70 postgraduate students will receive funding for their research under a new scheme being piloted by the Colleges of the University of Cambridge, the Isaac Newton Trust and the Cambridge Home and EU Scholarship Scheme (CHESS).

These generous studentship schemes will attract the brightest students, helping them achieve their longer-term goals whilst removing some of the financial barriers that may have prevented them spending another year at University.

Gordon Chesterman, Director, University of Cambridge Careers Service

The Newton CHESS MPhil Studentship scheme (NCMS) aims to make postgraduate study accessible to students from all backgrounds, by supporting outstanding Home students who want to carry out research MPhils with the goal of continuing to a PhD. 

Each Newton CHESS MPhil studentship will be worth £12,000, which will cover fees and provide a bursary to contribute towards living costs.

40 of these new studentships will be jointly-funded by Colleges and the Isaac Newton Trust, with 19 Colleges providing funding as part of the scheme.

Applicants from the UK for MPhil programmes in all subjects are eligible for the scheme.  Applicants who have applied for funding from CHESS as part of their application will be automatically considered for this funding.

Professor Jon Parry, Director of the Isaac Newton Trust, explains. “Recognising that public funding for research MPhils is increasingly scarce, the Trust wanted to find a way to support more students in this crucial first year of graduate study.

“We see this as a natural follow-on from our earlier initiative in establishing undergraduate bursaries, which has led to the current Cambridge Bursary Scheme. We are particularly pleased that our offer of matching funding has led so many Colleges to contribute money towards these new awards."

Andy Jeffries, Secretary to the University of Cambridge Senior Tutors’ Committee, said “The Senior Tutors' Committee were very keen to support the scheme as although Colleges have for some time provided awards to support MPhil students, being able to match funding with the Isaac Newton Trust has enabled more students to be given awards.”

Gordon Chesterman, Director of the University of Cambridge Careers Service, said “Further study has always been a popular choice for our undergraduates with over 30% following this path each year - one of the highest proportions for any UK university. Embarking on further study is their first step into an academic research career and they will form the future's successful research base in the UK.

“Sources of adequate funding are becoming tighter and more competitive and these generous studentship schemes will attract the brightest students, helping them achieve their longer-term goals whilst removing some of the financial barriers that may have prevented them spending another year at University,” Mr Chesterman added.

The scheme will run for a trial period of up to three years.

For more information about the scheme, and how to apply, visit: https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/students/studentregistry/fees/funding/chess/mphil.html

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