If you have ever dreamed of studying at the University of Oxford while actually working on real solutions to the biggest problems facing humanity, the Ellison Undergraduate Scholars Programme might be the most exciting opportunity you will come across. This is not a standard scholarship that simply pays your tuition and sends you off to attend lectures. It is a programme that places you inside an active research and innovation institute from day one, surrounds you with world-leading scientists, and gives you the financial freedom to focus entirely on your studies and your work. Applications for the 2027 entry are now open, and this guide covers everything you need to know before you apply.
What Is the Ellison Undergraduate Scholars Programme?
The Ellison Undergraduate Scholars Programme is a fully funded scholarship offered by the Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford, commonly known as EIT. It allows exceptional international students to pursue an undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford while simultaneously working on cutting-edge innovation projects at EIT during their summer vacations. The programme was launched as part of a transformative strategic alliance between EIT and the University of Oxford, backed by an investment of £130 million announced in December 2024.
The Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford is a research and technology institute with a mission to develop and deploy technology in pursuit of solving humanity’s most challenging and enduring problems. It is based at the Oxford Science Park and is currently constructing a major new campus in Oxford, expected to be completed in 2027. The institute was founded with funding from Larry Ellison, co-founder and chairman of Oracle Corporation, and operates research institutes focused on health, generative biology, food security, climate change, and artificial intelligence.
The Ellison Scholars programme is EIT’s flagship education initiative. Every undergraduate student funded by EIT is an Ellison Scholar. The programme is highly selective and, unlike most scholarships you will encounter, it does not simply fund your degree. It gives you a dual identity as both an Oxford student and an active contributor to EIT’s research and innovation work from the very beginning of your time in Oxford.
The first cohort of Ellison Scholars was announced in March 2025. The inaugural group began their Oxford studies in October 2025 and was welcomed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey. A second cohort of Undergraduate Ellison Scholars was unveiled in April 2026. The programme for the 2027 entry cohort opened for applications on 1 May 2026.
Quick Overview: Key Programme Details at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Programme Name | Ellison Undergraduate Scholars Programme |
| Funded By | Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) Oxford |
| Host University | University of Oxford, United Kingdom |
| Degree Level | Undergraduate (Bachelor’s Degree) |
| Study Start Date | October 2027 |
| Open to International Students | Yes, candidates from around the world are eligible |
| Funding Type | Fully Funded |
| What Is Covered | All course fees at the University of Oxford, generous stipend for travel, accommodation, and living expenses, paid summer internships at EIT |
| Application Window Opens | 1 May 2026 |
| Application Deadline | 31 July 2026 |
| Semi-Finalist Selection | September to October 2026 |
| Finalists Identified | January to February 2027 |
| Scholars Announced | March to April 2027 |
| Contact Email | scholars@eit.org |
About the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) Oxford
Before diving into the scholarship details, it helps to understand the organization behind it. The Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford is not a traditional academic institution. It is a research and innovation powerhouse built specifically to tackle what it calls humanity’s most enduring problems. EIT operates through a series of specialist research institutes, each focused on a major global challenge.
The institute’s current research areas include the Generative Biology Institute, the AI and Robotics Institute, the Plant Biology Institute, the Pathogen Program, the Materials and Devices for Life Sciences Institute, and a dedicated Economics program. These are not academic departments running seminars; they are active research environments where scientists, engineers, and technology specialists work on real problems with real stakes.
EIT’s Oxford campus is currently under construction and is expected to include laboratories for robot development, state-of-the-art proteomic analysis and genomic sequencing, laboratories for studying and engineering biology, advanced cloud-controlled greenhouses, and what the institute describes as the world’s largest computer for designing and training artificial neural networks. When the campus is complete, it will provide Ellison Scholars with facilities that most universities in the world cannot match.
In December 2024, EIT and the University of Oxford announced a transformative strategic alliance backed by £130 million in investment. This partnership is the institutional foundation upon which the Ellison Scholars programme sits. It signals a long-term commitment from both EIT and Oxford to developing the next generation of scientific and technological leaders through this joint programme.
What Makes This Programme Different from Other Oxford Scholarships?
