Sovrenn at 00:20, 29 March 2026

2026-03-29T00:20:13Z

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{{short description|Scholarship program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{distinguish|Gates Millennium Scholars Program}}
{{Infobox award
| name = Gates Cambridge Scholarship
| image = Gates Cambridge Scholarship logo.png
| image size = 190
| website = {{URL|https://www.gatescambridge.org|gatescambridge.org}}
| awarded_for = Post-graduate study at the [[University of Cambridge]]
| sponsor = [[Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation]]
| location = [[Cambridge]], England
| established = 2000
}}

The '''Gates Cambridge Scholarship''' is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the [[University of Cambridge]]. The scholarship is extremely competitive with around 0.5% of applicants receiving an award in recent years.<ref>{{cite web|date=19 May 2021|title=Closing gender gaps for good|url=https://www.gatescambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Gates-Cambridge-Annual-Report-2023-HiRes_Spreads.pdf|website=Gates Cambridge}}</ref>

The [[Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation]] established the Gates Cambridge Scholarships in 2000 with a $210 million donation to support outstanding graduate students' study at the [[University of Cambridge]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/7-indians-selected-for-gates-cambridge-scholarship/story-XHSWRWv19uRQYd2Rb3cnpN.html|title=7 Indians selected for Gates Cambridge Scholarship|date=2018-04-12|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=2019-01-31}}</ref> The gift is the largest single donation to a [[United Kingdom|British]] university.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Garner|first=Mandy|date=2018-04-12|title=Introducing the Gates Cambridge Class of 2018|url=https://www.cam.ac.uk/Gates2018|access-date=2019-10-18|website=University of Cambridge|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=The Programme |url=https://www.gatescambridge.org/programme |website=Gates Cambridge|date=6 April 2020 }}</ref> The Gates Cambridge Trust's endowment is valued at £333.9 million as of 2023.<ref name="finstat23">{{Cite web |title=Annual Report 2023 |url=https://www.gatescambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Gates-Cambridge-Annual-Report-2023-HiRes_Spreads.pdf |access-date=14 June 2024 |publisher=University of Cambridge}}</ref>

The scholarship covers the cost of a postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge and includes funding for academic and professional development. {{asof|2023|post=,}} 2,156 students from more than 112 countries have received the scholarship and more than 200 Gates Cambridge Scholars are studying at any time.<ref name=":2" />

==Eligibility and selection criteria==

Applicants from any country other than the United Kingdom are eligible to apply for the Gates Cambridge Scholarships. Candidates must apply to pursue one of the following full-time residential degrees at the University of Cambridge:

* [[Doctor of Philosophy|Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)]]
* [[Master of Science|Master of Science (MSc)]], [[Master of Letters|Master of Letters (MLitt)]], [[Master of Philosophy|Master of Philosophy (MPhil)]]
* Other one-year postgraduate course (e.g. LLM, MRes, MASt)

Applicants concurrently apply to a course, college and department and the offer of a Gates Cambridge Scholarship is conditional on the student gaining full placement in each.

The Gates Cambridge Trustees use four criteria to choose Scholars:

*Academic excellence: Competitiveness is evaluated through academic transcripts, references, experience and the potential to succeed on the chosen course. A departmental nomination is crucial for demonstrating this criterion;
*Choice of course: The Trust seeks Scholars who will have an academically transformative experience at Cambridge. Candidates must demonstrate intellectual superiority and the necessary skills and expertise to complete the course which they have chosen;
*A commitment to improving the lives of others: A defining characteristic of Scholars is their deep devotion to improving lives of others as evident by their past, current and future commitment to the societies in which they will live and work;
*A capacity for leadership: Candidates must show exceptional leadership elements and a pledge to 'take others with them' as future leaders of their fields and communities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply-overview|title=Apply overview|last=jim.smith|date=2018-08-16|website=Gates Cambridge|language=en|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref>
[[File:Selwyn College Cambridge Main Gate.jpg|thumb|left|Selwyn College, Cambridge University]]Generally, each class of Gates Cambridge Scholars is composed of 2⁄3 PhD and 1⁄3 one-year Scholars. The Gates Cambridge Trust uses a three-stage selection process to select its Scholars. The application process begins with prospective students applying to study for an eligible degree at the University of Cambridge, either during the U.S. or the global round. Following the initial application, each academic department at the University of Cambridge ranks and nominates eligible applicants for the scholarship. Departmental nominees are the most academically outstanding applicants for postgraduate studies in the department. The list of departmental nominees is then forwarded to the Gates Cambridge Trust, where it is divided into broad subject areas and passed to the Shortlisting Committees. Each Committee reviews the entirety of a departmental nominee and applies the Gates Cambridge selection criteria to shortlist applicants for interview. All shortlisted candidates are interviewed to assess how they meet all Gates Cambridge criteria and Scholars-Elect are selected only after the interview.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/how-we-select|title=How we select|last=Gates Cambridge|date=2014-10-19|website=Gates Cambridge|language=en|access-date=2019-10-27}}</ref> For 2023 entry, 75 Scholars were selected from a pool of 6,184 applicants.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2023-07-31 |title=Gates Cambridge Annual Report |url=https://www.gatescambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Gates-Cambridge-Annual-Report-2023-HiRes_Spreads.pdf |website=Gates Cambridge |language=en}}</ref>

