Planning For a PhD ? Apply For The Gates Cambridge Scholarship Programme – 2018

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme was established in October 2000 by a donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge; this is the largest ever single donation to a UK university.

Scholarships are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. The selection criteria are:

• outstanding intellectual ability
• leadership potential
• a commitment to improving the lives of others
• a good fit between the applicant’s qualifications and aspirations and the postgraduate programme at Cambridge for which they are applying

While at Cambridge, Scholars pursue full range of subjects available at the University and are spread through its departments and Colleges.

Our Alumni are pursuing further study or employment across many sectors of society and, despite the relative youth of the programme, are increasingly taking on leadership roles and applying their knowledge and skills to improve the lives of others.

The aim of the Gates Cambridge programme is to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.

 

Scholarship Award:

A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It

also provides additional, discretionary funding. The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the most generous international scholarships available. It covers the following costs:

Core components

• the University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate*
• a maintenance allowance for a single student (£14,600 for 12 months at the 2016-17 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months)
• one economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the course
• inbound visa costs & associated NHS surcharge costs

Discretionary components

The Trust also considers applications for several types of additional funding on a discretionary basis:

• Academic development funding – from £500 to £1,500, dependent on the length of your course, to attend conferences and courses.
• Family allowance – up to £10,120 for a first child and up to £4,320 for a second child (2016-17 rate). No funding is provided for a partner.
• Fieldwork – you may apply to keep up to your normal maintenance allowance while on fieldwork as part of your PhD.
• Hardship funding – for unforeseen difficulties
• Maternity/Paternity funding – should you require it, you may apply to intermit your studies for up to 6 months and continue to receive your maintenance allowance during this time
• Some fourth year funding for PhD Scholars may be provided**

*The University Composition Fee varies for different types of students; applicants should see the Graduate Studies prospectus for full details about precise amounts. Where a student from the European Union has been successful in gaining a fees award from public authorities they must accept this and the Trust will not pay these fees.

** The PhD at Cambridge is a three-year degree and Gates Cambridge Scholars should take on a research project that they and their Supervisor think can be completed within three years. However, if there are unforeseen circumstances which mean you need further funding during all or part of your fourth year, the Trust will consider an application on a discretionary basis. But you should not rely on receiving any fourth year funding when you start your PhD.

Receiving a salary or substantial other scholarship?

If you are receiving a salary from an employer or have another substantial scholarship, the Trust reserves the right to reduce or not pay the standard maintenance allowance. You should let the Trust know ASAP if you are awarded any funding towards your degree at Cambridge.

What is not covered ?

Most costs are covered by the Scholarship but Gates Cambridge does not cover bench fees or the costs of scientific equipment or similar academic resources. The Trust expects such core course costs to be covered by the academic department at Cambridge.

Gates Statement:

The Gates Cambridge Statement is your opportunity to explain how you fit with the programme’s criteria.

The Statement is used by the Gates Cambridge Shortlisting Committees to distinguish between candidates who have been highly ranked by departments on academic grounds. It helps the Committees identify those candidates who, as well as being academically outstanding, possess a capacity for leadership and commitment to improving the lives of others. Note that this is the only part of the application form where you are asked about your ‘fit’ with Gates Cambridge.

Key points to consider

You should also bear in mind that the attributes described above are broadly interpreted, and are dependent on the experiences of each applicant, so there is no magic formula for the Statement. But some key points to consider are:

• There are a no hard and fast rules about what you should put into your Statement – your individual circumstances and story will in large part determine what will appear;
• In general it should provide an overview of some of your past and current activities and future plans which are relevant to the scholarship;
• Importantly, you should make sure that whatever does go into your statement illustrates how you meet one or more of the four Gates Cambridge criteria (which are purposefully broad);
• Keep it focused and stick to 3,000 characters (approx. 500 words) maximum – it’s all we need;
• Provide examples to back up your statements and avoid generalisations;
• It should not be a copy or re-hash of a personal statement for another scholarship, since the criteria may not be quite the same;
• Be honest and open about the extent of your impact when describing situations, projects, etc.;
• Show that you have fully researched the course you are applying for and clearly link it to your future plans;
• Review the short biographies of Gates Cambridge Scholars to get an idea of the types of people who have been successful in obtaining a Scholarship;
• Ask an advisor and/or someone else to review your statement to ensure it reads well and is free from errors;
• Do a final check for spelling and grammar before submitting.

Eligiblity : 

You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are:

• a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom
• applying to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study at the University of Cambridge:
  • PhD (three year research-only degree)
  • MSc or MLitt (two year research-only degree)
  • One year postgraduate course (e.g. MPhil, LLM, MASt, Diploma, MBA etc.)

