Wolfson Research event

Scholarships & Awards

We strive for excellence in research. At Wolfson we are proud to support the ground-breaking ideas of our postgraduate students with a wide range of competitive scholarships and grants.

Wolfson Research event

Wolfson Awards for Postgraduates

Generous donations from alumni and friends of the College support a wide range of awards to help fund your studies at Wolfson.

Only those students who have been accepted by the University and then offered College membership at Wolfson are eligible for any of the scholarships offered through Wolfson College.  In order to ensure that your application for a University postgraduate place is directed to Wolfson College, you should list Wolfson as your first choice. Once you have been accepted by the University and offered a place in 2023/2024, you may apply for a Wolfson Scholarship.

The allocation of funds is made by the Wolfson Student Scholarship Committee, and individual scholarship amounts may vary from year to year as current holders graduate. Postgraduate scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit. Some awards are renewable, subject to satisfactory academic progress.

Some funding is available to students studying any subject, and some is restricted to particular subjects.

Various disciplines

Wolfson College Scholarship for Recent Alumni:  This award, funded by generous gifts from alumni and friends of the college, supports recent alumni to continue to a further degree at the College by offering:

  • one scholarship of at least £5000 for a Wolfson undergraduate who is continuing to a separate Masters-level course at Wolfson College within 5 years of having completed the BA.
  • one scholarship of at least £10,000/year for a Wolfson student who is continuing from a stand-alone Masters to a PhD at Wolfson College within 5 years of having completed the Masters' degree.  In most cases the College will be able to partner with the Cambridge Trust, a Faculty or Department in order to increase the size of the award.

Roger Needham Scholarship: up to £9,000 per year. Awarded on academic merit. Open to postgraduates in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, & Philosophy. 

Dr John T Grantham Scholarship: one award of up to £7,500 each year to fund student support in any form. 

Fairleigh S. Dickinson, Jr. Scholarship: one award of £3,000 to fund student support in any form.

Joseph Petty Bursary:  £750 available per year. Open to postgraduate students in Criminology or subjects related to Metallurgy.

John Morrison Scholarship: one postgraduate scholarship of £9000.

Senior Members’ 50th Anniversary Fund: one award of £3,000, open to students in any discipline who have undertaken their MPhil at Wolfson and are progressing to a PhD. 

Donald and Beryl O’May Scholarship:  Awards of up to £14,000 to cover University and College fees and maintenance. Open to undergraduates and postgraduates in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (including Law). Preference for those who have had a significant break in their studies since leaving school. Candidates must be UK or Republic of Ireland citizens.

Pamela K Omidyar Trust Scholarship for Students from Sudan:  This scholarship of £35,000-£40,000 is intended to support students from Sudan whose education has been disrupted by the conflict in that country. It is funded by a generous gift from the Pamela K Omidyar Trust to Wolfson College. The College will seek additional partnerships in order to increase the size and number of the awards available.  

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Wolfson College PhD Studentship in Geopolitics: Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the College is able to offer a studentship that will cover three years of tuition and maintenance costs (currently £18,622/year) for a PhD candidate working on a topic in Geopolitics.  While applicants pursuing a PhD in History or in Politics & International Relations are likely to be the strongest candidates for these awards, applications will be considered from students working in any subject, provided their research topic falls within one of the key research areas of the Centre for Geopolitics.  Competitive applications will be those from students whose proposed research applies historical analysis, area studies expertise, political science and the experience of practitioners to address major problems of conflict and world order: past, present or future. 

The Mary Hesse PhD Scholarship: £8000, with increases of at least £1000 possible upon renewal of the award in each of the next two years. Established in 2018 by a generous bequest from Professor Mary Hesse, a Fellow of Wolfson College from 1965-1992. It is intended to support Wolfson students pursuing a PhD in the Arts & Humanities. Awards are based on merit and financial need.

Teo Wang Gungwu Scholarship: This award is funded by a gift from Wolfson alumnus Anthony Teo in honour of the long and distinguished career of Professor Wang Gungwu and his outstanding scholarship in studies of China and the Chinese overseas.  Awards of up to £6000 are available to support research and scholarship in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, particularly in fields related to East Asian studies.  

His Excellency Dr Mahfouz bin Mahfouz Scholarship: Up to £10,000 to support PhD study in the Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences.

Peter and Angela Lucas Bursary in Medieval English Studies:  A generous gift from Peter and Angela Lucas, Senior Members of Wolfson College, provides an annual bursary of £800 to support Wolfson students who are engaged in a PhD in Medieval English Studies, the area of the donors' own scholarly expertise.  For the purposes of this award, eligible fields of study are defined as 1) All subjects covered by the Department of Anglo-Saxon Norse and Celtic (Anglo-Saxon England, Scandinavia in the Viking Age, the Brittonic-speaking peoples, the Gaelic-speaking peoples; language and literature areas: Old English, Old Norse, Medieval Welsh/Irish, Insular Latin; palaeography and codicology);  or 2) English medieval language and literature up to 1500 within the Faculty of English, including medieval manuscript studies and the historical linguistic study of English up to 1600.