==Goals==

The aim of the Gates Cambridge programme is to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others. Scholars and alumni are already becoming leaders in their fields and contributing to finding solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems.

==Gates Cambridge Scholars organizations==

In 2002, Gates Cambridge Scholars organized and elected a student committee titled The Gates Scholars' Council. The Council aims to represent the Gates Scholars at Cambridge and to build a scholar community interwoven into the fabric of the university. In cooperation with the Gates Cambridge Trust, the university and various academic and professional organizations, the Scholars' Council organizes a number of academic, social and professional events that have distinguished and built the reputation of the Gates Scholars at Cambridge University. The scholarship is particularly known for its strong academic and social community at Cambridge.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}

In 2005, the Scholars once again self-organized to create the Gates Scholars Alumni Association, which aims to build upon the friendships and contacts that were first made at Cambridge and to bridge the gap between the different generations of scholars.<ref>[https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/alumni-association Gates Scholars Alumni Association]</ref> It is an active and growing organization, with members dispersed all over the world.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}

== Controversies ==

=== Criticism of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ===
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation reduced its investments in non-renewable energy in 2016, after recipients of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship had urged the Foundation's trustees to [[Divestment|divest]] from [[fossil fuels]] a year earlier.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/libby-blanchard/an-open-letter-from-gates_b_8736838.html|title=An Open Letter from Gates Cambridge Scholars to the Gates Foundation to Divest in Fossil Fuels|date=2015-12-07|website=HuffPost UK|language=en|access-date=2019-10-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Doughton |first=Sandi |author-link=Sandi Doughton |date=2015-11-16 |title=Gates Foundation cuts fossil fuel investments — but why? |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/gates-foundation-cuts-fossil-fuel-investments-but-why/ |access-date=2019-10-27 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Foundation gave Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] its 2019 [[Goalkeepers (Gates Foundation)|Global Goalkeeper]] Award for the [[Swachh Bharat Mission]]<ref>{{Cite news|title=PM Modi receives Global Goalkeeper award for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, says people in India behind its success|language=en|newspaper=India Today|agency=Ist|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pm-modi-receives-global-goalkeeper-award-for-swachh-bharat-abhiyan-1602843-2019-09-25|access-date=2019-10-27}}</ref> and the "progress India has made in providing safe sanitation under his leadership."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Foundation|first=Gates|date=2019-09-24|title=Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Global Goalkeeper Award at tonight's Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards. This award recognizes the progress India has made in providing safe sanitation under his leadership.pic.twitter.com/QSMD4UqxiU|url=https://twitter.com/gatesfoundation/status/1176654725229490176|access-date=2019-10-27|website=@gatesfoundation|language=en}}</ref> More than 100 Gates Cambridge Scholars and alumni had condemned the Foundation's decision, following the Indian government's decision to withdraw the special status of the disputed territory of [[Jammu]] and [[Kashmir]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/15/world/asia/kashmir-india-militants.html|title=Abused by Soldiers and Militants, Kashmiris Face Dangers in Daily Life|last1=Raj|first1=Suhasini|date=2019-09-15|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-10-27|last2=Gettleman|first2=Jeffrey|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bayliss |first=Chloe |title=Cambridge Gates scholars condemn Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation award to India PM Narendra Modi |url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/17848 |access-date=2019-10-27 |website=Varsity Online |language=en}}</ref>

