University of Cambridge 2021-2022 Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme (US)

The Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme was established in February 2019 thanks to an extraordinarily generous donation from the David and Claudia Harding Foundation, the biggest single gift made to a university in the UK by a British philanthropist. 

Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarships provide outstanding PhD students with life-changing opportunities to research and study at the University of Cambridge. These fully funded Scholarships are available to the most talented students in any discipline, from all parts of the UK and the world.

At least 25 PhD students will receive a Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarship annually creating a cohort of the strongest PhD students in any given year across a diverse range of subject areas.

A significant proportion of the Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarships (25-33% each year) will be at St Catharine’s College. The larger group at St Catharine’s College reflects David Harding’s previous association with the College. However, the remainder will be distributed so as to guarantee excellent postgraduate students across the whole Collegiate University.

• Table of Content
• About University of Cambridge
• Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme
• Aim and Benefits of Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme
• Requirements for Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme

Aim and Benefits of Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme

• Award value options: Fees and maintenance
• Award minimum value: £86532
• Award maximum value: £175056

Award value extra info: 

A Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarship covers the following costs for PhD students:

• the University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate for the duration of your course
• a maintenance allowance (living costs) of £18,000 per year for the three-year duration of your PhD research, with the option to receive maintenance funding in a fourth year, should this be required
• a personal research allowance (for expenditure on personal research expenses and research-related activities such as conference attendance and books) of up to £6,000 over the duration of your course

Requirements for Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme Qualification

• Colleges: Christ’s College, Churchill College, Clare College, Clare Hall, Darwin College, Downing College, Fitzwilliam College, Girton College, Homerton College, Hughes Hall, Jesus College, Lucy Cavendish College, Magdalene College, Murray Edwards College, Newnham College, Queens’ College, Robinson College, Selwyn College, Sidney Sussex College, St Catharine’s College, St Edmund’s College, Trinity Hall, Wolfson College
• Qualifications: Postgraduate Doctor of Philosophy
• Who is eligible: Applying to a course

Application Deadline

How to Apply

To be considered for a Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarship, when you make your application for PhD study you must:

1. Indicate that you wish to be considered for funding by answering ‘yes’ to the question ‘Do you wish to apply for funding?’ in the Funding section of the online Graduate Application form.
2. Apply by the funding deadline for your course.

You do not need to provide an additional, bespoke statement specifically for the Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme (HDPSP) when making your application for PhD study and there is no HDPSP sub-section to complete – as long as you have indicated that you wish to be considered for funding, and you apply by the funding deadline, no further action is required.

For more details, visit University of Cambridge website.