Applications Open: Wallace Watson Award & Wallace Watson Career Scholarship

Applications are invited for the Wallace Watson Award 2020 and the Wallace Watson Career Scholarship 2020. The Wallace Watson Award provides the opportunity for a student or group of students to undertake an expedition of a challenging nature in a remote and/or mountainous region anywhere in the world, and is worth up to £3,000. The Wallace Watson Career Scholarship (to be awarded for the first time in 2020) provides the opportunity for a student to travel to anywhere in the world to further their academic development and/or career, and is worth up to £2,000. Please read the further particulars below for more information.

The awards are open to undergraduate and graduate students of St Catherine’s College.

These are prestigious travel awards and the winners will give a lecture in Hilary Term 2021. The deadline for applications is Thursday 13 February 2020. Applications should be submitted to masters.office@stcatz.ox.ac.uk.

If you have any queries, please contact masters.office@stcatz.ox.ac.uk.

 

Further Particulars

The Award and the Career Scholarship are distinct and awarded separately.  However, they share the same application process and therefore applicants may apply to one or both if they consider it appropriate.

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 will be 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.

Wallace Watson Career Scholarship

Objective: To encourage and assist undergraduate and graduate 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 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.  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 in the order of £2,000, although greater amounts will be considered in exceptional circumstances.

Selection: The winner 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 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, Dr Gabriella Watson (Wallace Watson’s sister), and a Fellow of St Catherine’s College.

Report: The winner is required to submit an essay on the impact of their experience to the Master within a month of their return, with a view to it being published in The Year.

Applications process: Applications for this annual scholarship should be submitted to the Master by 13 February 2020, with details of the

• objectives and plans
• costs
• timings
• resource requirements, if any

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed on 3 March 2020, and the winner announced at the Wallace Watson Award Lecture on 12 March 2020.

Wallace Watson Award

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 2021.

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.

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, Mr & Mrs Watson (Wallace Watson’s parents) and a Fellow of St Catherine’s College.

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 the Hilary term 2021.

Application process: Applications should be submitted to the Master by 13 February 2020, with details of the

• objectives and plans for the expedition/travel
• costs
• timings
• equipment requirements
• participants

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed on 3 March 2020, and the winner announced at the Wallace Watson Award Lecture on 12 March 2020.