Meet Sarah, Exeter’s first Academic Futures Scholar

Becoming the first recipient of the Academic Futures Graduate Scholarship at Exeter College is an absolute honour. The Academic Futures scheme was formed to increase access to postgraduate degrees at Oxford and support the University’s strive towards equality. The scholarship covers course fees in full and includes a grant for living costs. It is the very reason I have been able to commence my doctoral studies in Population Health.

I’m passionate about applying economics to inform evidence-based decision making for health policy in resource-constrained settings. My DPhil research will therefore conduct health economic analyses to understand the economic impact of childhood cancers in low- or middle-income countries. Capturing these insights may provide valuable evidence into the costs that health systems and wider society face when treating childhood cancer, and highlight cost-effective interventions for patients at risk of treatment non-adherence.

Thanks to the financial support of the Academic Futures scholarship, I can dedicate more time to my research, and involve myself in the rich variety of wider academic and extra-curricular opportunities that Exeter College and the University have to offer. Moreover, being part of a community of other scholars has helped remarkably in settling into Oxford life, as well as making wonderful friends. I am glad to be a scholar within such a welcoming and vibrant college, with an incredibly rich history.

In short, I am very grateful for the donors who have turned my dreams into reality. I am inspired to one day use my own skills and resources to support the next generation of Oxford scholars.

Learn more about the Academic Futures scheme here.