.

Please note that the four-year graduate-entry Medicine course is not eligible for this scholarship. For further details on available courses, please refer to the University of Oxford’s website.

The Education & Scholarships programmes are looking for exceptional candidates from around the world each year, undergraduate and graduate. Please find more about the inaugural cohort here. The number of funded places is expected to grow each year.

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Yes, Undergraduate Ellison Scholars must be at least eighteen years old by the end of their first academic year at the University of Oxford. Please note that if you intend to apply for the undergraduate Medicine course at the University of Oxford, you must be at least eighteen years of age by the start of your course.

This depends on the research area you are applying to.

For projects in Pathogen, Materials & Devices for Life Sciences, Plant Biology and Economics, you should first apply through the EIT application platform for Graduate Ellison Scholars. Candidates who progress through the EIT selection process will be invited to submit an application to the relevant University of Oxford DPhil course.

For Fundamentals of AI, Generative Biology, and Correlates of Immunity, you should apply through the relevant application route. Please check the individual research area for information and links. Following the University’s admissions process, exceptional offer holders may be nominated for consideration as a Graduate Ellison Scholar. EIT will make final funding decisions.

Given the selective nature of the Education & Scholarships programmes, we recommend applicants explore other options alongside their application to the programmes.

Applicants who are selected for the Graduate Ellison Scholars Programme should apply to the full-time DPhil (PhD) course listed under their chosen project.  

Applicants interested in AI & Robotics projects should apply to the CDT in Fundamentals of AI, while applicants interested in Generative Biology projects should apply to the DTP in Generative Biology.

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The Graduate Ellison Scholars programme funding covers:

• Tuition fees for the duration of the graduate course;

• A generous academic scholarship stipend to cover living costs in Oxford;

• Travel and conference costs;

• Personal technology set up;

• Arrival in Oxford costs – including flights, visa charges and access to healthcare.

The Scholarships are funded by the generosity of Larry Ellison, Chief Technology Officer of Oracle and Founder of the Ellison Institute of Technology.

Please note the funding package is different for DTP in Generative Biology, CDT in Fundamentals of AI, and Correlates of Immunity students. You should check the respective course website for more information.  

Applicants may submit up to two applications to the undergraduate programme and up to two applications to the graduate programme. Any further applications may not be considered.

Yes. Students applying to the DTP in Generative Biology, the CDT in Fundamentals of AI, or Correlates of Immunity doctoral projects may be considered for a Graduate Ellison Scholars programme.

You should apply through the relevant University of Oxford route. Following the University’s admissions process, exceptional offer holders may be nominated for consideration as a Graduate Ellison Scholar. EIT will make final funding decisions.

Yes. You can apply during the final year of your degree, before your qualifications have been awarded. Any offer will be conditional on meeting the relevant University of Oxford entry requirements.

The scholarship covers:

• Tuition fees for the duration of the undergraduate course;
• A generous academic scholarship stipend to cover living costs in Oxford;
• The equivalent of paid internships for work on innovation projects;
• Travel and conference costs;
• Personal technology set up;
• Arrival in Oxford costs – including flights, visa charges and access to healthcare.

The scholarship is funded by the generosity of Larry Ellison, Chief Technology Officer of Oracle and Founder of the Ellison Institute of Technology.

Yes - we envision that many applicants will apply with predicted, rather than final or achieved qualifications and grades. As part of your application, you will be required to provide official evidence of your predicted grades, such as a letter from your school or examination centre. Please review the eligibility and selection criteria carefully before applying.

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The University of Oxford is made up of colleges where students live, socialise and become part of a wider academic community. Candidates invited by the Education & Scholarships team to apply to the University of Oxford can express a preference for any college that accepts students for their chosen course or choose to have no college preference.

Graduate Ellison Scholars work full-time on a doctoral project developed jointly by the University of Oxford and EIT.  Students will work with researchers across both organisations, linking their doctoral research to EIT’s innovation and real-world application goals.

For further information on doctoral research routes in Fundamentals of AI, Generative Biology and Correlates of Immunity, please see the relevant programme pages.

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Undergraduate applicants who are shortlisted as semi-finalists for the Undergraduate Ellison Scholars programme will be invited to apply to the University of Oxford by the deadline of 15 October 2026. Please refer to the University’s website to learn more about their undergraduate admissions process.

Please note that admission to the University of Oxford is a separate and independent process. Applicants who are not selected as undergraduate semi-finalists are welcome to apply to the University of Oxford but will not be considered for the Ellison Scholars programme.  

