Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust

The Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust honours Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, the mining magnate who founded Anglo American and chaired De Beers. The Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust ranks among South Africa’s longer-standing academic trusts and has funded postgraduate education for decades.

Registered name

Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust

Type

Charitable trust (education and research)

Fields funded

Master’s, doctoral, post-doctoral and sabbatical study

Website

omt.org.za

Phone

011 551 9502

What BursariesAfrica could verify

The trust’s website loaded without readable content when BursariesAfrica researched this profile on 15 September 2026, so this page relies on a provider record checked in August 2026 and on BursariesAfrica’s earlier guide to the trust’s funding. Readers should confirm current programmes directly with the trust.

Support at the top of the academic ladder

The Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust invests mainly in postgraduate education: master’s and doctoral degrees, post-doctoral research and sabbatical study for academics. The trust supports study both in South Africa and abroad, and aims to develop academic leadership, research capacity and specialist fields that serve South Africa’s national development.

That focus makes the trust different from most bursary funders. Undergraduate students will not usually find support here, while a lecturer planning a sabbatical or a doctoral candidate looking for research funding might.

How to research the trust

Call the trust on 011 551 9502 and ask which programmes are currently accepting applications, the closing dates, and whether the trust funds study abroad in the coming year. Ask as well about the documents needed, since postgraduate awards usually require a research proposal, an academic record and letters of support from supervisors.

Speak to your university’s postgraduate funding office. Research offices often know which trusts, including the Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, have funded students at the university, and staff can advise on how to present a proposal.

The Oppenheimer family has supported several philanthropic trusts over the years, each with its own purpose. Make sure the trust you apply to matches your level of study and field, rather than assuming all Oppenheimer-linked trusts fund the same things.

Postgraduate students should apply to several funders at once, including the NRF and university merit awards, because postgraduate funding is highly competitive.

Academics applying for sabbatical support should explain what they will produce during the sabbatical, such as a book, a set of research papers or a new course, because a trust investing in academic leadership wants to see a concrete outcome.

See our Postgraduate Bursaries page for more options.