Deadline: Dependent on your course – either 3rd
December 2020 or 7th January 2021
Location: United Kingdom
Overview
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.
Each year Gates Cambridge offers c.80 full-cost scholarships to outstanding
applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate
degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. Approximately
two-thirds of these awards will be offered to PhD students, with approximately
25 awards available in the US round and 55 available in the International
round.
The selection criteria are:
outstanding intellectual ability
reasons for choice of course
a commitment to improving the lives of others
leadership potential
There are at least 225 Scholars from c. 50 countries studying in Cambridge
at any one time who pursue the full range of subjects available at the
University and are spread across its departments and Colleges.
The Gates Cambridge mission is to build a global network of future leaders
committed to improving the lives of others. It aims to achieve this
mission by selecting outstanding scholars, providing them with financial
and non-financial support at one of the world’s leading universities and
facilitating community building at and beyond Cambridge.
Funding
A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge.
It also provides additional, discretionary funding.
Core components
the University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate*
a maintenance allowance for a single student (£17,500 for 12
months at the 2020-21 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12
months) – for PhD scholars the award is for up to 4 years
one economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the
course
inbound visa costs & the cost of the Immigration Health
Surcharge
* 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.
Discretionary components
The Trust also considers applications for several types of additional funding
on a discretionary basis:
Academic development funding – from up to £500 to up to £2,000,
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 (2020-21 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 (the Trust does not fund
other fieldwork costs as these should be funded by the University
Composition Fee).
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
Hardship funding – for unforeseen difficulties
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.
Who can apply?
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
MSc/MLitt
One year postgraduate course (with some exceptions – see
below)
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.
General funding at Cambridge
Whether or not you are eligible for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you may be
eligible for other funding offered by the University of Cambridge. See www.student-funding.cam.ac.uk for
more details.
Courses which are NOT eligible for Gates Cambridge Scholarships:
Any Undergraduate degree such as BA (undergraduate)
or BA affiliated (a second BA)
Master of Business (MBA)
Master of Finance (MFin)
PGCE
MBBChir Clinical Studies
MD Doctor of Medicine degree (6 years, part-time)
Graduate Course in Medicine (A101)
Part-time degrees
Non-degree courses
What we are looking for
Our Scholars come from diverse backgrounds and each brings something unique
to the programme. We use four criteria to select them.
Academic excellence
To be competitive for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship candidates must show
evidence of academic excellence (through their transcripts, references,
experience and the potential to succeed on the chosen course). Academic
departments at the University of Cambridge nominate only the most academically
outstanding applicants for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, which ensures that
those whom we select will thrive at Cambridge.
Reasons for choice of course
You should be able to make a strong case for a particular postgraduate degree
at Cambridge. PhD applicants (and most research MPhil applicants) will need to
make contact with a potential supervisor with whom they will develop a research
project, a summary of which is part of the application. You will need to
demonstrate that you have the academic background and the necessary skills and
expertise to complete the course. Taught MPhil and other applicants need to
make a strong case for how completing the proposed course will facilitate their
career plans. Gates Cambridge seeks Scholars who will have an academically
transformative experience at Cambridge, so it is important that you fully
research and justify the course for which you are applying.
A commitment to improving the lives of others
A defining characteristic of the Gates Cambridge programme is the commitment
of our Scholars to improving the lives of others. We interpret this criterion
broadly and applicants define it themselves by providing evidence of their
past, current and future commitment to the societies in which they will live
and work.
A capacity for leadership
Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate a capacity for leadership,
which can be expressed in a multitude of ways. Applicants should provide
evidence of their leadership experience to date and indicate the ways in which
their leadership skills may have impact in the future careers.
A note on the ratio of PhD:Masters awards
In order to create and sustain a viable Scholar community in Cambridge
University and for Scholars to take full advantage of their time in Cambridge,
we aim to select approximately 2/3 PhD scholars each year. Those applying for
taught Masters should pay special attention to explaining why this is the
optimal course for them and how it is critical to their future academic or
professional training plans.
The process
Gates Cambridge uses a three-stage selection process to ensure Scholars meet
all of our criteria to the highest degree.
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 nominated 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 Gates
Cambridge Statement and 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.
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.
Interview candidates will be sent full details of the format and arrangements.
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 interview either in person or by Skype. Where you are able to
attend the interview in person we encourage this.
