Alumni Scholarships
SCIO alumni scholarships have been funded by a generous gift from Geoffrey and Caroline de Jager, whose commitment to excellence in education and scholarship is longstanding.
Please note that at this time we unfortunately are not able to offer these scholarships. We hope to be able to do so again in the future.
Individual scholarships of £2,500 were previously open to applications from alumni of our SSO and OSP programmes, who are studying for, or have been accepted onto, a graduate degree programme at the University of Oxford. Scholarships were available for graduates conducting research in the following areas:
- Texts and manuscripts with a focus on New Testament studies
- Religion and science
- Subjects in, or broadly related to, SCIO’s teaching field
Find out more about the application process here.
Past awardees
Thomas Hunt
Recipient of the prize: 2020-2021
- From: I’m English and Canadian, having spent about half my life in each country.
- Education: Trinity Western (BA), Regent College (MA), UBC (BEd), Cambridge (MPhil), Oxford (DPhil)
- How did your studies at SCIO prepare you for graduate study? Spending a term at Oxford with SCIO in Michaelmas of 2009 endowed me with the experiences and enthusiasm to continue pursuing my dream of eventual, full-time study at Oxford. It took a lot longer than I expected, but in the end the dream came true and I have SCIO to thank for helping me!
- What were/are you studying when you received the graduate scholarship? DPhil, History
- Tell us about your studies: A lot of my research focuses on intellectual life during WWII and especially on the political, social, and religious thought of T.S. Eliot.
- How has the de Jager grant helped you in your current studies? It makes a difference for a student such as myself who has to self-fund and works multiple part-time jobs in order to meet expenses. Every little bit helps and I’m genuinely grateful!
- What are your aspirations? I hope to continue my career as a published author, expand my work in documentary making, and open a visiting student programme in Oxford for Canadian students.
Emiko Bell
Recipient of the prize: 2019–2020
- From: I’m Japanese and American, and I spent most of my life in Kanagawa, Japan.
- Education: Biola University (BA), Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford (MSc)
- How did your studies at SCIO prepare you for graduate study? My time at SCIO has shaped me to view myself as a competent researcher with the potential to bring change to communities.
- What were/are you studying when you received the graduate scholarship? MSc in Psychological Research, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford.
- Tell us about your studies: I will be building a foundation in research to pursue research in cultural psychology. My main interest is the perception of psychological pain across different cultural groups, and the adaptation of psychotherapy.
- How has the de Jager grant helped you in your current studies? Combined with the Oxford Kobe Scholarship, the de Jager grant helped me actually attend Oxford and continue my studies. Due to the expensive nature of the course, I would not have been able to attend without financial support.
- What are your aspirations? I hope to pursue a doctorate in cultural psychology and become a researcher and an instructor.
Joshua Austin
Recipient of the prize: 2019–2020
- From: Richmond, Virginia
- Education: Gordon College (BA); St. Cross College, Oxford (MSt)
- How did your studies at SCIO prepare you for graduate study? Studies at SCIO allowed me to develop my future graduate dissertation focus through the undergraduate thesis opportunity in Hilary term. I will continue my studies under the same advisor at the Masters level.
- What were/are you studying when you received the graduate scholarship? History of War; Counterinsurgency and ‘Small War’
- Tell us about your studies: My studies focus on recent counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan.
- How has the de Jager grant helped you in your current studies? The grant allows me to focus more on my studies and less on the financial burden. It is a gift of greater financial peace.
- What are your aspirations? I aspire to civil service.
Christy Craig
Recipient of the prize: 2017–2018
- From: Atlanta, Georgia
- Education: College of William and Mary (BA); Jesus College, Oxford (MSc)
- How did your studies at SCIO prepare you for graduate study? The opportunities to engage with students from all over the world, read in Oxford’s many historic libraries, and live at the Vines with other SCIO students were highlights of my SCIO semester. These experiences shaped my views of both community and scholarship, and influenced my decision to return to Oxford as a postgraduate.
- What were/are you studying when you received the graduate scholarship? MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation, Jesus College, Oxford
- Tell us about your studies: My research interests include psycho-social child nutrition programmes and policies.
- How has the de Jager grant helped you in your current studies? This grant has supported my current studies and thesis research on the effectiveness of community-based nutrition management programmes.
- What are your aspirations? I am interested in pursuing either further research or public health evaluation roles.
Olivia Anderson
Recipient of the prize: 2016–2018
- From: Boca Raton, Florida
- Education: Palm Beach Atlantic University (BA); Kellogg College, Oxford (MSt); Lincoln College, Oxford (DPhil)
- How did your studies at SCIO prepare you for graduate study? My time as a SCIO scholar (2013–14) did not disappoint! It taught me the invaluable lessons of enjoying learning for its own sake, of uniting my faith and professional aspirations, and of taking control of my own education.
- What were/are you studying when you received the graduate scholarship? DPhil, English Literature, Lincoln College, Oxford
- Tell us about your studies: My doctoral research focuses on how persecuted Christians in late-seventeenth-century England evangelized through literature. I am fascinated by the personal yet public nature of Christianity, and how writers in the past have illustrated this through the imagination.
- How has the de Jager grant helped you in your current studies? As funding in my department at Oxford is slim, the financial support of SCIO’s alumni scholarship greatly helps to lessen the burden of my fees, which allows me to offer more attention to research. My studies truly would not be possible without SCIO’s continued generosity, kindness, and encouragement.
- What are your aspirations? I hope to continue within academia as a professor, while also applying the valuable lessons of my DPhil to my own creative writing.
Megan Loumagne
Recipient of the prize: 2016–2018
- From: La Verne, Los Angeles, California
- Education: Biola (BA); Christ Church, Oxford (DPhil)
- How did your studies at SCIO prepare you for graduate study? It turned out to be a life-changing experience. Studying in Oxford stretched me beyond my comfort zone and pushed me to develop my skills as a scholar, but all within the context of a supportive community of friends and mentors. This opportunity equipped me with deeper excitement about learning, lifelong friendships, and increased confidence.
- What were/are you studying when you received the graduate scholarship? DPhil in Theology, Christ Church, Oxford
- Tell us about your studies: My doctoral research explores the entanglements of Christian thinking about original sin and sexual difference. It establishes a way of thinking about original sin that addresses some of the challenges raised for the doctrine by developments in evolutionary biology, and it takes into account the possibility of sin manifesting in different gendered ways.
- How has the de Jager grant helped you in your current studies? The generous grant from the de Jager family has contributed to my being able to live and work in Oxford. I am immensely grateful for the continuing impact that SCIO has on my life and scholarship.
Elspeth Currie
Recipient of the prize: 2016–2017
- From: Hamilton, Massachusetts
- Education: Gordon College (BA); Oriel College, Oxford (MSt)
- How did your studies at SCIO prepare you for graduate study? Studying at SCIO challenged me to move beyond easy answers and search for nuanced historical understandings. SCIO’s programme and staff shaped me as a scholar and encouraged me to consider myself as such, motivating my application for Oxford’s MSt.
- What were/are you studying when you received the graduate scholarship? MSt in Women’s Studies, Oriel College, Oxford
- Tell us about your studies: My thesis examined learned mothers and daughters in seventeenth-century England.
- How has the de Jager grant helped you in your current studies? Helped by the de Jager grant, I was able to focus my studies on women’s history and intellectual life.
- What are your aspirations? My time in Oxford developed my love for research, and I plan to begin a doctorate in the next few years.