Oxford has several prestigious scholarship programmes, including the Rhodes Scholarship, the Clarendon Fund, and the Oxford and Cambridge Society scholarships. The Ellison Scholars programme is distinct from all of them in one critical way: it does not simply fund your degree. It embeds you inside an active research institute and requires you to contribute to EIT’s ongoing innovation work during every summer vacation throughout your undergraduate degree.
Most scholarships, however generous, are financial awards attached to a standard student experience. You attend your lectures, complete your coursework, and happen to be funded while doing so. The Ellison Scholars programme is something fundamentally different. It is designed around a dual identity. You are simultaneously an Oxford student in the fullest sense, enrolled in your chosen course and experiencing all that Oxford has to offer, and an active EIT collaborator, spending your summers working alongside scientists, engineers, and researchers on projects aimed at solving global challenges.
This matters because it means that by the time an Ellison Scholar graduates from Oxford, they have not just a degree but a meaningful portfolio of applied research experience. They have worked inside a cutting-edge institute, collaborated with world-leading experts, and contributed to projects that have real-world consequences. For a student at the start of their career, this combination is extraordinary.
The Four Humane Endeavours: EIT’s Focus Areas
At the heart of the Ellison Scholars programme are what EIT calls its four humane endeavours. These are the broad focus areas within which all EIT research and innovation projects operate, and they define the kind of work Ellison Scholars will be doing during their summer internships. Understanding these four areas is important for anyone applying to the programme, because your application will need to demonstrate alignment with at least one of them.
1. Health, Medical Science and Generative Biology
This area encompasses EIT’s work on cancer treatment, vaccine development, infectious disease, generative biology, and the application of artificial intelligence to medicine and life sciences. EIT’s research in this domain includes collaboration with Oxford on an AI-powered vaccine research program announced in September 2025, and the development of EIT’s own Oxford Clinic. The institute’s Generative Biology Institute, led by Professor Jason Chin, focuses on engineering biology at a fundamental level to create new classes of therapeutics and biotechnologies.
2. Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
EIT’s Plant Biology Institute focuses on developing impactful and commercially sustainable solutions for improving global food production and planetary health. This includes research into plant science, crop improvement, soil health, and the development of agricultural technologies that can scale globally. EIT has also made investments in companies such as Wild Bioscience to boost global agricultural resilience. Scholars with backgrounds in plant sciences, biology, chemistry, or agricultural science would find strong alignment here.
3. Climate Change and Managing Atmospheric Carbon
This focus area covers EIT’s work on energy systems, carbon management, and climate mitigation technologies. EIT has outlined a £10 billion science investment plan in the UK that includes major commitments to climate and energy innovation. Scholars with backgrounds in physics, chemistry, engineering, economics, or environmental science who are focused on climate solutions would be well placed within this endeavour.
4. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
EIT’s AI and Robotics Institute is developing advanced robotics systems and AI applications across multiple domains, including healthcare, agriculture, and scientific research. The upcoming EIT Oxford campus will include specialized robotics laboratories and, according to EIT’s own descriptions, what will be one of the most powerful computing systems in the world for AI training and development. Students with skills in computer science, machine learning, mathematics, or engineering are particularly encouraged to apply with this focus area in mind.
Eligibility Criteria for the 2027 Programme
The eligibility criteria for the Ellison Undergraduate Scholars Programme are tied directly to the University of Oxford’s own undergraduate admissions requirements, along with additional selection criteria set by EIT. You need to meet both sets of requirements to be a valid candidate.
University of Oxford Entry Requirements
First, you must have, or be on track to be awarded, a secondary education or high school leaving qualification, diploma, or certificate that is accepted by the University of Oxford. Oxford accepts a wide range of international qualifications, including A-levels, the International Baccalaureate, the US High School Diploma with AP or SAT scores, the French Baccalaureate, the German Abitur, and many other national qualifications. You should consult the Oxford University international qualifications page to confirm that your specific qualification is accepted before applying.
Second, your grades, whether achieved or predicted, must meet the minimum grade requirements for the specific undergraduate course you wish to study at Oxford. Oxford’s grade requirements vary significantly by course, with some of the most competitive courses such as Medicine, Mathematics, and Computer Science requiring the highest possible grades. You must check the requirements for your chosen course specifically, not just a general Oxford threshold.
