Funding is available from Somerville towards the cost of course-related activity such as medical electives.
Application – BMBCH Funding for Travel and Projects
Eligibility
Enrolled Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (BMBCH) students are eligible. Please note that the following students are not eligible:
- Suspended students
- Finalists whose project will be completed after the end of their course
Applicants should be in need of financial support for course-related activity such as medical electives. Students should also apply for other funding sources such as Department travel grants. The planned travel or project must start after a certain date each term and end before your course completion date. In Michaelmas Term, projects must start after Wednesday 11th November. It is not possible to be considered for retrospective funding unless there are exceptional circumstances. If you feel this applies to you, please explain the exceptional circumstances in your application.
Please note that the following costs will not be funded:
- The purchase or hire of equipment will not be funded.
- The cost of employing other people or organisations to work on projects will not be funded.
- The cost of travelling from outside Oxford to the project location will only be funded if it is lower than the equivalent cost of travelling from Oxford.
- Students undertaking internships can only apply for support with accommodation, subsistence and travel. Funding cannot be used to provide a salary for unpaid internships.
- Travel to places where students are usually resident when not in Oxford will not normally be funded.
Please note that rather than applying for a specific award, students will be asked to confirm the primary purpose of their project. The Committee will then decide which funding should be used.
Award levels
Environmental sustainability is integral to Somerville’s commitment to social responsibility. Students who are applying for funding for travel within Europe are incentivised to choose lower carbon travel solutions. Lower award levels will apply unless there are exceptional circumstances. These could include disabilities that prevent long train journeys, caring responsibilities or the need to avoid travelling through particular countries. For the purposes of these awards, the countries on this list are considered to be within Europe. Students should refer to the University’s Guide to Sustainable Business Travel for information about reducing carbon emissions. They are also encouraged to offset flights using an offsetting scheme compliant with the Gold Standard. Students can apply for more than the annual allowance in one academic year up to the maximum amount over the length of the course. The same guidance would apply.
STANDARD ALLOWANCE Each academic year, students are eligible for the standard allowance if all projects involve travel within the UK (not flying) or outside Europe (flying or not flying). Any unspent funding will roll over to the next academic year up to the standard allowance.
HIGHER ALLOWANCE Each academic year, students are eligible for the higher allowance if all projects involve travel within Europe (not flying). Any unspent funding will roll over to the next academic year up to the higher allowance.
LOWER ALLOWANCE Each academic year, students are eligible for the lower allowance if any of the projects involve travel within the UK (flying) or Europe (flying). This applies even if other projects in the same year would otherwise be eligible for standard or higher awards. Any unspent funding will roll over to the next academic year up to the lower allowance.
| BMBCH students | STANDARD ALLOWANCE Travel within the UK (not flying) or outside Europe (flying or not flying) | HIGHER ALLOWANCE Travel within Europe (not flying) | LOWER ALLOWANCE Travel within the UK (flying) or Europe (flying) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £500 | £600 | £400 |
| Year 2 | £500 | £600 | £400 |
| Years 3 and 4 | £500 | £600 | £400 |
| Maximum over length of course | £1,500 | £1,800 | £1,200 |
Application process
Please complete the application form. The deadline is 12 noon on Monday 26th October and late applications will not be accepted unless there are exceptional circumstances. If you are applying for funding for multiple projects, please submit a separate application for each one. If you require funding to attend an event such as a conference, please submit an application even if your place is not yet confirmed. Please ensure that you check your responses carefully. If there are any significant errors, your application will not be accepted. We recommend that you save a copy of your responses for future reference. Your application will be shared with your Personal Tutor at Somerville so you do not need to do this, but please discuss it with them before applying.
Application and project deadlines
Applications are accepted each term.
| Term | Application deadline | Project must start after this date |
|---|---|---|
| Michaelmas Term 2026 | 12 noon on Monday 26th October (3rd week) | Wednesday 11th November (5th week) |
| Hilary Term 2027 | 12 noon on Monday 1st February (3rd week) | Wednesday 17th February (5th week) |
| Trinity Term 2027 | 12 noon on Monday 10th May (3rd week) | Wednesday 26th May (5th week) |
Decisions
All applications will be acknowledged once the deadline has passed. Decisions will be made by Somerville College Travel and Special Project Grants Committee in November.
Payments
Payments will only be made to students if their battels have been cleared or they have agreed a payment plan with the Treasury. Students are required to submit reports from any previously funded projects before payment will be made.
Reporting
Successful applicants will be expected to submit a report after the completion of their project.
Queries
If you have any queries, please email student.funding@some.ox.ac.uk
