Undergraduates may wish to consider research opportunities during the vacation.
It should be noted that it is university policy that students should be paid properly for vacation work within the university, and with companies who should be expected to be able to pay. College will therefore not in general part fund such opportunities, or provide bursaries to “top up” underpayment, but might in future be able to offer some fully funded research opportunities.
Undergraduates taking essential courses in the Vacation may be eligible to receive financial support from the relevant Faculty or Department.
In the context of Vacation Study, it would be appropriate to mention some grants given by organisations other than Churchill for work, particularly scientific work, carried out during the vacation:
The H.E. Durham Fund
The H.E. Durham Fund (King’s College, Cambridge) which provides small grants for medical/biological research. Each year, usually sometime in March, the following notice normally appears in the Cambridge University Reporter. If you intend to apply for an award, you should check for details in the Reporter:
‘The Administrators of the H. E. Durham Fund give notice that small grants may be made for the purpose of advancing, improving, or disseminating knowledge of human or animal life in health or in disease. The Administrators invite applications from individual Cambridge undergraduates for grants to enable them to study or assist in research within the subjects specified above for about eight weeks during the Long Vacation. They do this in the hope that experience of this kind may help undergraduates, as potential research workers, in their choice of subject at a later date. Applications for expeditions will rarely qualify. Some money may also be available to assist graduates with specific research projects of short duration. Application forms are available from the Senior Tutor’s Assistant, King’s College, Cambridge. The closing date for applications is during May of each year however, the King’s College website will state the exact deadline. King’s College hope to inform successful candidates by the end of May.
Wellcome Trust Vacation Scholarships
These Biomedical Vacation Scholarships are intended to provide promising undergraduates with “hands-on” experience of research during the summer vacation and to encourage them to consider a career in research. Several Cambridge laboratories, particularly those in the biomedical sciences, may have one or more of these Scholarships to offer. Ask the Administrator of the appropriate Department.
Cambridge Bursary Scheme for Home-Fee Status Students
At least a third of Churchill UK and EU Undergraduates were eligible for a Cambridge Bursary last year of up to £3,500. The scheme is based on assessment of household income by the Student Loans Company (SLC) so you must apply for a student loan in order to be automatically assessed for a bursary under this scheme and you have to reapply to the SLC each year of your course. If your household income is less than £42,620 p.a. you should be eligible for a Bursary.
In order to be assessed for a Cambridge Bursary, you must not tick the box opting out of sharing financial information with the University in your SLC application.
Cambridge Bursary: More Information
The scheme is centrally administered and the Bursary is paid directly to you by the SLC but the College contributes almost half the cost. Some Cambridge Bursaries for Churchill College students are named after supporters who have donated the money to enable those from less privileged backgrounds to come to the College. There is a requirement to demonstrate continuing academic endeavour throughout the course as well as continuing financial need as assessed by the SLC.
These Include:
- 1977-81 Bursary – A bursary for a UK undergraduate in any subject, from a less well-off background, funded by the alumni who matriculated in the years from 1977-81.
- Adrian and Jane Hobden Bursary — This bursary aims to help UK undergraduates from less well-off backgrounds to come to Churchill College to study. It is awarded to an undergraduate who has been educated for at least the last three years in a UK state school before coming to Churchill College.
- Amazon Future Engineers Bursary — for up to two undergraduates, preference for female or identifying as such, studying Computer Science and the company may also offer vacation internships.
- Bill Brown (1989) Bursary — Can be awarded to UK Engineering undergraduates. The Bursary aims to attract applications from lower income families and particularly, for undergraduate engineering at Churchill College; to support for students undertaking engineering degrees at Churchill College and to raise the profile and status of engineering degrees.
- Constantine Goulimis Cambridge Bursary — for Greek undergraduate students, studying engineering, mathematics or computer science
- Czekalowski Cambridge Bursary.
- Greg & Rosie Lock Bursary — This fund aims to provide bursaries to assist undergraduate students particularly from Wales to study STEM subjects at Churchill College and to support outreach activity to attract students from Wales to apply to Cambridge and to Churchill College. Bursaries are awarded to one or two UK undergraduates in STEM subjects, with 50% going to female undergraduates. Preference will be given to students normally resident and educated in Wales. Bursary holders can also apply for a supplementary £1,000 grant during their course, subject to certain conditions.
- James Barton Bursary — This bursary can be awarded to any undergraduate from Lancashire or the North-West of England (subject to need).The objective of the Fund is to provide bursaries to assist undergraduate students from the North West of England to study Natural Sciences and Engineering at Churchill College.
- John and Eileen Kelly Cambridge Bursary — for a female undergraduate who has preferentially been educated at a state school for at least 3 years and is studying a STEM subject.
- John and Michelle Kelly Cambridge Bursary — for an undergraduate who has preferentially been educated at a state school for at least 3 years and is studying a STEM subject.
- John R Sawtell Cambridge Bursary — for an undergraduate studying economics.
- Judge David Stokes QC Memorial Bursary — Funded by colleagues and contemporaries of Judge David Stokes, this fund aims to provide bursary support to undergraduates in Law or any other subject, particularly if they wish to become a barrister.
- Marian Griffith Bursary — for a female undergraduate who has preferentially been educated at a state school for at least 3 years and is studying a STEM or Law subject.
- Rob and Hilary Douglas Bursary — Awarded to UK undergraduates studying arts subjects. The fund aims to provide bursaries to support UK undergraduates from less well-off backgrounds to come to Churchill College to study Arts subjects.
- Southern African STEM Bursary – Churchill College funds a Southern African Bursary, which provides the cost of a Cambridge University education for a Black undergraduate student in a STEM subject from one of the following SADC countries in Southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia or Zimbabwe). The Bursary holder is selected on academic merit and on social and financial need.
- Dr Susan Lim Cambridge Bursary — Awarded to a UK undergraduate student studying medicine, sciences, computer science, engineering, or mathematics, for the duration of their course. It aims to provide bursaries to support undergraduates from less well-off backgrounds to come to Churchill College to study these subjects.
- Women in Science Churchill Bursary — A bursary for female undergraduates in STEM subjects
- Winston Churchill Top-Up Bursary – A bursary award funded by alumni and supporters which grants up to an extra £2,000 to students whose parental income is under £25,000 per year.
For International Students
There is a centralised source of funding for international undergraduate students, the Cambridge Overseas Trust, which offers a number of awards each year on its own behalf and on behalf of some other international organisations.