Third, you must have met, or be on track to meet, the University of Oxford’s English language requirements for your chosen undergraduate course. Oxford accepts several English language tests including IELTS, TOEFL, and others. Students from countries where English is the primary language of instruction in secondary school may be exempt. Again, you should verify the specific requirements for your chosen course.
EIT Selection Criteria
Beyond the Oxford entry requirements, EIT applies its own selection criteria to every Ellison Scholars applicant. These criteria reflect what EIT is actually looking for in the scholars it supports, and they go well beyond academic grades. EIT evaluates applicants on six core qualities:
Alignment: Applicants must demonstrate a deep understanding of and commitment to EIT’s vision and at least one of the four humane endeavours. This alignment must be evidenced through concrete experience and achievements relevant to one or more of EIT’s projects, not just a general interest in science or technology. In practice, this means that reviewers want to see Olympiad medals, published research, hackathon wins, patents, founded ventures, or other tangible evidence that you have already done something measurable in a relevant field.
Excellence: Applicants must be high performers who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to apply knowledge critically and effectively to real-world problems. The programme is not designed for students who simply meet Oxford’s admissions bar; it is designed for those who exceed it in ways that are visible and verifiable.
Innovation: EIT looks for visionary learners who embrace technological advancements with creativity, challenge conventional thinking, and explore innovative solutions to achieve transformative outcomes. If you are a person who approaches problems differently from your peers and has examples to prove it, this criterion is where that comes through.
Collaboration: Scholars must be trusted collaborators who can build strong relationships, foster teamwork, and bring people together toward shared goals. The programme involves working in teams with other scholars and with EIT research staff. The ability to work productively across disciplines and with people from different backgrounds is essential.
Tenacity: EIT looks for tenacious achievers who view setbacks as learning opportunities and demonstrate resilience and determination in the face of challenges. Research and innovation are rarely straightforward, and EIT wants scholars who will persist through difficulty rather than retreat from it.
Integrity: Scholars must be trustworthy people who value honesty, foster openness, and build trust through their commitment to collective success. This reflects EIT’s broader culture, which is built around the idea that scientific progress requires an environment of candor and mutual accountability.
Fields of Study and Preferred Disciplines
One of the genuinely attractive features of the Ellison Scholars programme is that it is open to students applying for any undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford. You are not required to study a specific subject. That said, EIT is particularly interested in students with skills and knowledge in the following fields, though this list is explicitly not exhaustive:
- Computer Science
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Mathematics
- Engineering (all disciplines)
- Biology and Microbiology
- Chemistry
- Medicine
- Plant Sciences
- Robotics
- Economics
- Physics
Strong candidates who believe they have skills and experiences that would benefit one of EIT’s projects are explicitly encouraged to apply even if their field is not on this list. The programme has welcomed applicants from humanities and social science backgrounds where those applicants can demonstrate clear alignment with one of the four humane endeavours.
What the Scholarship Covers: Full Benefits
The Ellison Scholars programme provides a comprehensive financial package that is designed to remove every financial barrier to studying at Oxford and participating fully in EIT’s work. Here is a breakdown of what the scholarship covers.
Full University Course Fees
The scholarship funds all course fees at the University of Oxford for the full duration of the undergraduate degree. Oxford’s international undergraduate fees vary by course but are typically among the highest of any university in the United Kingdom. Having these fees covered in full is the foundational financial benefit of the programme.
Generous Living Stipend
In addition to tuition, Ellison Scholars receive a generous stipend designed to cover travel, accommodation, and living expenses throughout their time in Oxford. The exact stipend amount is not publicly specified on a fixed per-year basis, but EIT describes it as generous and sufficient to cover the cost of living in Oxford comfortably. This is important because Oxford is an expensive city, and a scholarship that only covers fees while leaving scholars to fund their own living costs is not truly full funding.
Paid Summer Internships
During each long vacation (summer) between academic years, Ellison Scholars complete a ten-week internship at EIT. These internships are described as equivalent to paid positions. Scholars work with EIT research teams on existing projects across one or more of the four humane endeavours. This is not an unpaid work experience placement; it is a structured, paid, research and innovation engagement that forms a core part of the programme.
Travel Costs
Costs associated with traveling to Oxford and between Oxford and EIT facilities are covered as part of the scholarship package. For international students, this includes flights and, where applicable, visa-related costs associated with the scholarship.
