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Cathy Pelly Scholarship
Scholarship details
| Study levels | Degree |
|---|---|
| Value | NZ $3,000 |
| Close date | Tuesday, 31 March 2026 |
| Ethnicities | PasifikaPacific |
| Domestic/international | Domestic Only |
About the scholarship
Established in 2025 by the University of Otago, with generous funding from the Cathy Pelly Memorial Trust. The Trust was established in 1985 to commemorate the short but extraordinary life of Cathy Pelly, a rebellious and remarkable young New Zealand woman with high ideals and a passion for social justice, who tragically drowned in 1984 in the River Dart in Devon, England, while still a schoolgirl. In her honour, the Trust distributes grants to organisations and individuals working for social change in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and some South Pacific nations. The purpose of this award is to provide financial support each year to a fifth-year Pacific medical student at the University of Otago.
Entry requirements
Applicants must be:
- a New Zealand citizen or New Zealand Residence Class Visa Holder, or a citizen of a Pacific Island nation
- of indigenous Pacific descent, and able to provide verification of indigenous Pacific Ancestry
- enrolled (or planning to enrol) in the fifth year of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB) degree at one of the University of Otago's medical campuses in Dunedin, Christchurch or Wellington.
The following factors shall be considered in selecting the scholarship recipient:
- academic ability and potential
- medical, vocational, or other personal ambitions
- involvement in extra-curricular or (Pacific) community activities, particularly any volunteering or leadership roles in the community.