Overview

*Please refer to “Application procedure – specific to History Faculty graduate courses” below.

Cambridge International Scholarships (CISS)

The Cambridge International Scholarships (CISS) are awarded to outstanding applicants for admission/continuation to the PhD course.

The competition is open to citizens of all countries other than the United Kingdom and countries that are members of the European Union.  Each award will underwrite the full cost of fees and maintenance for the duration of the course.  Applicants must be applying for full-time study.

The awards for this scheme are highly competitive: the number of awards available across the whole University is severely limited.

Applicants are judged on academic merit and research potential alone.  Applicants will be evaluated by the History Faculty; top applicants will be forwarded to a University committee.

Applicants are expected also to seek funding, where appropriate, from all other sources.

Further details about the CISS scheme can be located at:  http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/students/studentregistry/fees/funding/ciss/index.html

Cambridge Trusts

Full information is available at the following website: http://www.cambridgetrusts.org/ All applicants should consult this website.

Eligibility

Applicants in the following categories are not eligible for CISS awards:

• UK/EU nationality applicants for admission/continuation to the PhD (full-time and part-time)
• MPhil admission applicants (all nationalities)
• Current PhD students (all nationalities)

Applicants eligible for CISS awards:

Overseas applicants for admission/continuation to the Faculty’s full-time PhD course are eligible for Cambridge International Scholarships.

Eligibility – Cambridge Trusts

Applicants in the following categories are not eligible for Cambridge Trust awards:

• UK/EU nationality applicants
• Current PhD students (all nationalities)
• Applicants for part-time PhD study (all nationalities)

Applicants in the following categories are eligible for Cambridge Trust awards:

Overseas nationality applicants, applying for admission to the Faculty’s six MPhil courses, or admission/continuation to the Faculty’s full-time PhD course

Application procedure – specific to History Faculty graduate courses

The Faculty receives many more applications for this funding stream than there are awards available.

The Faculty wishes to save applicants unnecessary time and effort completing funding applications that will not result in an award.

The Faculty introduced a new method for handling applications for this funding stream in October 2011:

• All applicants for this funding stream MUST apply for admission/continuation by the admission/continuation deadlines.
• All applications will be ranked using the information supplied by the applicant within the admission/continuation package.
• Applicants must have at least a conditional offer of admission/continuation in order to be ranked.
• Based upon the initial ranking, only the top 50-60 percentile of applications will be considered by the Faculty Ranking Committee.  It is essential applicants apply for all funding streams for which they are eligible and do not apply only to the CISS/Cambridge Trusts schemes.
• Applicants who do fall within the top 50-60 percentile will be contacted by the end of February 2013. Email is our preferred method, if an email address bounces then the Faculty will use alternative means (telephone and finally mail) but the Faculty will strive to make contact with all applicants in this category.
• Applicants who do not fall within the top 50-60 percentile will not be contacted.  If you do not receive an email by the end of  February 2013; such applicants should consider these funding streams closed to them.  Due to the volume of potential applicants, pressure on our time and deadlines to meet, we regret that we will not be able to contact individual unsuccessful applicants in writing.
• The Degree Committee will not process funding applications from a candidate who does not fulfil the CISS/Cambridge Trusts eligibility criteria.
• The Faculty Ranking Committee will rank the top 50-60 percentile and this ranking will be sent to the University CISS Committee and the Cambridge Trusts Committee.  The University CISS Committee and the Cambridge Trusts Committee receives ranked lists from all University Faculties and Departments and may re-rank applicants as a result of the limited number of awards available.  Applicants should note that even if they reach the Faculty Ranking Committee/ University CISS Committee/Cambridge Trusts Committee stage, not all will receive awards due to the limited number of awards available.
• The University Committee and Cambridge Trusts Committees will each produce a definitive ranked list of applicants to be nominated for awards.  Applicants on the CISS/Cambridge Trusts  ranked list, if successful, will be contacted by either the University Committee/Cambridge Trusts Committee/Faculty by the end of April 2013.   If you do not receive an email from the University CISS Committee/Cambridge Trusts Committee/Faculty by the end of  April 2013 such applicants should consider these funding streams closed to them.  Due to the volume of potential applicants, pressure on our time and deadlines to meet, we regret that we will not be able to contact individual unsuccessful applicants in writing.
• Applicants who receive an award are reminded that they are required to satisfy academic eligibility criteria for the award.

What forms do you need to complete now/immediately?

(a) Make sure you submit an Advance Notification Form*

by midnight (GMT) on 01 October 2012 (for Overseas/EU admission applicants for the full-time PhD course)

OR

By Midnight (GMT) on 30 November 2012 (for EU/Overseas continuation applicants for the full-time PhD course)

(b) Make sure you submit your admission/continuation (GRADSAF) application form and all

supporting documents via the University’s online admission portal

by Midnight (GMT) on 1 October 2012 (for EU/Overseas admission applicants for the full-time PhD course)

OR

by Midnight (GMT) on 30 November 2012 (for EU/Overseas continuation applicants for the full-time PhD course).

Make sure you fully complete the Funding Section of the GRADSAF application form

* You must send in an Advance Notification Form - this tells us what funding you think you might be eligible for.  If you fall into the top 50-60 percentile, we will send you an Additional Information email in January/February 2013.  The Additional Information email will contain up to date information about CISS/Cambridge Trusts funding schemes.

Other Funding Options

Due to the limited number of awards available, all applicants are strongly encouraged to actively investigate and apply for other funding options listed within this guide.

You can also research additional options using the Student Registry Funding Search Engine

Contacts

University of Cambridge Graduate Admissions Office
Email: Graduate.Admissions@admin.cam.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1223 760606
Web: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/students/gradadmissions/prospec/

Faculty of History: Admission enquiries

Web: http://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/prospective-graduates

MPhil in Economic and Social History

Email: mphil-ecsoc@hist.cam.ac.uk

Tel: 01223 748152

MPhil in Modern  European History

Email: mphil-modeuropean@hist.cam.ac.uk

Tel: 01223 335311

MPhil in Early Modern History

Email: mphil-earlymodern@hist.cam.ac.uk

Tel: 01223 335311

MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History

Email: mphil-polthought@hist.cam.ac.uk

Tel: 01223 335311

MPhil in Medieval History

Email: mphil-medieval@hist.cam.ac.uk

Tel: 01223 748152

PhD / MPhil in Historical Studies

Email: mphil-histstudies@hist.cam.ac.uk

Tel: 01223 335304

Faculty of History: Funding enquiries

Degree Committee Office

Email: gradfunding@hist.cam.ac.uk,

Tel: 01223 335305*

*During peak times(which are Nov 2012 – March 2013), it is recommended that email be used.