President’s Scholarship: One award of £7,000.  Open to postgraduate students, with preference for students undertaking an MPhil course in the Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences.

Jack King Bursary: £3,000 per year. Open to Home PhD students in the Arts and Humanities who have previously studied for at least three years at a British university.  

Law

Professor Sir David Williams Law Award:  Up to £4,500 per year to support students studying law with a preference for postgraduate students.

STEM

Norma Emerton Award: £2,000 per year. A generous legacy from the estate of the late Dr Norma Emerton to encourage women in STEM subjects.

Wolfson College Scholarships in Biological and Physical Sciences: Open to postgraduates in Physical and Biological Sciences. For 2024/2025 entry preference may be given to students in Chemistry, Geography, Pharmacology, Physics, PDN (Physiology, Development & Neuroscience), Veterinary Medicine or Zoology. No separate application is required. To guarantee consideration applicants should list Wolfson College as their first choice on the admissions application form.

Medicine

Medical Research Scholarship: up to £8,000 per year to support PhDs in Medical Science.

Match-funded Postgraduate Studentships (fully funded) and Scholarships (part-funded)

Wolfson partners with other University Faculties, Departments and Institutions to co-fund the following scholarships for our postgraduate students.  These awards are only tenable at Wolfson College. 

The initial selection process for all awards listed below is managed by our partners, not by the College. Only applications submitted before the relevant University or Department funding deadline will be considered.

PhD Studentships (covering tuition and maintenance)

Rowan Williams Cambridge & Wolfson College Studentship: Wolfson is proud to partner with the Cambridge Trust in sponsoring a Rowan Williams Cambridge & Wolfson College Studentship to support students who face severe barriers in coming to study in Cambridge. Named after the former Chairman of the Cambridge Trust's Board of Trustees, the Rowan Williams Cambridge & Wolfson College Studentship is a full-cost award available to undergraduate and postgraduates.  Detailed information available from the Cambridge TrustNo separate application required.

Arts and Humanities Research Council & Wolfson College PhD Studentship: These awards cover tuition and maintenance for 10 terms of doctoral study in any topic in the Arts & Humanities. No separate application required.

Vice-Chancellor’s & Wolfson College PhD Studentship: An anonymous donor enables Wolfson to co-fund several full studentships covering tuition and maintenance for Home-fee status students. No separate application required.

Wolfson College-PDN PhD Studentship:  This match-funded award offers a full studentship for a Wolfson PhD student in Physiology, Development and Neuroscience. No separate application required.

 

Masters Scholarships

The Aziz Foundation Scholarship:  The Aziz Foundation has partnered with Wolfson College to fund scholarships for Home-fee-rated students who are actively engaged in British Muslim communities and who wish to study for a part-time or full-time Master's degree at the University of Cambridge in order to improve access for individuals from social groupings who historically have been underrepresented at the University.  An Aziz Foundation Scholarship will cover the University Composition Fee for the course.  The scholarships are aimed at those who wish to advance in their careers and bring positive change to their communities and beyond. We invite applications from people who are dedicated to community service, social development and effective advocacy within and for British Muslim communities.  Applications will be accepted from students who have already been offered admission to Cambridge for 2024/2025 and are pursuing courses and/or career aspirations in the following priority areas:  Media & Journalism, Technology, Sustainability/Environment, Law, Policy, Arts & Culture, Sports.  Applications will not be accepted for students intending to take up courses in science, health policy or mathematics. Please note that the scholarships are only open to those who qualify for Home Fees status in the UK, and applications from international students will therefore not be considered. The aim is to support emerging leaders who have a high level of commitment to the British Muslim community as well as the aspirations to lead and inspire in their respective field.  The next round will run from January 2024  Applications are made directly to the Aziz Foundation via their website.  

Cambridge UK & Wolfson College Masters Scholarships: Each year Wolfson shares the cost of two awards of £12,000 each for MPhil students in the Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences. No separate application required.

Wolfson OCS Kenya Scholarship: Up to £40,000 to cover University and College fees and maintenance for a student from Kenya on a one-year postgraduate course. Offered in conjunction with Oxford and Cambridge Society of Kenya and the Cambridge Trust. No separate application required.

Rowan Williams Cambridge & Wolfson College Studentship: Wolfson is proud to partner with the Cambridge Trust in sponsoring a Rowan Williams Cambridge & Wolfson College Studentship to support students who face severe barriers in coming to study in Cambridge. Named after the former Chairman of the Cambridge Trust's Board of Trustees, the Rowan Williams Cambridge & Wolfson College Studentship is a full-cost award available to undergraduate and postgraduates.  Detailed information available from the Cambridge TrustNo separate application required.

How to Apply

In order to ensure that your application is directed to Wolfson College you should list Wolfson as your first choice on your application for postgraduate study.