Conference and Event Support
Scholars have support available for participation in relevant academic and professional conferences, giving them the opportunity to present their work and build their professional networks within the global research and innovation community.
Technology and Equipment
Scholars receive access to a personal computer and technology setup as part of the programme’s support package, ensuring they have the tools they need to participate fully in both their academic work and their EIT internship projects.
Healthcare
Scholars have access to healthcare facilities as part of the programme’s support structure. For international students coming to the UK for the first time, knowing that healthcare access is covered as part of the scholarship removes one significant source of uncertainty.
State-of-the-Art Facilities
Ellison Scholars gain access to EIT’s facilities throughout their time in the programme. As the new Oxford campus reaches completion in 2027, this will include specialized robotics labs, genomic sequencing and proteomic analysis laboratories, cloud-controlled agricultural research greenhouses, and advanced AI computing infrastructure. These are research facilities that most universities in the world simply do not have.
Welcome Retreat and Community Events
At the beginning of the academic year, Ellison Scholars attend a dedicated Welcome Retreat, an exclusive residential gathering that brings the scholar cohort together before the term begins. The retreat includes expert talks and Q and A sessions with leaders from EIT and beyond, goal-setting workshops, and activities designed to build the strong peer relationships that will sustain scholars throughout their time in the programme. This is followed by year-round events including leadership and innovation programming, expert talks, networking opportunities, and social activities.
The Application Timeline: Step by Step
The application process for the 2027 Ellison Scholars cohort follows a structured multi-stage timeline. Understanding this timeline is essential because the scholarship application process and the separate Oxford admissions process run concurrently but independently, and confusing the two is one of the most common mistakes applicants make.
Stage 1: Application Window (May to July 2026)
The application window for the 2027 cohort opened on 1 May 2026 and closes on 31 July 2026. During this period, candidates submit their application directly to the Ellison Scholars programme through EIT’s online application portal. This is separate from the University of Oxford’s undergraduate admissions process (UCAS), which runs on its own timeline.
In your Ellison Scholars application, you will need to demonstrate your eligibility by confirming that you meet Oxford’s entry requirements for your chosen course, and you will need to address EIT’s selection criteria, particularly your alignment with at least one of the four humane endeavours. You will need to create an account on the application portal, fill in your personal and contact information, provide your education details, upload a copy of your passport or national ID, upload a passport-sized photograph, and submit the required supporting documents and written responses.
Stage 2: Semi-Finalist Selection (September to October 2026)
After the application window closes, EIT reviews all submitted applications and selects semi-finalists. Semi-finalists are notified during September and October 2026. Being selected as a semi-finalist means that EIT believes you have the potential to become an Ellison Scholar, but your status is still conditional on gaining admission to the University of Oxford.
At this stage, semi-finalists are required to apply separately to the University of Oxford through the standard UCAS application process. The Oxford application deadline for undergraduate entry is typically in October each year, which means semi-finalists who are notified in September will need to submit their Oxford application very quickly after receiving the EIT semi-finalist notification. This is why it is important to have already researched your chosen Oxford course, prepared your personal statement, and arranged your references before you hear back from EIT.
Stage 3: Finalists Identified (January to February 2027)
University of Oxford admissions decisions are typically communicated to UCAS applicants in January. Semi-finalists who receive an offer of admission from the University of Oxford automatically progress to the Ellison Scholars finalist stage. EIT then conducts its final selection process among the pool of finalists. This final selection involves evaluation by EIT faculty, which may include interviews or additional assessment.
Stage 4: Scholars Announced (March to April 2027)
Ellison Scholars for the 2027 cohort are selected, onboarded, and officially announced between March and April 2027. Successful scholars receive support from EIT’s Education and Scholarships team as they prepare for their arrival in Oxford.
Stage 5: Scholars Begin Their Studies (October 2027)
Ellison Scholars begin their first academic year at the University of Oxford in October 2027, simultaneously beginning their engagement with EIT Oxford. Their first summer internship at EIT takes place the following summer, between their first and second years at Oxford.
How to Apply: A Practical Guide
Here is a practical breakdown of what you need to do to submit a strong application for the Ellison Undergraduate Scholars Programme 2027.