Travel

The Peter Kirk Memorial Fund provides scholarships for students wishing to travel within Europe to undertake independent research into any aspect of modern European culture, granted in accordance with the eligibility criteria. The Scholarships are funded by a generous benefaction raised by the family of the late Sir Peter Kirk MP.

Sir Peter Kirk MP studied at Trinity and obtained an MA in modern history having first studied languages. He was a journalist before being elected to Parliament in 1955, where he served as Under-Secretary of State for Defence (1963-64 and 1970-72). He led the first delegation of British MPs to the European Parliament, of which he was a member from 1973 until his death in 1977.

Eligibility

Scholarships are available to students, aged 17 to 30, currently studying at the University of Oxford at undergraduate or graduate level. Up to 6 scholarships are available and at least half the awards are designated for members of Trinity College. The remainder are targeted at students across the whole of Oxford University. 

Eligible travel must take place during the long vacation in 2024. Applications for travel outside this timeframe will not be considered.

Successful applicants may travel within any part of Europe that is not their country of birth or nationality. For the purposes of the Peter Kirk Travel Scholarships, Europe is defined in the widest geographical sense, and includes non EU-member states.

*Applicants must be nationals of any European state or country (including non EU-member states) or, in the event of them being classed as “stateless”, shall have been either nationals of any European state or country or are in the process of applying for or obtaining the status of national of any European state or country.

The grant

The value of each scholarship is usually up to £2,000, paid in two tranches; the first tranche of £1,000 will be paid before the end of Trinity Term to allow scholars to make travel and accommodation arrangements. The second tranche will be paid on receipt of a written report of approximately 3,000 words. Scholars are required to submit their written reports within two months of returning from their research trips.

The scholarship is not intended to cover all of the scholar’s expenses and applicants must be prepared to supplement it.

How to apply

Applications will open at 9am on Monday 8^th January 2024 for travel in the Summer of 2024.

Applicants must complete and submit the online application form by 5pm on Friday 9^th February 2024.

The selection process will be carried out shortly after the application deadline and the results will be announced by late April / early May.  Shortlisted candidates may be invited to attend a short interview.

Please read the full travel fund information and guidance before applying; you can download it here.

The James and George Whitehead Travel Grant is intended to enable Trinity students to travel abroad just after they have completed their degree. The award holder is required to begin the travel within three months of completing Finals.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this grant, under the terms of the bequest, you must be a Trinity student in the final year of your undergraduate degree course, and of UK nationality. Students reading four-year degrees are eligible to apply in their fourth year. The grant is restricted to students who are anticipating a career in a business or commercial sector in the UK, e.g. manufacturing, banking, accountancy, engineering, financial services, etc. (You would not be eligible, under this bequest, if you are planning a career in sectors such as medicine, education, law or journalism, for example).

Any trip that will broaden an applicant’s experience of different cultures and societies is eligible for consideration.

The grant

The total award offered is £2,000, which may be divided between several students, depending on the applications received.

How to apply

The application window opens at 9am on Monday 8^th January 2024 (0^th week, Hilary Term) and closes at 5pm on Friday 9^th February 2024 (4^th week). The application form can be found here: https://forms.office.com/e/v9AHsDhVmM

Applicants will be asked to give an outline of their proposed itinerary, the estimated costs, and an explanation of the benefits they expect to gain from the travel. Applicants should also state the sector in which they intend to pursue a career. The application should be a maximum of 500 words in length.