The magnitude of the decision to apply, to commit to a year or more of study, travel, and growth is significant. Most applicants are on farms, working in agribusiness – sometimes both. They are busy people, even without a Nuffield Scholarship.
In the search for 2024’s Nuffield Scholars Rural Leaders received approximately 30 applications. Here’s an approximate breakdown of this latest applicant group.
The search for the next Nuffield Scholars: the path to receiving an application.
Here’s a brief summary of what is involved in the search for our Nuffield Scholars.
Our Nuffield alumni critical in helping prospective scholarship applicants get to grips with the process of applying and the Nuffield Programme itself. Alumni are also active in referring those in the sector they feel would benefit personally and professionally from a Scholarship. Rural Leaders follow referrals up with personal emails and phone calls.
Alongside the referral activity, Rural Leaders run a modest, traditional paid media campaign, both paid and unpaid social media, as well as some digital placements. All activity here asks for registrations of interest. This activity is rounded out with help from partners and networks.
The registrations of interest build over time and these are nurtured with a 3-4 month email campaign featuring podcasts, testimonials, links to articles and details on the Scholarship.
It’s a rewarding experience for all involved. To see the first indications of interest develop into an application. Some have applied before, some are not well known to us, and some may have had Nuffield on their minds for many years.
The applicant demographic profiles shift and change over time, while such leadership traits as: pragmatism, passion, courage, and self-awareness remain constant.
In early November we’ll be in a position share who our 2024 Scholars are. For now, we’d like to thank all the incredible, dedicated people who applied. We know it was a decision that likely involved partners, family, work colleagues and friends.
The final submitting of an application is just the start of the story. It’s also the end of this one.
