Summer Internship Programme funding

Fung Foundation Internship Awards

The Fung Foundation provides awards for students undertaking internships in China, in both for-profit and not-for profit organisations. The awards have proved invaluable, as students tend not to be paid for undertaking internships in China, although most organisations offer free accommodation, meals, and language classes. Some will also cover the cost of international travel. After Covid-19, the funding has allowed us to re-establish and maintain our partnerships in the country, and provide an extensive network of opportunities to our students. The Fung Internship Awards are only available to undergraduates and students may only receive one award from the Foundation during their studies at the University of Oxford.

Quantitative Methods Awards for Social Scientists

Oxford’s Q-Step Centre has provided Q-Step Internship Awards since their launch in 2014. Undergraduate students from the Social Sciences Division (or students studying part of a joint degree in Social Sciences) can receive awards to undertake an internship which focuses on the development of quantitative methods skills. The internships are particularly relevant for first year students who have studied the Q-Step module. The awards come attached to internships advertised through the Summer Internship Programme, which are listed on CareerConnect.

Please note that students who are studying Economics and Management, and History and Economics will not be eligible for this award.

It is a condition of the award that students will be required to provide feedback about the internship and the development of their quantitative methods skills in the work place.

Innovation Award

The University of Oxford has provided funds to support internships in innovation, in a variety of sectors. These grants are pre-allocated to particular placements as indicated on the summer internship description on CareerConnect. 

The Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) is for innovative internships, with projects including: 
•    Future proofing 
•    Cutting edge technologies 
•    Novel technologies 
•    Innovative projects 
•    Collaborative approaches 
•    Innovative art ideas 
•    Innovative sustainable solutions 
•    Innovative eco projects 

Turing Scheme

The University is pleased to have secured an allocation of Turing Scheme funding towards living costs for specific student opportunities in the 2025/26 academic year, including selected internships offered through the Summer Internship Programme. The Turing Scheme is the UK government's funding programme for outgoing global study or work abroad activities, with enhanced funding available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Grants provided for the selected summer internships will be calculated according to the exact length of the internship and the country being visited. The mobility grant is intended to be a contribution to the costs of internship abroad and is not a full maintenance grant.

Successful candidates will be contacted by the Student Fees and Funding team and asked to complete an additional set of grant documentation relating to their placement, to ensure they remain eligible for funding. The awards will be paid in GB Pounds in two instalments, with 80% payable at the start of the internship and the remaining 20% shortly after the internship finishes, and upon submission of the required documentation.

Eligibility criteria:

• Internships must be in-person and meet the minimum duration of 14 days.
• Internships must take place before 31 August 2026. If an internship ends after the 31st of August, the majority of the placement must take place before then, and must also meet the minimum duration of 2 weeks, as specified above. Funding will not be provided for any period after the 31st of August 2026.
• Funding will be released only to successful students who have completed the ‘Planning for a Safe Internship: Fieldwork Training' e-learning course, provided by the Internship Office.
• Students must ensure that they have made all appropriate arrangements for visas & insurance. Please visit the University’s Study Abroad webpage, the International travel and work experience visas webpage, and the UK Government’s travel advice page, as well as the relevant embassy/consulate website for more information.
• Students must either be enrolled or have recently graduated to be eligible. Funds are not available to suspended students.
• FCDO travel guidance must be followed, and funding will not be provided where FCDO advice is not followed.
• Participants from disadvantaged backgrounds who meet specific eligibility criteria may be considered for an additional top-up fund. Please see our PDF for details of the eligibility criteria for additional funding.
• The final amount of your grant is calculated in relation to the actual duration of your placement abroad. If you fail to maintain your eligibility or your placement duration changes (i.e. if you terminate your placement, finish your placement early, or do not submit all the required documentation), you will be obliged to either return the whole amount of the grant already paid or return the overpaid amount (in cases of early returns).
• Students can receive a maximum of 12 months of funding throughout the course of their degree, and therefore students who have already received funding for an activity abroad administered by the Student Fees and Funding team, or plan to apply for a grant to support their year abroad later in their degree may not be eligible. If students are concerned about this requirement they can contact the Student Fees and Funding team at [email protected].

In addition, you should keep all your receipts of expenses as an evidence of costs as these might be requested by the Student Fees and Funding team at any stage.

Grant Rates 2025/26

We reserve the right to recoup all or part of the cost of the award if you do not complete the internship.

If Oxford students require additional support for their internship, they should consider applying to alternative funding sources.

College & Department Funding

Many Oxford colleges and departments have travel/internship grants available to which you can apply for. We would strongly encourage you to contact your college or department as soon as possible to explore the options which may be available to you as application deadlines can be very early.