Applications are now open for Trinity Term and will close on Monday 8th May.
About the Alice Horsman Fund
The Alice Horsman Fund was established in 1953. Its purpose is:
- To provide alumni with opportunities to travel at such time in their careers as may be of most value to them, in order to either broaden their experience of other countries and their peoples or to carry out research
- To support alumni in a significant career change
Alice Horsman was a Classics student at Somerville College, Oxford. She matriculated in 1908 and was among the first women to be called to the English Bar. She practiced law for many years until deteriorating hearing forced her to end her career. Her law chambers were destroyed in the Blitz in 1940, and in 1943 she bought the Drimnin estate in Morvern, Argyll and took up farming. With her adventurous spirit she took up sailing at the age of 65, cruising across the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean and later across the North Sea to Norway, keeping a medicine cupboard of Scotch whisky on board and never once succumbing to seasickness! She died in 1978 at the age of 89, but her abiding interest in her College never waned in her lifetime.
Eligibility
All Somerville alumni are eligible with the exception of visiting and associate students. Alumni who are currently studying at Somerville are not eligible. It is not possible to use the fund to support course-related travel or research costs incurred by alumni studying at other universities or Oxford colleges. This includes Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery students. Priority will be given to applicants who have not received previous awards.
Applicants should be in need of financial support, and be able to demonstrate that their proposed project meets one of the two aims of the Alice Horsman Fund:
- To support travel in order to either broaden experience or carry out research
- To support a significant career change
The planned travel or project must start after a certain date each term. In Trinity Term, this is Wednesday 24th May. It is not possible to be considered for retrospective funding unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Award levels
Up to £1,000. In exceptional circumstances, it is possible to make awards of up to £2,000.
Application process
- Applicants should complete the application form and email it to the Scholarships and Funding Officer by the relevant deadline. In Trinity Term, this is Monday 8th June. They should also include any evidence of estimated or actual costs.
- Applicants should also arrange for a reference to be submitted to the Scholarships and Funding Officer by Wednesday 17th May.
Application and project deadlines
Applications are accepted each term.
| Term | Deadline for application to be received | Deadline for reference to be received | Deadline for project to start |
| Michaelmas Term 2022 | Monday 17th October | Wednesday 26th October | Wednesday 2nd November |
| Hilary Term 2023 | Monday 23rd January | Wednesday 1st February | Wednesday 8th February |
| Trinity Term 2023 | Monday 8th May | Wednesday 17th May | Wednesday 24th May |
Decisions
Decisions will be made by Somerville College Travel and Special Project Grants Committee.
Reporting
Successful applicants will be expected to submit a report after the completion of their project.
Queries
If you have any queries, please email the Scholarships and Funding Officer.