Programme outline
The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust was established in 1958 by the
late Mr Harry Oppenheimer in memory of his father, Sir Ernest, and has a
long tradition of investing in education and related fields. The Harry
Oppenheimer Fellowship was initiated by the Trustees some seventeen
years ago and is the Trust's most prestigious award.
This Award focuses unambiguously on excellence and
exceptional scholarship. It is granted to candidates of the highest
calibre to enable them to undertake a programme of cutting edge,
internationally significant work
The Award carries a monetary value of R1.5 million
Degree level
Researcher
Deadlines
The application deadline for written applications or
nomination is Monday, 30 October 2017. Incomplete submissions will not
be considered.
Who can apply
The Trust is calling for nominations from South African
Universities, Science Councils, Research & Policy Institutes, and
other institutions or agencies of similar national standing.
The Trust will also consider applications from individuals who do not have specific institutional affiliations
The Trust will consider candidates who:
• are residents of South Africa (age is not a factor in selection
• are outstanding achievers and very well established in their field
• are regarded as leading scholars internationally, have
undertaken advanced research for many years and have a track record of
sustained intellectual effort
• present submissions that describe a clearly focused and
specific project that offers a 'visionary idea' that represents a
paradigm shift in current thinking, seeks to make important discoveries
and contributes significantly to new knowledge
• demonstrate a commitment to transferring skills and building capacity in South Africa
Special consideration will also be given to the following points:
• The value of the proposed work: its particular
application to teaching, research and development in South Africa; its
potential to push the frontiers of knowledge in the given field or area
of interest; its contribution to the advancement or application of
knowledge in the service of society
• The coherence and practicability of the proposed
programme and its feasibility within the limit set for the Award and the
given timeframe of approximately one year
• The candidate's proven achievement and his or her ability to profit from the use of the Award.
By proven achievement the Trust would be looking for
candidates who have inter alia: attracted research funding on a
competitive basis; published peer-reviewed articles in high-impact
journals
or scholarly books through high-profile publishers; successfully
supervised graduate students to completion; and secured invitations to,
and seats on, international bodies and institutions.
Fields of study
Education and related fields of study
Application process
Incomplete submissions will not be considered
Short-listed candidates or finalists should be available for interviews late January / early February 2018
Awards are made at the discretion of the Trustees
All submissions should be delivered to the offices of the Trust:
1st Floor
No. 9 St. David's Park
St. David's Place
Parktown 2193
or submitted electronically to e-mail CDigby@omt.org.za
1) The Guiding Principles
• The Award seeks to attract world-class candidates with
visionary ideas based on an exceptionally well-developed grasp of a
field or topic
• It is intended to enable scholars based in South Africa to
undertake a programme of work that will 'build the academy' and
contribute richly to intellectual life.
• It aims to strengthen relationships and partnerships between local and international institutions and the Trust.
2) Criteria
Written submissions must be supported by the following information:
• An up-to-date curriculum vitae (not exceeding 6 pages)
• A complete list of publications (by way of an annexure)
• A brief synopsis in lay terms (2 to 3 A4 pages) of the work to be
undertaken, together with a written motivation explaining the reasons
for the work
• Details of the proposed work programme, including estimated timeframes
and costs (specifying the major components of the budget and associated
expenses within the limit set and based on realistic needs) and
commentary on the envisaged outputs and outcomes
• Current reports from at least four highly-placed referees of
international standing who are familiar with the candidate's work.
Referees should be properly briefed about the nature of the Award and
its significance so that their remarks are directed appropriately and
their reports must be submitted under separate and confidential cover
directly to the Trust. The Trust reserves the right to contact referees
or other experts for further information
• Note: Electronic submissions must be made in ZIP file format
comprising five parts – CV, record of publications, synopsis, motivation
and work programme – as indicated in the guidelines
3) Nominations, Applications & Selection Process
• The Trust will consider nominations from institutions (the preferred
route) as well as applications from individuals who do not have specific
institutional affiliations
• Institutions are requested to publicise the Award internally and
actively seek out and encourage their best candidates to apply,
including candidates who may have been nominated or short-listed in
prior years. There is no limit to the number of nominations that may be
made by any one institution but each nominee will require formal
endorsement in the form of letters from his or her Vice-Chancellor,
Principal, Rector, Chairperson or Chief Executive or one of their
Deputies (as appropriate)
• Candidates without institutional affiliations may apply directly to the Trust
• The Trust will engage in a formal selection process and no correspondence on its decision will be entered into
Documents and links
Note
Please note that this opportunity is not offered by the Department
of Higher Education and Training. Applicants are required to undertake
their own research into programmes and institutions. If there are any
discrepancies in the details provided, the information given by the
sponsor supersedes the details provided above.
