Queen Elizabeth Scholarship
The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship, made possible by the generosity of Sir Walter Annenberg, is awarded to outstanding students of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oxford. Penn PhD candidates are invited to apply during the 2025-2026 academic year. Penn and Oxford alternate sending 1 PhD student to the other university as a non-degree visiting student. The next Penn student will be sent to Oxford for the 2026-2027 academic year. The Scholarship covers all fees and provides a stipend of £16,000 (see current US/UK exchange rate for amount in US dollars).
Applicants must be at the dissertation stage or in the final stages of course work in pursuit of a PhD in any subject taught at Oxford University. Preference will be given to American citizens, but non-US citizens are also eligible.
Penn Deadline: Thursday, January 29, 2026, 10:00am Eastern US Time
Penn Application Process
The Penn liaison for the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship accepts applications from individual students, and the Queen Elizabeth Scholar is selected by a committee of Penn faculty. To apply to be one of Penn’s nominees, you must complete the following steps by Penn’s Internal Deadline of Thursday, January 29, 2026, 10:00am Eastern US Time.
- In order to apply, applicants must obtain approval from their Penn graduate department to be a visiting student at Oxford during the 2026-2027 academic year.
- Two recommendation letters are required. As soon as you have arranged for two letters of recommendation, begin a CURF Fellowships Nomination Request for the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship. One letter should be from your current or proposed Penn dissertation supervisor, who should identify her/himself as such in their letter, and the other should come from another Penn faculty member with whom you have studied.
- Additionally you will upload a single PDF which combines
- your CV
- a document listing the department(s) in which you plan to study or conduct research at Oxford
- a description of work you’re planning at Oxford (including resources you’ll utilize) [500-words maximum]
- the name(s), department(s), and email address(es) of faculty member(s) at Oxford you have been in contact with who have indicated a willingness to work with you while you are at Oxford
- copies of email confirmation from each faculty member who has indicated a willingness to work with you at Oxford
- official undergraduate and graduate transcript (please scan these from official transcripts)
- a document noting your intended future occupation
- if you have ever visited the United Kingdom, a document that briefly states the purpose of your visit(s) (e.g., holiday, study abroad, research, etc.).
If you do not receive an email confirming your submission within 4 hours, please IMMEDIATELY email curf@upenn.edu to make sure CURF has received your submission.
- Nominated students will receive further instructions.
Contact Information
Dr. Wallace Genser
Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships
3539 Locust Walk, 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
genser@upenn.edu
You may schedule an appointment with Dr. Genser
Details:
Location
United Kingdom, Europe
Type
Graduate Study, Research
Eligibility
Graduate Student