The Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme was established in October 2000 by an historic donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge. The first class of scholars came into residence in October 2001. Since then, the Trust has awarded over 2,000 scholarships to scholars from more than 100 countries.
The selection criteria are:
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outstanding intellectual ability
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reasons for choice of course
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a commitment to improving the lives of others
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leadership potential
Funding
A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding.
Core components
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the University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate*
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a maintenance allowance for a single student (£20,000 for 12 months at the 2023-24 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months) – for PhD scholars the award is for up to 4 years
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one economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the course
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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 has been successful in gaining a fee award from public authorities (such as the UKRI) they should accept this award and the Trust will not pay their fee or may share their fee and maintenance costs.
Discretionary components
The Trust also considers applications for several types of additional funding on a discretionary basis:
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Academic development funding – from up to £500 to up to £2,000, dependent on the length of your course, to attend conferences and courses.
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Dependent Children Allowance – up to £11,604 for one child and up to £16,548 for two or more children (2023-24 rate). No funding is provided for a partner.
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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).
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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
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Hardship funding – for unforeseen difficulties facing the scholar