CHURCHILL SCHOLARSHIPS
PURPOSE
The Winston Churchill Foundation's scholarship program offers American students of exceptional ability and outstanding academic achievement the opportunity to pursue one year of graduate studies in engineering, mathematics, or the sciences at Churchill College, the University of Cambridge. The newest of the colleges at the University of Cambridge, Churchill College focuses on the sciences, engineering, and mathematics, but Churchill scholars pursue their research in a wide variety of programs and laboratories.
In addition to the resources of Cambridge University, the Churchill Scholarships provide the opportunity to experience life in England and to visit the country's archeological, historical, and artistic monuments, to forge new friendships with students from Great Britain and around the world, to see the United States from a new perspective, and to gain the many personal insights that come from living abroad.
AWARD
The Churchill Scholarship covers all University and College tuition and fees. In addition, students receive a living allowance of £10,000 if enrolled in a nine-month academic program and £12,000 if enrolled in a full-year academic program. They also receive a travel allowance of up to $1,000; there is also the possibility of a Special Research Grant of up to $2,000. Depending on the field of study and recent rates of exchange, the value of a Churchill Scholarship is approximately $44,000 to $50,000.
NUMBER OFFERED
At least 13 Churchill Scholarships, tenable for nine or twelve months, depending on the academic program, are offered annually. Competition is intense: usually there are about 160 applications from more than eighty undergraduate institutions.
FIELDS OF STUDY
Science, mathematics, and engineering, all at Churchill College, Cambridge University.
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must be citizens of the United States and must be enrolled in one of the institutions participating in the scholarship competition. Upon taking up a Churchill Scholarship, one must be between the ages of 19 and 26, hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a United States college or university, and may not have attained a doctorate.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
- Exceptional academic achievement in all disciplines, but especially the major, as indicated by course grades [a GPA of at least 3.7].
- Scores on the Graduate Record Examination. Applicants are required to take the general aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examination, and they should be certain to take it in time for the scores to be reported to the Churchill Foundation no later than the end of November. The MCAT may be taken instead of the GRE.
- A capacity to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the sciences, engineering, or mathematics by pursuing original, creative work at an advanced level as demonstrated by awards and prizes and by letters of reference. Applicants in the sciences and engineering will show extensive laboratory experience, internships, or other related work, while applicants in mathematics will show substantial independent work or other projects.
- Outstanding personal qualities.
DEADLINES
Churchill Scholarship applicants cannot apply directly to the foundation; they must be nominated by their undergraduate institution.
Steps for Initial Application
Information and application forms will be available from the Fellowship Office in Adirondack House 202 at Middlebury College. The Middlebury application deadline will be noon September 21, 2009, for the campus selection process. Middlebury may nominate up to two candidates, who will be informed of their status soon after September 21.
Final Application
Information and forms may also be downloaded from the web at the URL below.
* "Churchill Scholarship Application"
* "Application Form for Admission as a Graduate Student or to a Postgraduate Course" (from University of Cambridge)
* "Scholarship Medical Certificate"
* "Scholarship Reference Report"
Applications from Middlebury's two nominees are due (received, not postmarked) by Tuesday, November 10, 2009.
Final Selection
The Churchill Foundation Scholarship Screening Committee, comprised of former Churchill Scholars who are expert in various disciplines, evaluates the applications and endorses those considered most qualified for a Scholarship.
Applicants are notified in January whether or not they have been endorsed by the Screening Committee.
The Board of Graduate Studies and the appropriate departments at the University of Cambridge review the applications that have been endorsed by the Screening Committee, consider the availability of appropriate supervision and laboratory space and decide who is eligible for admission to the University.
The Winston Churchill Foundation makes final decisions on Churchill Scholarship winners and announces them by April 15th.
More information may be found on the Churchill website (see below). Applicants must apply separately to the University of Cambridge by mid-fall; please see their Web site for program-specific deadlines.
CONTACT
Lisa Gates, Fellowship Advisor
Adirondack House 204
lgates@middlebury.edu
802-443-3183
URL
http://www.winstonchurchillfoundation.org/
(last edited 10/22/09)