The Center for Life Beyond Reed

Churchill Scholarship

Apply through Reed Fellowships and Awards Committee

Internal Deadline: September 21st, 2022 at 12:00 PM

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Description

The Churchill scholarship awards sixteen scholarships annually for one year of graduate study in science, mathematics, and engineering leading to a either an MPhil (Master of Philosophy) or MASt (Master of Advanced Study) at Churchill College at Cambridge University. Tuition and fees are paid, with an additional living allowance depending on the course of study. Additional funding is available for research and travel.

Eligibility

An applicant for the Churchill Scholarship must be a citizen of the United States, either native-born or naturalized, and must be enrolled in one of the Participating Institutions and due to graduate during the same academic year as the deadline or be a student who has graduated from one of those institutions within the past twelve months before the deadline. Upon taking up the Churchill Scholarship, a Churchill Scholar must hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent.

Eligibility for this scholarship also requires admission to the University of Cambridge, which has a minimum GPA requirement of 3.5 (or 3.7 if the Cambridge course requires a "first").

Selection Criteria

Outstanding academic achievement

Most applicants have a very high average, but there is no minimum GPA for the scholarship. However, admission to Cambridge does list a minimum GPA (see Eligibility above). The Committee looks at achievement in STEM courses, especially in the major, as indicated by course grades and recommendation letters.

Proven talent in research

Applicants in the sciences and engineering will demonstrate extensive laboratory experience, internships, or other related work, while applicants in mathematics will show substantial independent work or other projects. The Committee looks for originality and creativity.

Outstanding personal qualities

Understanding the time commitment required by research, the Churchill Foundation does not seek so-called “well-rounded” applicants; instead, it seeks applicants with what we call interesting “jagged edges.” The Committee takes into account interests and achievements outside of research, but it does not favor any particular kind of activity.

An additional statement from the former executive director of the program:

The factors that make an applicant stand out are a certain intellectual spark; a commitment to making a serious contribution to your field of inquiry, the promise of intellectual leadership, and less easily defined personal qualities that suggest you will benefit from a year in Cambridge and that Churchill College and the University of Cambridge will benefit from your presence there.

The Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States is committed to a policy against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, gender, marital or parental status, race, color, religion, national origin, or disability or any other characteristic protected by law.

Application Procedure

Interested students should review the internal application instructions. Any students selected through the internal process will then complete the University of Cambridge online application form. Consult Cambridge University's Online Postgraduate Admissions Course Directory. The final application includes standard biographical data, proposed program of study, personal statement, four academic references, and transcripts. Applicants must apply separately to the University of Cambridge in early October. Note that some departments or degrees at Cambridge may require the GRE. Consult the individual degree pages on the Cambridge website. Contact CLBR Fellowships with any questions.