FAQ

A: There are five universities within our Rotary District: University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, Reading University, Bucks New University in High Wycombe and Brunel University. Clubs in our District also sometimes host Rotary Scholars who are studying in London. This might happen when one of our clubs already has a link to a club or district overseas that is funding a Rotary Scholar to come to London.

A: The scholarship application process is a two-step process. First a club or district will select one or more candidates and commit to providing some of the funding, then the online application will be submitted to the Rotary Foundation grants officers in the head office in Evanston in the USA. This online application is submitted by three parties: the potential scholar, the international Rotarians and the host Rotarians.

The deadline for the first step will vary across clubs and districts and could be from January through to April for studies starting in September/October. The deadline for the second step is 30th June for studies starting in September/October.

A: You cannot apply for a Global Grant Scholarship for undergraduate studies. This scholarship is for graduate study. (In previous years they were offered for undergraduate study but not now.) Some Rotary Clubs offer Scholarships using different funding mechanisms and these might be for undergraduate study. None of the clubs in the Thames Valley Rotary District currently offer these.

A: Global Grant Scholarships are always for overseas study. Some Rotary Clubs offer Scholarships using different funding mechanisms and these might be for local study. None of the clubs in the Thames Valley Rotary District currently offer these.

A: Our Scholarship programme changed in 2012 and this is when the name changed to Global Grant Rotary Scholarship.

A: At the second step of the scholarship application process, the applicant needs to have their university place confirmed. So you apply for the university course first, then the scholarship.

A: No, unfortunately not. All Global Grant Rotary Scholarships need to fit within one or more of the Rotary Foundation’s six Areas of Focus. These are: peace and conflict prevention/resolution; disease prevention and treatment; water and sanitation; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; economic and community development. In addition to this, the applicant’s interests, career and community service to date and planned also need to fit into these Areas of Focus.

A: You can find all the District 1090 clubs on the District website. There’s also a map. There are links from this page to each club website. If you are looking for a host club for your scholarship then it’s better to use the contact form on this scholars website to contact the District Scholars Committee directly. They will match you and your funding club to a host club.

A: No, the Rotary Peace Fellowships and Peace Centres are a separate programme from the Rotary Scholarships. There are six Rotary Peace Centres around the world, and Fellowships are awarded for graduate study, for masters programmes and a professional development certificate. The deadline for Fellowship applications is May each year. Funding is provided by Rotary Foundation’s head office in Evanston, USA, but all applications must be supported by a Rotary District. There is a great website for the Peace Fellowships Programme.

A: If you see posts on this website from someone that you want to contact, then complete the Contact form. We can then contact that person and share your details with them. We cannot give out contact details of our contributors without permission of the person concerned.

A: Yes please, that would be great! Use the Contact form and then one of the web team will give you an email address to which you can send your contribution. You can send text and photos or short videos.

A: Fantastic news! We are always delighted when people who have taken part in Rotary programmes then want to join the organisation. If you are in the UK then you can use the form on the RotaryGBI website (Rotary in Britain and Ireland) to find a club. If you are still in the Thames Valley area then you can use the Contact form on this website or look through the list of clubs on the District 1090 website. Clubs are all quite different – in terms of meeting times, meeting styles, projects and activities, and some have different categories of membership, so visit a few to find one that you like and that fits with your other commitments. There are a few e-clubs in the UK and elsewhere, including the new Thames Valley e-club (more info below). If in doubt then you can start by using the Contact form on this website.

If you are still a Rotary Scholar then you cannot also be a Rotarian, since Rotarians and their immediate families are not eligible to apply for or hold Rotary Scholarships. However you are very welcome to visit clubs, not just your host club, and engage with Rotary as much as you can.

A: Certainly. The Thames Valley eRotary group meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 7.30pm UK time. If you are able to join the meeting then contact secretary Anne, in advance. secretary@thamesvalleyerotary.org  A day or two before the meeting you’ll receive a link by email to access the meeting at the appropriate time using zoom.

Visitors are welcome to join any of the group’s online meetings and the group would be interested to speak with past Rotary Scholars who spent time studying in Oxford or other universities in our District.

http://thamesvalleyerotary.orgHome    Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RotaryThamesValley/

A: Yes please. We love to hear about what you have done since your Scholarship, and one reason for this is that we want to be able to continue to tell people about the value of the Scholarship programme. We have to be careful about holding personal data, so we ask you to do two things:

1. If you have stories to share on this website then please use the Contact form. We’ll email you and then you can send us your contribution.

2. Please register on the Alumni page of the My Rotary site. You can also find information here about setting up an Alumni Association, connecting with local Rotary Clubs and you can download the pdf of the Rotary Alumni Global Service Award recipients.

A: If you are in Rotary District 1090 then there are lots of opportunities to engage with the Rotary Scholars that we host. Use the contact form to let us know if you would like to host a Scholar for the year, or invite one or two to speak at your club meeting, or maybe even organise an event for the group.

A: Use the Contact form to give us details about your club and district and the scholar. We coordinate our hosting at a district level to ensure that the clubs local to our universities are not overwhelmed with requests and so that all those clubs that want to be involved, can be. You will be contacted by either the Chair of the District Foundation Committee or the Chair of the Scholars Committee.

A: No. Almost all of the Rotary Scholars that are hosted by clubs in Rotary District 1090 are funded by Rotary in their home country, often Rotary Districts and sometimes Rotary Clubs. Their funding is matched by funding from the Rotary Foundation World Fund managed by our head office in Evanston, USA.

A: All enquiries regarding scholarships can be directed to the Chair of the District Foundation Committee or the Chair of the Scholars Committee. You can also direct people to this website for further information.

A: Yes, certainly. Clubs can use their own funds to offer different types of scholarships. It may also be possible to apply for a District Grant to support these. Clubs in D1090 interested in this could contact the District Rotary Foundation Chair for advice or use the contact form on this website.