Applications Open for Wallace Watson Award, Research Award and Career Scholarship
Applications are invited from graduate and undergraduate students at St Catherine’s College for
- Wallace Watson Award 2026
- Wallace Watson Research Award 2026
- Wallace Watson Career Scholarship 2026
These are prestigious awards and the winner of the Wallace Watson Award will give a lecture in Hilary Term 2027. Other winners may also be asked to do so.
Applications should be submitted by 9am on Monday 9 February 2026 to masters.office@stcatz.ox.ac.uk – and any questions you have about the award may be sent here too.
Further Particulars
Wallace Watson Award
Applications are invited for the 2026 Wallace Watson Award
by the deadline of 9am, Monday 9th February 2026
Objective
To encourage and assist undergraduate and graduate members of St Catherine’s College, Oxford to undertake expeditions or travel of a challenging nature and thereby foster an inner strength of character and a broadening of the mind.
Eligibility
Any individual or group of individuals, who are undergraduate or graduate members of St Catherine’s at the time of application.
The expedition/travel to be undertaken should be in a mountainous and/or remote region anywhere in the world and take place by 31 January 2027.
Amount awarded
The amount to be awarded will take account of
- the quality of the winning application(s)
- the costs associated with the expedition/travel
In previous years between £750 and £3,500 has been awarded to individual winning applicants.
Selection
The winner(s) will be selected by a panel and be measured against
- the challenge associated with the expedition or travel
- the ability of the individual applicant(s)
- the extent to which the applicant(s) would gain a greater ability and self confidence in handling physical and mental adversity
- the extent to which the applicant(s) would gain a better appreciation of other cultures and ways of life
- the desire of the College to associate the Award with a prestigious activity
- the quality of the application
The Selection Panel that will interview shortlisted candidates will consist of the Master, a Fellow of St Catherine’s College, and members of Wallace Watson’s family.
Report and Lecture
The winner of the Award will be expected to write a report for the Master within six months of return and give a lecture in Week 8 Hilary term 2027.
Application Process
The application should include the following information and be emailed to the Master’s Office (masters.events@stcatz.ox.ac.uk) by 9am, Monday 9th February 2026.
- Synopsis of application (no more than 50 words)
- Objective/purpose (no more than 25 words)
- Where do you intend to go?
- When do you intend to go and for how long?
- Members of the team – to include college, year of matriculation, course
- What risk analysis have you done?
- Costs – please list your likely expenditure, including on equipment
- Full plans – please provide as comprehensive a set of plans as you can at this stage
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed on Monday, 23rd February 2026. The winner will be announced at the Wallace Watson Award Lecture, which will take place on the evening of Thursday, 12th March 2026.
Wallace Watson Research Award
Applications are invited for the 2026 Wallace Watson Research Award
by the deadline of 9am, Monday 9th February 2026
Objective
To encourage and assist undergraduate members of St Catherine’s College, Oxford to undertake research and/or a dissertation that challenges them academically and opens up future academic opportunities.
Eligibility
Undergraduate members of St Catherine’s at the time of application.
The research/dissertation to be undertaken by the end of the following academic year.
Amount awarded
The amount to be awarded will take account of
- the quality of the winning application(s)
- the costs associated with the research/dissertation
Selection
The winner(s) will be selected by a panel and be measured against
- the challenge associated with the research/dissertation
- the ability of the individual applicant(s)
- the extent to which the applicant(s) may benefit from the challenge
- the extent to which the research/dissertation would open-up future academic opportunity
- the desire of the College to associate the Award with a prestigious activity
- the quality of the application and its potential impact
The Selection Panel that will interview shortlisted candidates will consist of the Master, a Fellow of St Catherine’s College, and members of Wallace Watson’s family.
Report and lecture
The winner of the Award is required to submit a report to the Master within a month of completion. They may also be asked to give a short address at the Wallace Watson Award Lectures, which take place in Week 8 of Hilary Term.
Application process
The application should include the following information and be emailed to the Master’s Office (masters.events@stcatz.ox.ac.uk) by 9am, Monday 9th February 2026.
- Synopsis of application (no more than 50 words)
- Objective/purpose (no more than 25 words)
- Will the research/dissertation take you away from Oxford and, if so, where?
- When do you intend to undertake the research/dissertation for how long?
- Costs
- Full plans – please set out your plans as they stand at this stage
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed on Monday, 23rd February 2026, and the winner announced at the Wallace Watson Award Lecture on Thursday, 12th March 2026.
Wallace Watson Career Scholarship
Applications are invited for the 2026 Wallace Watson Career Scholarship
by the deadline of 9am, Monday 9th February 2026
Objective
To encourage and assist graduate and final-year undergraduate members of St Catherine’s College, Oxford to travel to anywhere in the world to further their academic development and/or career.
Eligibility
Any undergraduate in their final year or graduate member of St Catherine’s at the time of application.
The scholarship may be undertaken in any country and should have been completed by the end of the next academic year.
Amount awarded
The amount awarded will take account of
- the quality of the winning application
- the costs
It might typically be anywhere between £500 and £2,000, although greater amounts will be considered in exceptional circumstances.
Selection
The winner(s) will be selected by a panel and measured against
- the ability of the individual applicant
- the extent to which the applicant’s academic development and/or future career would benefit
- the desire of the College to associate the Career Scholarship with a prestigious activity
- the rigour of preparation and the proposal
The Selection Panel that will interview shortlisted candidates will consist of the Master, a Fellow of St Catherine’s College, and members of Wallace Watson’s family.
Report and lecture
The winner is required to submit an essay on the impact of their experience to the Master within a month of their return. They may also be asked to give a short address at the Wallace Watson Award Lectures, which take place in Week 8 of Hilary Term 2027.
Application process
The application should include the following information and be emailed to the Master’s Office (masters.events@stcatz.ox.ac.uk) by 9am, Monday 9th February 2026.
- Synopsis of application (no more than 50 words)
- Objective/purpose (no more than 25 words)
- Where do you intend to go?
- When do you intend to go and for how long?
- What risk analysis have you done?
- Costs – please list your likely outgoings
- Full plans – please set out your objective and plans as comprehensively as you can at this stage
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed on Monday, 23 February 2026, and the winner announced at the Wallace Watson Award Lecture on Thursday, 12 March 2026.