 

Current student at Cambridge?

If you are currently studying at Cambridge and wish to apply for a new postgraduate course you can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. For example, if you are currently studying for an MPhil you can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue a PhD. Current Gates Cambridge Scholars may also apply for a second scholarship if they are applying for a new degree. All current Cambridge students will be considered in round two. However, if you have already started a course you cannot apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to fund the remainder of it.

Courses which are NOT eligible for Gates Cambridge Scholarships:

• BA (undergraduate)
• BA affiliated (a second BA)
• MBBChir Clinical Studies
• MD Doctor of Medicine degree (6 years, part-time)
• Part-time degrees
• Non-degree courses

Ideal candidate

• Academic excellence

Gates Cambridge Scholars are expected to be academically outstanding with the ability to make a significant contribution to their discipline while in Cambridge. At the start of the application process, potential Scholars are ranked by the department they are applying to. Only the most outstanding candidates are considered further.

• Leadership potential

Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate a clear ability to lead. Evidence of leadership can be expressed in a multitude of ways but the capacity of Gates Cambridge Scholars to ‘take others with them’ is central to the success of the programme.

• A commitment to improving the lives of others

A defining characteristic of the Gates Cambridge Scholarships is the commitment of our Scholars to working for the greater good. Although broadly interpreted, this concept is nonetheless fundamental and sets this programme apart from others of its kind.

• A good academic fit with Cambridge

You should be able to persuade the Trust that your qualifications and aspirations accord with what Cambridge has to offer in its postgraduate programme. It is important that you can make a convincing argument for doing a particular postgraduate degree at Cambridge. It is therefore important that you fully research your proposed degree using the Graduate Studies Prospectus and the website of the department to which you are applying.

How to Apply:

Standard applications

Applicants apply for graduate admission, a college place and central funding – including a Gates Cambridge Scholarship – via the Graduate Applicant Portal. Full details can be found at www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk.

Application Deadline: The deadlines are as follows:

• Round 1 (US citizens based in the USA) – 11 October 2017
• Round 2 (all other eligible candidates) – The application deadline in this round is determined by the course you are applying for. You can check which of the two deadlines below applies to you by checking the course directory, which will be updated in early August 2017. (either 6 December 2017 or 4 January 2018*)

How we select ?

1. Departmental ranking

In order to ensure only the most academically outstanding candidates are considered, the Trust asks academic departments in Cambridge to rank eligible applicants on academic ability only. Those who are put forward by their departments are considered the most academically outstanding applicants they have received that year.

2. Shortlisting

Once the Trust has a list of all ranked candidates, these are divided into broad subject areas and passed to our Shortlisting Committees. These Committees look at the candidates’ entire application pack (including the Personal Statement and Personal Reference) and apply all four Gates Cambridge criteria in order to identify those who will be invited for interview. Everyone who is shortlisted for interview will have gone through an exceptionally competitive process and will show evidence of meeting the four Gates Cambridge criteria. See how competitive to get a sense of how many applicants make it through these initial stages.

3. Interview

All shortlisted candidates have a short interview to assess how they meet all four Gates Cambridge criteria and Scholars are selected after interview. More details are available from the interview page.

The Interview 

If you are shortlisted for interview you will have already gone through an incredibly competitive process.

You will be invited for a 20-25 minute interview and, depending on where you are, you can either attend in person or choose to be interviewed by Skype.

There are four broadly subject-based interview panels:

• Arts
• Biological Sciences
• Physical Sciences
• Social Sciences

Each panel usually consists of a representative of the Trust and two academics – and may include a Gates Cambridge alum. Each interview has four main sections:

1. Welcome and introduction

• The Chair will introduce the panel, set out the format of the interview, and provide any other essential information to allow for a productive session.

2. Gates Cambridge

• What you know about the Gates Cambridge Scholarships
• Your motivation for applying
• Why you think you could be a Gates Cambridge Scholar
• Your thoughts on the opportunities and responsibilities that a prestigious, full-cost scholarship at one of the world’s leading universities brings

3. Academic and career plans

• Your academic work to date – can you convincingly communicate your passion for, and the importance of, your chosen subject?
• Your proposed degree at Cambridge – why you want to do it and why you believe Cambridge is the right place for you to study.
• Your career plans – can you convincingly link your application for both a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and your proposed course at Cambridge to your future career plans?
• You may also be asked probing intellectual or ethical questions, to which there are no ‘right’ answers.

4. Final thoughts and any questions you might have.

• A chance to add anything further you would like the interview panel to consider, and to ask any questions you may have.

Apply Here