Ernest Oppenheimer Fund

The University’s Ernest Oppenheimer Fund was created as a result of benefaction of the Rhokana Corporation Limited, the Nchanga Consolidated Copper Mines Limited, and the Rhodesia Broken Hill Development Company Limited.  The Fund’s income is used for the support of teaching and research in surface chemistry and colloid science, predominantly through the award of Fellowships and Studentships.  The Fund is administered by the Committee of Management of the Ernest Oppenheimer Fund, which includes members from the University’s School of the Biological Sciences, School of the Physical Sciences, and School of Technology. 

The Ernest Oppenheimer Early Career Fellowship and the Ernest Oppenheimer Studentship are awarded annually (typically one or two Fellowships and one or two Studentships are awarded in any given year).  Applications open at the start of November, with offers being made the following February for a 1st October (or soon after) start date.

The Ernest Oppenheimer Early Career Research Fellowship is held at the University of Cambridge in colloid science, as broadly interpreted within the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, materials science and engineering; tenure is for three years.  The Fellowship is intended to provide an opportunity for independent research, though the holder usually works in collaboration with an established research group.  Applications are encouraged from researchers who will have completed a PhD and not normally spent more than three years after a PhD viva or defense in postdoctoral research, by 1st October in the scheme year.

The Fellowship provides a stipend (currently £37,694 - £46,049 per annum), research expenses (up to £25,000 per annum), and a contribution may be made towards relocation expenses.  The Fellowship cannot be held concurrently with any other paid position, or position which would normally attract a stipend.

The Ernest Oppenheimer Studentship is held at the University of Cambridge in colloid science, as broadly interpreted within the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, materials science and engineering; the length is three and a half years.  The Studentship is to support research projects directly leading to a PhD.

The Studentship provides a grant at the EPSRC standard rate plus £2000 per annum (currently £23,805 per annum), the University composition fee at the home rate, and a contribution towards consumables and travel costs (£10,000 per annum; special cases for an increase in this figure may be considered at the discretion of the Committee of Management). Overseas students are expected to cover the difference between home and overseas fees, whether through another award or other means.  The maintenance grant is for three and a half years, and the University composition fee payments and contribution towards consumables and travel costs are for three years.

Ernest Oppenheimer Fellows

2023

Dr Oliver Burton (Department of Engineering)

Compressive Spectral Sensing with Colloidal Nanoparticles

Dr Maria Zacharopoulou (Department of Pharmacology)

Design of DNA-Protein Nanostructures against Intracellular Targets in Cancer

2024

Dr Sebastian Krauss (Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology)

Cellular Shells as a Local Pressure Sensor for Targeted Drug Release Check

Dr Glenn Quek (Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry)

Organic Semiconducting Hydrogel with Integrated Microbes and Enzymes for Selective Solar CO2 Conversion

2025

Dr Luca Cocconi (Department of Physics)

Thermodynamic Tradeoffs in Bio-inspired “Smart” Active Colloids

Dr Ghufran Rafique (Department of Biochemistry)

Peptide/Nucleic Acid Coacervate Protocells

Dr George Fulham (Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology)

Plasma Catalysis for Renewably Powered Production of Chemicals and Fuels 

Ernest Oppenheimer Students

2023

Milan Dordevic (Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology)

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Benjamin Thornley (Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy)

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2024

Eero Jaaskelainen (Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy)

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Annika Wegner-Repke (Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry)

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2025

Fernando Enriquez -Barrero (Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry)

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Qingyang Zhang (Department of Physics)

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A biennial event for current Fellows and Students, and alumni, is held. 

The next event will take place on Monday 28 September 2026; further information will be published once available.

Please contact Georgina Fuller (Acting Secretary to the Committee of Management of the Ernest Oppenheimer Fund) with any enquiries.

E: PhysicalSciences@admin.cam.ac.uk