Gates Cambridge Scholarships are designed to support students of outstanding academic merit and leadership potential from every country of the world except the UK. Preference will be given to those judged particularly committed to serving their communities There are two selection rounds each year. Applicants who are US citizens resident in the USA will be considered in the first round. All other eligible applicants will be considered in the second round. Full details and application deadlines can be found on the Postgraduate Admissions website or on the Gates Cambridge website.

2025-2026 Deadlines

USA applicants: Wednesday 16 October 2024 (12noon in local US time zone)

Other non UK applicants: Tuesday 3 December 2024

The Cambridge Trust works with partners worldwide to provide a variety of scholarship schemes. The Trust has been offering scholarships at Cambridge for over 30 years. In this time it has awarded more than 20,000 scholarships to students from around the world. The Cambridge Trust awards around 500 scholarships a year to support the most outstanding students. It also supports more than 1200 current students each year. The Trust awards students at both PhD and Master's level, in all subjects, at any of the 31 Colleges. If you are interested in being considered for this funding you will be asked to indicate this on your application form.

For more information, please visit the Cambridge Trust website.

Wakefield Scholarship

• Wakefield Fund and Scholarships are for persons intending to pursue a course of advanced study or research at the Institute.
• They are open to any person who was born or educated in Australia, New Zealand or Canada. 
• If two or more candidates born or educated in Australia are equally well qualified, preference is given to a candidate who was born or educated in South Australia.

Award Details

• Scholarships are awarded annually, for one year, allocated equally across the MSt, MPhil and PhD courses.
• Awards for PhD and MPhil applicants may be made towards maintenance costs and/or University fees.
• Awards for MSt applicants will only be made towards University fees.
• Applications received after the course application deadline will not be considered. 
• The annual value of a Scholarship is determined by the Managers of the Wakefield Fund at the time of election, and it takes into account the financial circumstances of applicants. Awards do not usually exceed the full value of University and College fees.
• Previous scholarship recipients are not automatically considered or awarded funding for subsequent years of study. To be considered for a second or third year of funding (three years is the maximum duration of funding), a new application form needs to be completed and submitted each year, by the deadlines advertised below.

Wakefield Scholarship - Application Form

Wakefield Scholarship - Referee Form.  [Please note that references should be sent to: graduate.administrator@crim.cam.ac.uk by the application deadline].

Manuel López-Rey Studentship

The Manuel López-Rey Studentship in Criminology is awarded from the Manuel López-Rey Fund, given to the University by Mrs Grace López-Rey in memory of her husband, Professor Manuel López-Rey, a former Visiting Fellow of the Institute.

• The Studentship is open to any person who is, or is about to be, registered as a graduate student in Criminology at the University.
• The Fund Managers may give preference to candidates who are citizens of countries in which, in the opinion of the Fund Managers, there is a particular need for the development of the study of criminology.

• A studentship is tenable for one year in the first instance.
• In exceptional circumstances it maybe renewed by the Managers for a second or third year. If a previous recepient of the studentship wishes to be considered for another round of awards, they must submit a new application form each year by the deadline advertised below.
• The value of a Studentship is determined by the Fund Managers at the time of the election, taking into account the financial circumstances of the applicant.
• The Studentship may not be available in every academic year.
• Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

Lopez-Rey Application Form

Lopez-Rey Referee Form. [Please note that references should be sent to: graduate.administrator@crim.cam.ac.uk by the application deadline]

Jerry Lee Doctoral Studentships

Since 2006, the Jerry Lee Foundation has supported the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, in creating a Centre dedicated solely to the advancement of experimental criminology.  It also pledged to fund a programme of doctoral studentships at the Institute of Criminology.  Applicants to the Jerry Lee Doctoral Studentship will need to meet the following criteria:

• Plan to undertake a part-time PhD in Experimental Criminology, and have received an offer of place to start in any term, in the following academic year. Please note: The Jerry Lee Doctoral Studentships will be awarded shortly after the funding application deadline (see below). Therefore, we strongly encourage applicants planning to apply to submit their PhD application as soon as possible.
• Be currently employed - most likely in a criminal justice agency. [Studentships will be awarded to applicants who can deliver a high-quality experiment in the context of their employment, for example a randomised controlled trial, where the employer will allow and accommodate study for a PhD.]
• Are eligible to pay Home Fees.

The Studentship will cover £6,214 per annum towards part-time Home fees, up to a maximum of five years’ study.

Jerry Lee Doctoral Studentship - Application Form

Jerry Lee Doctoral Studentship - Referee Form. [Please note that references should be sent to: graduate.administrator@crim.cam.ac.uk by the application deadline]

Jerry Lee Doctoral Studentship - Employee Form. [Please note that employee form should be sent to: graduate.administrator@crim.cam.ac.uk by the application deadline]

Timpson Bursary: Third Sector (For those working in the third sector in criminal justice)

We are pleased to announce that we will again be offering a 50% fee bursary for the Masters in the Applied Criminology, Penology and Management programme in 2025 for people working in the third sector relating to criminal justice. The bursary is awarded from the benefaction of Mr James Timpson, an ardent supporter of those with lived experience of the penal system and those that work in the third sector to support them. Mr Timpson is passionate about employing ex-offenders and works closely with HMPPS to improve the lives of his employees by creating an empowering workplace culture.

Prospective students for the MSt in the Applied Criminology, Penology and Management, will need to be working in the third sector in the area of criminal justice (third sector is defined as non-governmental and non-profit making organisations including charities, voluntary and community groups, cooperatives, etc.) and satisfy the application criteria for the course.

The Timpson Bursary is open to any person working in the third sector in criminal justice. 

• Timpson Bursary (Third Sector) - Application Form
• Timpson Bursary (Third Sector) - Referee Form
• Timpson Bursary (Third Sector) - Employer Proof Form

Please note that the application form and references should be sent to: sgc@crim.cam.ac.uk by the application deadline.

Timpson Bursary – Lived Experience

We are pleased to announce that we will again be offering a 50% fee bursary for the Masters in the Applied Criminology, Penology and Management programme in 2025 for prospective students with lived experience of the penal system. The Bursary is awarded from the benefaction of Mr James Timpson, an ardent supporter of those with lived experience of imprisonment and those that work in the third sector to support them. Mr Timpson is passionate about employing ex-offenders and works closely with the prison service in the UK to improve the lives of his employees by creating an empowering workplace culture. Mr Timpson is offering a bursary to prospective students with lived experience of the penal system.

Prospective students for the MSt in the Applied Criminology, Penology and Management, will need to be working in the field of criminal justice and satisfy the application criteria for the course.

Having a criminal conviction does not, of itself, prevent people from studying at Cambridge. However, the University has safeguarding duties towards all its students and staff and there may be occasions where these have to be placed ahead of other considerations. During the application process, in certain circumstances, you must provide full details of your criminal conviction.  This enables the University to assess the risk posed to individuals and the wider University community, identifying where this risk is unacceptable or where specific actions or support are needed to mitigate the risk to an acceptable level. We encourage prospective students to apply as early as possible to allow time for any required assessments. More details of the assessment process and requirements can be found here: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate-applicants-previous-criminal-convictions

Please note that an application for the Timpson Bursary is separate to your application for entry onto the course; you must also apply for admission onto the course through the University online application form.

• Timpson Bursary (Lived Experience) - Application form
• Timpson Bursary (Lived Experience) - Referee form

Please your application form and references to sgc@crim.cam.ac.uk by the deadline.