UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

OXFORD-AUSTRALIA SCHOLARSHIPS COMMITTEE

James Fairfax - Oxford-Australia Fund Scholarships

1.   The Awards

Scholarships, funded through the generosity of Australians who have studied at Oxford, and in particular Mr James Fairfax AO, will be available in 2006-2007 for graduates from Australia to study for a postgraduate or a Second BA degree at Oxford University.

The James Fairfax - Oxford Australia Fund Scholarship is open to any discipline and is generally tenable for two years or, in the case of a D.Phil. degree, for three years. The scholarship is also intended for those wishing to study for a second BA (undergraduate) or a graduate degree in the Arts or Social Sciences. Normally the scholarship is intended for undergraduate and graduate students studying or working in Australia to pursue their first international degree.

2.   Eligibility

The scholarships are open to citizens of Australia, (normally under the age of 30 years on 1 January in the year in which the scholarship is to be taken up) and who hold, or expect to obtain before October 2006, a Bachelor’s degree with first or upper second class honours, or its equivalent from a recognised university.

3.   Value of the Awards

The scholarships provide a living allowance of $12,000 per annum in the year 2006/07. The scholarships will also meet the University fee at the home postgraduate rate and the college fee from funding provided by the University of Oxford. For scholars who have gained an ORS award, (see para 4 vi), that award covers the difference between the ‘home’ and overseas University fees for a postgraduate student.  Successful candidates may hold other awards with the approval of the Committee. In addition, up to $10,000 per annum may be awarded by the successful applicants' Australian University but this is subject to negotiation each year.

4.   Application Procedure

i.    All candidates for a scholarship must apply separately for admission to the University.

ii.  Candidates for a Second BA degree must submit an application to the Oxford Colleges Admissions Office by 15 October 2005 and candidates must also apply via UCAS, more information on the website http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/grad/ .

iii. Candidates for most postgraduate degrees are recommended to submit their application, by 20 January 2006 following the procedure set out in the Graduate Studies Prospectus.  Some faculties may have their own closing dates which will be shown in the Graduate Studies Prospectus.

iv.  Candidates who do not already have the necessary University application forms, should contact the Undergraduates Admissions Office for Second BA application forms and an Undergraduate Prospectus or the Graduate Admissions Office for application material and a Graduate Studies Prospectus.  Both offices are located in the University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD.  The Graduate Admissions Office can also be contacted by fax (44 1865 270049), www.admin.ox.ac.uk/gsp/ or email: Graduate.Admissions@admin.ox.ac.uk

v.   The completed scholarship application form should be returned to the International Office, University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD by 20 February 2006.  Candidates should send with the completed application form a transcript of their academic record and should ask the two referees named on the form to send a confidential reference direct to the International Office by the same date.

vi.  It is a condition of the scholarships that candidates must apply for an Overseas Research Student (ORS) Award, if the course they intend to follow at Oxford makes them eligible.  The degrees at Oxford which currently qualify as research courses for ORS support are:  D.Phil.  M.Litt.  M.Sc. by research (or the status of Probationer Research Students leading to the aforementioned degrees), B.Phil, M.Phil. (where an applicant intends to submit a dissertation), and those M.Sts in Research or Research Methods which are an integral part of a research programme in a particular subject.  Details of the ORS scheme are given in the University’s Graduate Studies Prospectus.  Application forms are available from the International Office of Oxford University (email: international.office@admin.ox.ac.uk) from November 2005.

vii. A shortlist of candidates for the scholarship will be drawn up during March 2006 and interviews, if needed, will be organised by the Oxford Australia Fund Committee, to be held in Australia in May. All candidates will be notified once the successful scholars are appointed.