There are four broadly subject-based interview panels:
Arts
Biological Sciences
Physical Sciences
Social Sciences
Each three to four person panel usually consists academics, a representative
of the Trust and Gates Cambridge alummi.
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 – can you provide a
convincing justification for your choice of course?
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 questions
A chance to add anything further you would like the interview
panel to consider, and to ask any questions you may have (having no
questions to ask is also fine).
Feedback
Please note that we are not able to provide feedback to
unsuccessful applicants.
The application process
Watch the University’s short overview film about applying for postgraduate
admission and funding and then read below about specific requirements for the
Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
https://youtu.be/7imeSiUEaEs
A combined application form
Applicants submit their application for admission and funding (Gates
Cambridge and other funding) via the University’s Graduate Application Portal.
To be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you must complete the
section to apply for admission to a course and a College place and the Gates
Cambridge part of the funding section. Gates Cambridge has access to the full
application for admission and funding when reviewing applications.
The admission section
In this section you are applying to a specific graduate course and a College
place. You will provide all of the usual details about yourself, your academic
background, plans and suitability for the proposed course.
The funding section
In this section you can apply for a range of funding offered by the
University and associated bodies, including the Gates Cambridge Scholarships,
which has it’s own sub-section. When applying for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship
you will be asked to provide the following:
Statement
In the application form we ask:
In no more than 3000 characters (approximately 500 words) please explain
why you are applying for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and how you meet
the four main criteria. Full details about how to apply, including
selection criteria and guidance on completing this statement, can be found
at: www.gatescambridge.org
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 our committees identify those candidates who, as
well as being academically outstanding, possess a capacity for leadership and
commitment to improving the lives of others. This is the only part of the
application form where applicants are specifically asked about their fit with
the Gates Cambridge programme and you should use your background, achievements,
experiences and future aims to show how you would be a good fit with the Gates
Cambridge programme.
Research proposal (PhD applicants only)
Gates Cambridge requires PhD applicants only to submit a research proposal
as part of their application for funding. Most PhD applicants will upload a
research proposal as part of their application for admission, but where this is
not the case a research proposal is required to apply for a Gates Cambridge
Scholarship. If you are applying for a degree other than the PhD you do not
need to submit a research proposal as part of your materials of the Gates
Cambridge Scholarship .
Gates Cambridge reference
In addition to two academic references for admission, Gates Cambridge
applicants submit a reference about their fit with the scholarship.
In the application form we ask:
Please give your assessment of the applicant’s suitability for a Gates
Cambridge Scholarship. These are awarded on the following criteria:
intellectual ability, justification for the choice of course, a commitment
to improving the lives of others and leadership capacity.
We also ask:
How highly would you rank the applicant
for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship?
On what overall group are you basing this
ranking?
What is the size of this group?
The Gates Cambridge Reference is used in the same way as the Gates Cambridge
Statement – to reduce the large number of well-qualified applicants to those
who match the Gates Cambridge criteria.
Referees are also asked how they rate the applicant for the scholarship:
exceptional, strong, not strong, weak. They may paste/type up to 4,000
characters into the on-line reference or upload a separate letter.
Who should write the Gates Cambridge Reference?
This is a common question. You should definitely not ask friends or family,
or someone who is unable to comment on your suitability for a Gates Cambridge
Scholarship.
You should ask someone of appropriate standing who is able to answer the
question with authority and who understands the the criteria and highly
competitive nature of the Gates Cambridge programme.
Many applicants ask a current or former academic advisor who is aware of
their personal attributes, others ask a current or former employer, while
others ask senior staff in an organisation with whom they may have volunteered.
These are all sensible choices, although this is by no means an exhaustive
list. Some applicants ask one of their two academic referees to write the Gates
Cambridge reference: this is fine as long as that person has a good
understanding of your personal qualities and does not provide a third academic
reference. The important point to remember is that the Gates Cambridge Referee
must understand what the Scholarship is about and must be able to write
authoritatively about how you meet the criteria.
Some points to consider are:
It is essential that the Gates Cambridge Referee is fully
briefed about the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, especially its selection
criteria;
It is useful when referees use specific examples of how you
meet the Scholarship’s criteria;
While your referees are likely to be busy, you will need to
ensure they understand the need to keep the reference focused on the Gates
Cambridge criteria and not, for example, rehash a standard or previous
reference.