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This depends on the University of Oxford’s entry requirements for the individual doctoral course. Applicants must check the University’s graduate course list for the individual requirements for their courses. Applicants can also find more information about the international qualifications accepted by Oxford here.

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The selection for the Undergraduate Ellison Scholars programme is a multi-stage process designed to recognise and support exceptional talent. Applicants will go through the following steps:

Step 1: Submit an online application to the Ellison Scholars programme between 1 May and 31 July 2026.

Step 2: Applications are reviewed to select semi-finalists who best meet the programme’s eligibility and selection criteria.

Step 3: Semi-finalists are invited to apply for their chosen course at the University of Oxford and provided with dedicated support and resources throughout the application process. It is important to note that University of Oxford’s admissions process is a separate and independent process.

Step 4: Finalists, i.e. those with offers from the University of Oxford, participate in the final selection process by the Ellison Scholars Team.  

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EIT only funds full–time doctoral (DPhil/PhD) courses at the University of Oxford. Applicants who want to pursue a part–time doctoral course are welcome to email the team at scholars@eit.org to provide a rationale and to discuss options with the team.

We will be sharing updates after each stage of the selection process,. The final stage of the undergraduate Ellison Scholars selection process will be in January/February 2027; scholarship awards will be made in March/April 2027. Those selected as Ellison Scholars will be supported through the process from selection through to arrival in Oxford and beyond – the team is here to help!

EIT only funds research degrees (DPhil/PhD) at the University of Oxford.

The Undergraduate Ellison Scholars programme includes internships as a central part of the experience. Undergraduate Ellison Scholars will work with EIT teams on existing EIT programs within EIT Research Areas that aim to solve big global problems through science and technology. Those internship projects will span one or more of the following Humane Endeavours, which provide focus areas for what EIT is trying to solve:

Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology

Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture

Climate Change & Managing Atmospheric CO2

Artificial Intelligence & Robotics

Applicants are advised to select the research area(s) and Humane Endeavour(s) that they are most interested in contributing to; the application form will ask applicants to describe the problem that they are passionate about solving within the chosen Research Area and expand on their relevant skills, experiences or interests.

Institutional nominations are optional; your application will be considered in full without a nomination. However, if an applicant’s institution chooses to nominate them, they are welcome to include this in their application, as it can demonstrate additional support and recognition from their university.

The University of Oxford is made up of colleges where students live, socialise and have tutorials. Semi-finalists can apply to any college which offers their chosen course. Our team is on hand to assist applicants at this stage of the selection process.

The Undergraduate Ellison Scholars programme is a multi-year commitment, allowing scholars to get the most out of their time at EIT and to contribute more meaningfully to the innovation projects. Starting at the University of Oxford as an undergraduate Ellison Scholar is the optimal route.

Applicants who have University of Oxford offers to start in October 2027 are eligible to apply. Applicants who have already started their course at the University of Oxford or will start their course in October 2026 are not eligible to apply. Given the selective nature of the scholarship programme, we would not recommend that anyone defers entry to the University in order to apply for this programme.

Yes, applicants who have University of Oxford offers to start in October 2027 are eligible to apply to the programme. Given the selective nature of the scholarship programme, we would not recommend that anyone defers entry to the University in order to apply for this programme.

In addition to completing a degree at the University of Oxford, undergraduate Ellison Scholars will have year-round involvement in an EIT project. There will be a particular focus on the project during the long summer vacations in the form of an internship.  

The Ellison Scholars programme also offers cutting-edge programming designed to upskill scholars and to enable them to chart a bespoke self-development course.  

There will be various opportunities for Scholars to get involved in college and university life through the many and varied clubs and societies.

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Our Outreach team is eager to connect with organisations that can help identify eligible students for the scholarship. We’d recommend registering to attend an information session and reading our webpages to learn more.

Please do also email us at scholars@eit.org and we will connect you to a member of the outreach team.

Absolutely! We have plenty of resources to help spread the word, including social media templates, posters, digital signage and an email/newsletter blurb.

You can download our resources here.

Missing something that would help you spread the word? Let us know!

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We would love your help in sharing these incredible opportunities! Please pass it along to your network and students and encourage strong candidates to sign up for our applicant newsletter to stay updated on the scholarships and future application cycles. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our organisational newsletter. There’s a dedicated version just for organisations, featuring tailored updates on the scholarships and EIT that we think you’d find useful and interesting. If you think you would have sufficient interest within your network, subject to availability, we may be able to offer bespoke information sessions. Email us at scholars@eit.org to enquire.