Below is a list of several grants, bursaries, scholarships and other funding available to help support you throughout your degree, in particular to help subsidise the costs of your Independent Mapping Project, 4th Year Project, and any other geoscience-related projects or research you want might want to undertake whilst studying at Oxford. There is a copy of the financial advice document circulated in 2024 below too.
Know of any grants and/or funding we've accidentally missed out, or want to advertise your organisation's grant on this page? Either way please do let us know so we can add even more funding opportunities to the list below!
Know of any grants and/or funding we've accidentally missed out, or want to advertise your organisation's grant on this page? Either way please do let us know so we can add even more funding opportunities to the list below!
Prerequisites: Available to all 2nd year Earth Sciences undergraduate students who are about to start their Independent Mapping Projects.
Amount: Usually £500 How to apply: Complete and submit your insurance form and submit it to Department before you leave for your mapping trip. The Department will provide you with a lot more information about accessing these funds during your second year. College Travel GrantsMost colleges have financial grants allocated specifically for mapping projects or for general course-related travel/projects abroad. Be sure to inquire within your college or to search on the 'Finance' sections of your college's website to check out the individual grants that you might be eligible for.
Prerequisites: Being a member of a University of Oxford college where students study Earth Sciences. Amount: Varies. Grants of up to £1000 may be awarded by some colleges, but typically most grants offered are around £250 - £500. How to apply: Depends on the individual grant. Typically you will have to write a cover letter to the financial office of your college or to a specific travel grant committee. You may also be required to write out a rough budget for how you intend to spend the money. In addition some college's require you to write a short report after your trip is completed detailing what you did and/or learnt during your trip as well as a summary of how you spent the grant.
How to apply: You should be prompted before you start your Independent Mapping Project or 4th Year Project to apply for this funding by OGG. You will need to send in a cover letter and briefly explain your project.
Prerequisites: None. However, your chances of obtaining a decent amount of the grant are improved if you have a link to the City of London (usually to do with businesses based there e.g. your school is funded/owned by one of the livery companies, a family member/friend works or is a member of one of those companies, your school is based in one of the local London Boroughs etc.). It's worth noting, however, that you don’t have to live in London to apply. Grants are available for any sort of adventurous travel.
Amount: Varies between £50 - £1000. How to apply: Go on to the website and directly email or write to the contact listed there. They will reply with an application form and a questionnaire about the Mayoralty of the City of London (fairly straightforward and Google-able). You can use your tutor as your ‘monitor’ to sign off your application. If successful, on return from your trip you must write a 1-page long report, and you will be invited to an afternoon tea reception with the Lord Mayor of London along with your monitor (there's no obligation to attend, but it's a nice event). Applications for projects taking place between May and December need to be received by the end of February earlier that year. The end of September is the deadline for any projects taking place between December and May. MinSouth Student Sponsorship
There are a few conditions:
1. Any publications resulting from application of these funds must first:
3. On completion of the work you must provide MinSouth with a report on how you utilised the funds provided. |
Prerequisites: Funds are allocated to you if there are any additional costs associated with completing your 4th Year Project, i.e. costs related to completing necessary fieldwork. Check with your project supervisor if you are unsure of your eligibility.
Amount: £250 An additional £3000 of Burdett-Coutts funds is divided between any projects that have a fieldwork component by Department each year. This usually amounts to around £200 to £300 maximum per project, but you will be notified of the amount by Department once all project allocations have been finalised. How to apply: Claims for these funds must be submitted to the Earth Sciences Department Finance Office on a claims form, which are available outside the office. Make sure to keep any relevant receipts to submit along with this form. Your project supervisor should help you with identifying any additional costs associated your project, filling in the claims form and finding further funding if necessary. Oxford Alumni Network Student Awards
Amount: Varies depending on the county/Alumni group. Typically between £300 - £750.
How to apply: Details about which grants and bursaries will be available, as well as how to apply, will be published early in the same year as the year you plan to undertake your Summer project. Keep an eye on the website (below) around January - February for more information about how and when you can apply:
Amount: Varies considerably depending on the award/fund but typically between £500 - £3000.
How to apply: Different grants, funds and scholarships become available throughout the year, so make sure to check out the website (below) relatively frequently to see what awards are currently taking applications. Most applications require you to submit a brief overview of your project and/or research aims, logistics as well as your projected budget. A summary report of the work that you undertook, your research findings and/or a sumary of how you spent the award may also be required. In addition some funds require you to submit your CV and/or reference(s) from your university tutor/supervisor.
Prerequisites: Preference will always be given to members of IOM3, and for some financial awards being a member is a prerequisite to applying. Undergraduates are only eligible for a few select awards, with the majority of awards aimed at 4th year students, postgraduates or Early Career geoscientists.
Amount: Varies considerably between the different awards available, ranging from travel grants of up to £250, all the way up to scholarships valued at over £5,000. How to apply: The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining advertises a large number of different scholarships, bursaries and grants on their website aimed at students with a passion for mining and minerals. Applications officially open in December each year. Make sure to thoroughly read through the specific terms and conditions for each award to check that you are eligible before applying. Ensure that your application is relevant to the specific award(s) you are applying for, and that you focus on highlighting your academic abilities and/or research goals.
Amount: Successful applicants will receive £3,000 per year to support their studies throughout the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years of their degree. This is on the condition that the student maintains a 2:1 or higher grade average in their examinations each year.
How to apply: Information about how and when to apply for these scholarships will be sent to you by the Earth Sciences Department around mid to late October of your first year at Oxford. The application process entails completing an online application form, with successful candidates then moving on to a situational judgment questionnaire, online verbal and numerical reasoning tests, a virtual interview and finally a face-to-face interview. Although scholarships are very competitive, a number of Earth Sciences students have been successful in the last few years. |
|
Copyright © 2025 Oxford University Geological Society
|
