Graduate Studentships: Supporting students in Mathematics to challenge scientific boundaries and fulfil their potential
The Mathematical Institute
Mathematics has made a vigorous contribution to the intellectual life of the University for over 800 years and Oxford’s is now the largest single Mathematics Department in the UK. Its faculty are world leaders in fields ranging from algebra, analysis, geometry, logic and number theory to applications in physics, finance, industry, medicine and biology. Recent major initiatives include the Oxford Centre for Collaborative Applied Mathematics (OCCAM), the Oxford Centre for Nonlinear PDE and significant involvement with the Oxford-Man Institute for Quantitative Finance. In the 2008 RAE Oxford was ranked first equal in applied mathematics, third in pure mathematics, and first overall.
Accessing opportunity for graduate students
Recruiting the best and brightest students to undertake doctoral study (DPhil) is a major goal for the Mathematical Institute. Not only are graduate students creative and productive members of research groups but they also help to inspire and enrich the experience of others around them, including undergraduates, faculty and the communities in which they operate.
The Mathematical Institute gives graduate students the opportunity to learn alongside leading researchers in their field, and provides strong links to other research institutions, businesses and industries. Oxford is also able to provide world-class learning facilities and resources including its famous libraries, laboratories, museums and collections. These supply the necessary tools to enable the brightest students to discover new innovative techniques and to achieve significant breakthroughs at the boundaries of mathematics.
The challenge we face
Much of the research council funding received by the Mathematical Institute is limited to particular areas of mathematics, at times leaving significant and much-needed foundation work untouched. This external funding, while essential and very welcome, can place limits on the opportunities available for the brightest and best students wishing to study certain areas of mathematics and work with a supervisor of their choosing.
The Mathematical Institute competes with departments the world over for the best and brightest graduates but at times misses out on many outstanding students because of lack of funds – shortage of funding is the reason most commonly given by students who have been offered a place at Oxford but have been unable to accept – or because of the restrictions imposed by research councils on areas of study. This is clearly a great loss to Oxford, a great loss to mathematics and more importantly these potential future leaders lose a rare opportunity to benefit from the great learning environment that graduate study at Oxford provides.
Reserving an amount of unrestricted funds to attract and support the brightest postgraduates from all areas of the globe to work in key areas of mathematics is therefore a main focus for the Mathematical Institute within the University Campaign.
Matched funding
The Mathematical Institute currently holds an EPSRC doctoral training account, which is funded directly in correlation with the Institute’s research success. One of the benefits of this fund is that it allows the Institute to match any gift made toward an unrestricted graduate scholarship. Under this scheme, it is therefore possible for a donor to fund half a studentship, the other half being matched by the Institute.
The Mathematical Institute wishes to establish a range of unrestricted postgraduate scholarships and now seeks further support to complete its vision for the development of Mathematics at Oxford.
We would be delighted to discuss ways in which benefactors can help us support our brilliant postgraduate community.
See also the specific information on