Fields of Award
O'Brien Foundation fellowships are awarded through an annual competition. In its first thirty-three years of operation, academic years 1975-76 to 2007-2008, the Foundation received over 1,950 applications and granted 259 fellowships, including 58 renewals. The total value of the awards granted in these years was $1,224,000.
The fields of study of the recipients are shown in the accompanying tabulation.
| Field of Endeavour | Number | Amount |
| History | 25 | $127,500 |
| Biology | 20 | 102,500 |
| Psychology | 21 | 101,500 |
| Music | 22 | 92,500 |
| Education | 18 | 84,500 |
| English | 13 | 72,500 |
| Medicine | 11 | 56,000 |
| Zoology | 14 | 55,000 |
| Law | 12 | 54,000 |
| Political Science | 9 | 45,500 |
| Geology | 9 | 56,500 |
| Chemistry | 9 | 36,500 |
| Mathematics | 6 | 35,000 |
| Physics | 7 | 25,000 |
| Anthropology | 4 | 21,500 |
| Health Science | 5 | 20,000 |
| Philosophy | 4 | 19,500 |
| Engineering | 5 | 28,500 |
| Agriculture | 5 | 18,000 |
| Dentistry | 5 | 15,500 |
| Sociology | 3 | 13,000 |
| Museum Studies | 4 | 12,500 |
| Geography | 2 | 12,000 |
| Business | 2 | 11,500 |
| Anatomy | 2 | 9,000 |
| Veterinary Medicine | 2 | 9,000 |
| Pharmacology | 2 | 8,500 |
| Fine Arts - Sculpture | 1 | 8,000 |
| Environmental Studies | 2 | 7,500 |
| Theatre | 3 | 7,500 |
| Ecology | 2 | 6,500 |
| Archeology | 1 | 6,000 |
| Economics | 1 | 6,000 |
| Linguistics | 1 | 6,000 |
| Forestry | 1 | 5,000 |
| Physical Education | 2 | 5,000 |
| Theology | 1 | 5,000 |
| Astronomy | 1 | 5,000 |
| Law Enforcement | 1 | 2,500 |
| Computer Science | 1 | 10,000 |
| Total | 259 | $1,224,000 |
