--- title: "Graduate Ellison Scholars at Oxford: Funded DPhil 2027" description: "Fully funded Oxford DPhil linked to EIT research, all nationalities. Apply to EIT first, by 1 December 2026 (5pm UK), then to Oxford for October 2027." url: "https://worldwide-scholarships.com/scholarships/graduate-ellison-scholars-programme/" type: "website" --- [All scholarships](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/scholarships/) Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), Oxford # Graduate Ellison Scholars Programme Fully funded DPhil (PhD) study at the University of Oxford on a project run with the Ellison Institute of Technology. For the Pathogen, Plant Biology, Materials and Devices, and Economics areas you apply to EIT first, by 5pm UK time on 1 December 2026, then to Oxford. Checked 26 Oct 2026 [Apply on the official site](https://eit.org/education-and-scholarships/graduate) - **Deadline:** 36 · days left· 1 December 2026 - **Study in:** United Kingdom - **Level:** PhD - **Covers:** Tuition fees, Living costs, Travel +2 more [Add this deadline to your calendar](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/deadlines.ics) What you get Tuition fees for the duration of the graduate course, a stipend to cover living costs in Oxford (EIT calls it generous but does not publish the amount for these projects), travel and conference costs, a personal technology setup, and arrival costs including flights, visa charges and access to healthcare. EIT says the funding package is different for the Generative Biology Doctoral Training Programme and the Fundamentals of AI Centre for Doctoral Training. Covers - Tuition fees - Living costs - Travel - Visa fees - Other costs ## Who can apply - Meet the University of Oxford's entry requirements for the DPhil linked to your chosen project, including the guidance on international qualifications and English language - Doctoral study only (DPhil/PhD); master's degrees are not funded - You can apply during the final year of your degree, before your qualification is awarded; any offer is conditional on meeting Oxford's entry requirements - Applicants may submit up to two applications to the graduate programme in total - Three referees: two academic referees and one character referee, none a family member or peer, with references in English; the character referee must be a different person from both academic referees - Selection is merit-based and not means-tested; EIT says decisions are not made on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, social background, disability or other demographic grounds ### Two applications, in a fixed order For four research areas this scholarship does not start with an Oxford application. You first apply to the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) through its [application portal](https://ellisonscholars.eit.org/graduate), by 5pm UK time on 1 December 2026. If EIT selects you, it gives you conditional funding and invites you to apply to the University of Oxford, where you are considered through the normal graduate admissions process. You become a Graduate Ellison Scholar only once you also hold an Oxford place, and EIT makes the final funding decisions. EIT’s pages say applications are for October 2027 entry, and that early applications are reviewed as they arrive, so applying well before 1 December is sensible. The EIT pages we read do not give a date for the Oxford stage. ### Which route you use depends on your research area According to EIT’s [research areas page](https://eit.org/education-and-scholarships/graduate-research-areas), four areas use the EIT portal and the 1 December deadline: the Pathogen Programme, Materials and Devices for Life Sciences, the Plant Biology Institute, and Economics. The others work differently. AI and Robotics runs through Oxford’s Centre for Doctoral Training in Fundamentals of AI, whose applications go directly to Oxford. Generative Biology runs through Oxford’s Doctoral Training Programme in Generative Biology, also applied for directly to Oxford. For both, EIT’s guide says selected applicants may be nominated by EIT to the Graduate Ellison Scholars programme. Correlates of Immunity has its own application, due on 16 November, with the same nomination step. Check the route for your area before you start anything. ### Published project or your own proposal For the Pathogen, Plant Biology and Materials and Devices areas you can apply either for one of the published projects or with your own research proposal, and for Economics you submit your own proposal, on the economic consequences of AI and robotics. When we checked, the Pathogen Programme listed four projects, for example AI for predicting antibiotic resistance in Mycobacteria in the DPhil in Clinical Medicine. Plant Biology listed two, both in the DPhil in Biology. Materials and Devices listed six, across Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Biochemistry and Chemistry. Each published project names the Oxford DPhil you would enrol in. Either way, your proposal has to show how your background equips you to contribute to that project or programme, so a strong general profile is not enough. EIT runs project Q&A sessions for each area, and you can register for them. ### What the application asks for EIT’s [application guide](https://ellisonscholars.eit.org/graduate) lists what you need: a passport or other identification, a transcript, contact details for three referees (two academic and one character), a research proposal of no more than 1,500 words including references, a CV as a PDF, a recorded personal statement of up to three minutes, and a portfolio of up to ten entries showing how well you fit the EIT vision. You may add an optional supplementary image and an optional nomination letter from your institution. The references go out by email from the portal and are due by 9 December, so ask your referees early and confirm they received the request. Only English references are accepted, so choose referees with a high level of English. ### What is covered, and what is not stated EIT’s [FAQ page](https://eit.org/education-and-scholarships/faqs) says the funding covers tuition fees for the length of the course, a stipend for living costs in Oxford, travel and conference costs, a personal technology setup, and arrival costs including flights, visa charges and access to healthcare. It does not publish the stipend amount for these projects and calls it generous. Do not rely on figures quoted on other sites. For the Generative Biology and Fundamentals of AI programmes EIT says the package is different, so a figure from those pages does not apply to the EIT-portal projects. Our [guide to studying in the UK](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/studying-in-the-uk-funding-visas-and-how-the-money-works/) explains the visa and health surcharge side. ### How it differs from Clarendon, and what the panel looks for Applicants to Oxford often compare this with the [Clarendon Fund Scholarships](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/scholarships/clarendon-fund-scholarships/). For Clarendon you are considered through your Oxford course application. The Ellison route reverses the order for most areas: you apply to EIT first, and only doctoral projects linked to EIT’s research areas are funded. EIT’s FAQ recommends that applicants explore other options alongside their application, given how selective the programme is. EIT assesses six things: alignment with its mission, academic excellence, innovation, collaboration, tenacity and integrity. A minimum GPA of 3.7 out of 4 appears on its page only as one example of an outstanding record, not as a published cut-off. ### Check the UK visa position first An offer and a scholarship do not guarantee a UK Student visa. The programme states no nationality rule, but the UK government’s [visa brake](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-brake-changes-to-the-uk-visa-system) says Student visa applications made from outside the UK by nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan will be refused, and that it is reviewed regularly. If you hold one of those nationalities, read that page before you spend time on an application. Where this comes from Every fact above was read on **eit.org**, the awarding body's own website, and last confirmed on **26 October 2026**. Nothing here is taken from another directory. Funding bodies change deadlines and eligibility rules without notice, and we are not affiliated with Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), Oxford. Always confirm on the official site before you apply. Reviewed by the [Worldwide Scholarships editorial team](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/about/) [Apply on the official site](https://eit.org/education-and-scholarships/graduate) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MonetaryGrant","name":"Graduate Ellison Scholars Programme","description":"Fully funded DPhil (PhD) study at the University of Oxford on a project run with the Ellison Institute of Technology. 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