Applications Open for Wallace Watson Award, Research Award and Career Scholarship

Wallace Watson Award

Applications are invited for the 2025 Wallace Watson Award

by the deadline of 9am Monday 10 February 2025

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 2026.

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 £3,000 has been awarded to individual winning applicants. In exceptional circumstances more may be considered.

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 and 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 of Hilary term 2026.

Application process

The application should include the following information and be emailed to the Master’s Office (masters.office@stcatz.ox.ac.uk) by 9am, 10 February 2025.

1. Synopsis of application (no more than 50 words)
2. Objective/purpose (no more than 25 words)
3. Where do you intend to go?
4. When do you intend to go and for how long?
5. Members of the team – to include college, year of matriculation, course
6. What risk analysis have you done?
7. Costs – please list your likely expenditure, including on equipment
8. Full plans – please provide as comprehensive a set of plans as you can at this stage

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed on 21 February 2025, and the winner announced at the Wallace Watson Award Lecture on 13 March 2025.

Background

At the time of his death in 2001 Wallace Watson was an undergraduate in his first year at St Catherine’s studying for a Masters in Chemistry.

He had achieved much in his short life through combining determination with consideration for others, and success with modesty and humour.  He had an inner strength of character and an innate wisdom, both developed through his life in all manner of ways.  Of particular note were the challenges he set himself academically and in the mountains, where he discovered strengths well beyond what he imagined.  Those strengths were not lost: indeed, they were applied in many aspects of his life.

In his travels he had started down the road that brings an appreciation of other cultures and ways of life that broadens the mind and outlook on life.

 

Wallace Watson Research Award

Applications are invited for the 2025 Wallace Watson Research Award

by the deadline of 9am Monday 10 February 2025

Objective

To encourage and assist undergraduate members of St Catherine’s College, Oxford to undertake research and/or a dissertation that challenged them academically and that would open-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 and 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.office@stcatz.ox.ac.uk) by 9am, 10 February 2025.

1. Synopsis of application (no more than 50 words)
2. Objective/purpose (no more than 25 words)
3. Will the research/dissertation take you away from Oxford and, if so, where?
4. When do you intend to undertake the research/dissertation for how long?
5. Costs
6. Full plans – please set out your plans as they stand at this stage

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed on 21 February 2025, and the winner announced at the Wallace Watson Award Lecture on 13 March 2025.

Background

At the time of his death in 2001 Wallace Watson was an undergraduate in his first year at St Catherine’s studying for a Masters in Chemistry.

He had achieved much in his short life through combining determination with consideration for others, and success with modesty and humour.  He had an inner strength of character and an innate wisdom, both developed through his life in all manner of ways.  Of particular note were the challenges he set himself academically and in the mountains, where he discovered strengths well beyond what he imagined.  Those strengths were not lost: indeed, they were applied in many aspects of his life.

Leading on from the success of the Wallace Watson Award, which was established just after his death to give others the opportunities that Wallace grasped with both hands, the College and the Watson family decided to launch the Wallace Watson Research Award, which will be awarded for the first time in 2025.

Well before his untimely death Wallace had had his career well planned out many years ahead. This was typical of his forward thinking and desire to have a vision for his future. This new award sets out to encourage and enable students to open up their own vision for their future.

 

Wallace Watson Career Scholarship

Applications are invited for the 2025 Wallace Watson Career Scholarship

by the deadline of 10 February 2025

Objective

To encourage and assist graduate and undergraduate members of St Catherine’s College, Oxford to visit anywhere in the world to further their academic development and/or career.

Eligibility

Graduate and final-year undergraduate members 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.  In exceptional circumstances an extended completion date would be considered.

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 and 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.

Application process

The application should include the following information and be emailed to the Master’s Office (masters.office@stcatz.ox.ac.uk) by 9am, 10 February 2025.

1. Synopsis of application (no more than 50 words)
2. Objective/purpose (no more than 25 words)
3. Where do you intend to go?
4. When do you intend to go and for how long?
5. What risk analysis have you done?
6. Costs – please list your likely outgoings
7. Full plans – please set out your objective and plans as comprehensively as you can at this stage

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed on 21 February 2025, and the winner announced at the Wallace Watson Award Lecture on 13 March 2025.

Background

At the time of his death in 2001 Wallace Watson was an undergraduate in his first year at St Catherine’s studying for a Masters in Chemistry.

He had achieved much in his short life through combining determination with consideration for others, and success with modesty and humour.  He had an inner strength of character and an innate wisdom, both developed through his life in all manner of ways.  Of particular note were the challenges he set himself academically and in the mountains, where he discovered strengths well beyond what he imagined.  Those strengths were not lost: indeed, they were applied in many aspects of his life.

In his travels he had started down the road that brings an appreciation of other cultures and ways of life that broadens the mind and outlook on life.

Leading on from the success of the Wallace Watson Award, which was established just after his death to give others the opportunities that Wallace grasped with both hands, the College and the Watson family decided to launch the Wallace Watson Career Scholarship, which was awarded for the first time in 2020.

Well before his untimely death Wallace had had his career well planned out many years ahead. This was typical of his forward thinking and desire to have a vision for his future.  This new scholarship sets out to encourage and assist students to fulfil their own vision for their future.