Philanthropy in Action

ALBORADA Trust Scholarship

I joined Wolfson College in October 2015 to begin my PhD in Clinical Neurosciences. My work is focused on better understanding the underlying cause of Parkinson's disease, aiming to get one step closer to a cure. However, my educational pursuits would not have been possible without the generous support of the ALBORADA Trust. Thanks to their continued generosity I can devote myself to my goals and focus on my studies relieved from financial burdens and for that, I am truly grateful.

Yidi Lu Bursary

In my final year as an Architecture PhD Candidate, Wolfson College kindly offered me a Yidi Lu Bursary which has enabled me to focus on completing my thesis. I am truly humbled by the generous support of Wolfson and how the College has and continues to help the students in need. Words cannot express my sincere appreciation for its generosity and kindness.

City Bursary

When I got accepted into Wolfson College I was over the moon, as it had been my childhood dream to study at Cambridge University. I am incredibly grateful for the studentship provided to me by the City Bursary scheme; the financial security has allowed me to focus on my studies and enjoy an inspiring year at Wolfson. Studying for an MPhil in Nanotechnology has set me on an exciting new path which would not have been possible without the City Bursary.

Wolfson Vice-Chancellor’s Award

I have been very fortunate to receive a Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship, awarded by the Cambridge Trust in conjunction with Wolfson College, to fully fund my PhD in History. Without this award I would simply have been unable to conduct any of my research, a study of the changing memory of the inter-war years in post-war Britain. I hope that Wolfson College, and the wider alumni community, will continue to support the research of future generations of students in this way.

Medical Research Studentship

My current research interests lie in the use of integrative research to understand the complex interplay between environmental factors, human genetics, the vaginal microbiome and persistent high-risk HPV infection in modulating risk of cervical cancer pathogenesis. The medical research studentship awarded to me by the College played an important role in enabling me to continue to focus on my research and work towards obtaining a PhD. Without the support from this award, it would have been extremely difficult for me to remain in full-time study.

Wolfson Award

I started my studies at Wolfson in 2014 and thanks to this generous grant, I have been able to successfully complete them, graduating with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Chemical Engineering. Coming from St. Lucia, a small island in the Caribbean, I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Wolfson. Next I will be spending two years in a graduate science and technology role with Novartis.

Wolfson Vice-Chancellor’s Award

I am fascinated by bones and the information they hold about past lives. For my PhD research, I calculate the evolutionary capacity of bones with the aim to understand better how our human lineage could diverge, and why human bones difer so much from our fellow primates. I am immensely grateful to have been awarded this scholarship, as without it I would not have been able to pursue my passion and undertake research at PhD level. Thank you.

John Morrison Studentship

Being accepted to Cambridge as an undergraduate from Denmark felt unreal. When I finished celebrating my personal victory and understood the financial costs, I realised that it might turn out actually to be unreal. With the generous support from the John Morrison Studentship, I am now pursuing my great passion for politics and social science in an environment where my beliefs are challenged and new ideas inspire me. Wolfson’s encouraging atmosphere makes me seek new challenges, and the financial support has given me a great feeling of affiliation with College – which I try to reciprocate.

Senior Members’ Wolf50n Bursary

My concert tour with the Wolfson College Choir in Hungary would not have been possible without the generous support of the Senior Members. I am a Choral Scholar and a member of the Wolfson College Choir. Returning to my home country with the Choir as a guest let me see how privileged I am to study in Cambridge. I was awarded an ESRC Scholarship, but it did not cover my maintenance, so it was the Senior Members who gave me the chance to start my PhD in Cambridge and survive on a daily basis. I am researching the rebirth of nationalism in Europe connected to the WW1 centenary celebrations  – a crucial contemporary question. I truly hope that I can give back something through my music and the musical life which I am building at Wolfson

Newtecnic

My experience of the scholarship has been of great challenge and excitement. The unique link with Newtecnic provides inspiration through complex live projects which stimulate my research. Being part of Wolfson has provided a community and support network of fellow researchers. You meet students and fellows from such a wide range of fields, it provides opportunities for building new friendships and sharing knowledge.

AHRC Scholarship

I wouldn’t be studying for my PhD without the financial support of both the AHRC and Wolfson College and my grant has been both life- and career-changing. I’m immensely grateful to Wolfson for the opportunity and further grateful for the travel grant that I was awarded to spend a week at the Mass Observation archive at Sussex University, researching over three hundred qualitative questionnaires on food and body weight collected by researchers in the early 1980s. These are not accessible via any other means and they form a key source base for my PhD thesis.

City Bursary

Before arriving at Wolfson, I was uncertain whether or not I could afford to accept my offer to study for an MPhil in Early Modern History – and even began looking at jobs in the event I could not cover my expenses! Thankfully, Wolfson lifted the financial pressures with the offer of a City Bursary. The bursary allowed me to pursue exciting new research on early modern reproduction, and I remain grateful for the life-changing opportunity Wolfson has given me.

Vincent Xiaoguang Qi China Research Trip Award

I am eternally grateful for the generous support of the Professor Vincent Xiaoguang Qi China Research Trip Award, without which my trip to China to attend the 2018 Financial Leaders of Tomorrow Programme at Tsinghua University would not have been possible. I look forward to drawing upon this experience and the invaluable connections made to accomplish my dreams.

Yidi Lu Bursary

I am a fourth year PhD Engineering student. Both exchange rate fluctuation and change in my funding status meant that I have to return to Nigeria to write up my thesis. Turning years of research into a single, coherent piece of work can be tough, but it’s a real nightmare where internet and electricity are inefficient. The generous support of a Yidi Lu Bursary and Wolfson College enabled me to stay in Cambridge and fulfill my dream. I am truly grateful and inspired to empower others.