Deadlines for applications: 5 December 2023 and 4 January 2024

The Cambridge Trust is pleased to offer:

• Cambridge International Scholarships – for applicants who are from countries other than the United Kingdom or Ireland
• Vice-Chancellor’s Awards – for UK and Irish nationals who are required to pay fees at the home rate

to applicants who will be undertaking research leading to the degree of PhD at the University of Cambridge in the next academic year.

The aim of the Cambridge International Scholarships and Vice-Chancellor’s Awards is to ensure that the highest scored students, irrespective of nationality, receive full financial support to undertake PhD studies. The scholarships pay the University Composition Fee (UCF) and a maintenance allowance sufficient for a single person.

A University Committee will draw up one scored list of all PhD applicants across all disciplines. The only factors taken into consideration in agreeing this list are academic qualifications, references and research potential. The financial situation of applicants does not affect the selection of scholarship winners.

To maximise the number of Cambridge scholarships awarded, the Trust will, when appropriate, promote winners of Cambridge International Scholarships and Vice-Chancellor’s Awards to other full-cost awards with partner organisations, UK Research Councils or departments or Colleges, who are willing to provide either the full amount or part of the cost of the scholarship. Where part of the cost of a scholarship is offered, the Trust will meet the balance.

If a student receives a full-cost scholarship from any source (excluding Gates Cambridge and Harding), the offer of an award from the Trust will lapse and you will be offered the status of ‘Honorary Trust Scholar’. This entitles you to attend the Trust’s events but bears no monetary value. If you have accepted a Gates Cambridge Scholarship or a Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarship, any offer of an award from the Trust, including those offered with an Honorary status, will immediately lapse.

Please refer to the Trust’s webpages for general information on eligibility and applying for Cambridge Trust scholarships.

Eligibility for postgraduate funding

The eligibility requirements for most postgraduate Cambridge scholarships are:

• significant academic achievement and potential
• financial need (although some scholarship programmes are based on academic merit alone)

Degree level

Applicants must be intending to start a course at the level of:

• Masters (such as MPhil, MASt, LLM but with some restrictions – see Important information section below)
• Research postgraduate (such as PhD)

Nationality

All students, irrespective of nationality, are eligible for postgraduate awards.

Subject

Applicants may study any subject currently available at the University of Cambridge. Please visit the postgraduate course directory for further information.

Application and admission

Postgraduate scholarships are available only for study at the University of Cambridge, and require that you apply to the University for admission by the relevant funding deadline (please visit Applying for postgraduate funding for full details), and have a conditional offer of admission.

You do not need to apply to the Cambridge Trust directly as an application for funding can be made as part of your application for admission to the University.

All students must be admitted to the University of Cambridge through the normal application procedures. The Trust plays no role in the admission of applicants to the University, and is not able to influence the chances of an applicant being offered a place.

The University sets minimum standards – check the requirements for postgraduates.

Applicants are encouraged to meet the entry requirements of the University as early as possible, including (if necessary) the completion of an English language test. This will help to prevent the Trust from offering valuable scholarships to students who are ultimately unable to take up their places at Cambridge.

More information

There are a significant number of other funding sources available for postgraduate applicants to the University of Cambridge, details of which can be found on the University’s Postgraduate Funding Search.  This includes The Cambridge Trust, Gates Cambridge, Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme (HDPSP), Colleges, Departments, Research Councils and central University funds.

Source / More information: Official Website HERE.