The Otago Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) supports research projects that advance our understanding of human health, including biomedical sciences and public health.
Funding is available for Otago-based students from across all health science and science disciplines, including medicine.
The OMRF has secured scholarships for research in key areas such as:
- Alzheimer's disease
- Brain and mental health
- Cancer research
- Gastric cancer, palliative care, assisted dying, prostate cancer, or kidney disease
- Two projects funded by the Central Lakes Trust for students from the Central Lakes/Queenstown region (attended a local high school in the last 10 years); OR a project with a specific focus on health delivery in Central Otago, such as a project on evaluating rural health / clinical service delivery (including travel time for outpatients, emergency service response time).
It also administers summer research scholarships on behalf of charitable organisations (subject to confirmation), and welcomes applications across a broad range of topics relevant to human health.
The OMRF is likely to fund between 15–20 scholarships in 2026.
Find out more about The Otago Medical Research Foundation
Applying for an OMRF Scholarship
- Application form (DOCX)
- The closing date is Thursday, 13 August 2026, 5:00pm.
Please note: The online application form will automatically close at 5.00pm on the deadline. After this time, submissions will no longer be accepted, so make sure you submit your application before the closing time.
All applications must be submitted through the online form:
Summer Research Scholarship Programme – Fill in form
Only one PDF file (.pdf) can be submitted. It must contain:
- Coversheet
- Application, including supervisor's letter of support
- Ethical approval(s) (if applicable)
- Full academic record(s) from eVision
Name your file in the following format: surname_firstname.pdf
If you have any questions, please contact:
Dr Manon Knapen
Email summer.research.scholarship@otago.ac.nz