== Notable scholars ==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Name
!University
![[Colleges of the University of Cambridge|Cambridge College]]
!Year
!Nationality
!Field
|-
|{{sortname|Kayla | Barron}} || [[US Naval Academy]] || [[Peterhouse, Cambridge|Peterhouse]] || 2010 || {{flag|USA}} || [[NASA]] [[astronaut]]
|-
|{{sortname|Eric | Cervini|Eric Cervini}} || [[Harvard University]] || [[King's College, Cambridge|King's]] || 2015 || {{flag|USA}} || historian
|-
|{{sortname|Charles B. | Chang|Charles B. Chang}} || [[Harvard University]] || [[Trinity College, Cambridge|Trinity]] || 2005 || {{flag|USA}} || linguist
|-
|{{sortname|Molly | Crockett|Molly J. Crockett}} || [[UCLA]] || [[King's College, Cambridge|King's]] || 2006 || {{flag|USA}} || neuroscientist
|-
|{{sortname|Johanna | Hanink}} || [[University of Michigan]] || [[Queens' College, Cambridge|Queens']] || 2006 || {{flag|USA}} || classicist
|-
|{{sortname|Juliet | Lapidos}} || [[Yale University]] || [[Hughes Hall, Cambridge|Hughes Hall]] || 2005 || {{flag|USA}} || journalist and author
|-
|{{sortname|Kate | Marvel}} || [[UC Berkeley]] || [[Trinity College, Cambridge|Trinity]] || 2003 || {{flag|USA}} || climate scientist and science writer
|-
|{{sortname|Kamalini | Mukherji}} || [[Jadavpur University]] || [[St. John's College, Cambridge|St. John's]] || 2002 || {{flag|India}} || vocalist
|-
|{{sortname|Greg | Nance}} || [[University of Chicago]] || [[Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge|Fitzwilliam]] || 2011 || {{flag|USA}} || ultramarathon runner and entrepreneur
|-
|{{sortname|Jaya | Savige}} || [[University of Queensland]] || [[Christ's College, Cambridge|Christ's]] || 2008 || {{flag|Australia}} || poet
|-
|{{sortname|Robyn | Scott}} || [[University of Auckland]] || [[St Catharine's College, Cambridge|St. Catharine's]] || 2004 || {{flag|New Zealand}} || entrepreneur and writer
|-
|{{sortname|Jay | Silver}} || [[Georgia Tech]] || [[Churchill College, Cambridge|Churchill]] || 2002 || {{flag|USA}} || toy inventor
|-
|{{sortname|Tara | Westover}} || [[Brigham Young University|BYU]] || [[Trinity College, Cambridge|Trinity]] || 2008 || {{flag|USA}} || writer and memoirist
|-
|{{sortname|Melanie | Wood}} || [[Duke University]] || [[Trinity College, Cambridge|Trinity]] || 2003 || {{flag|USA}} || mathematician
|-
|{{sortname|Yeo | Bee Yin | Yeo Bee Yin | Yeo, Bee Yin}} || [[Universiti Teknologi Petronas]] || [[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge|Corpus Christi]] || 2009 || {{flag|Malaysia}} || politician
|-
|{{sortname|Tyler | Goodspeed}} || [[Harvard University]] || [[Emmanuel College, Cambridge|Emmanuel]] || 2009 || {{flag|USA}} || economist
|-
|{{sortname|Usha | Vance}} || [[Yale University]] || [[Clare College, Cambridge|Clare]] || 2010 || {{flag|USA}} || lawyer, Second Lady of the US
|-
|{{sortname|Mary | Fan}} || [[University of Arizona]] || [[St. John's College, Cambridge|St. John's]] || 2007 || {{flag|USA}} || law professor
|-
|{{sortname|Bilal | Mahmood}} || [[Stanford University]] || [[King's College, Cambridge|King's]] || 2009 || {{flag|USA}} || entrepreneur and civil servant
|-
|{{sortname|Carol | Ibe}}
|[[Georgetown University]], [[University of Oxford]]
|[[Newnham College, Cambridge|Newnham]]
|2015
|{{flag|USA}}
|founder, JR Biotek Foundation
|-
|{{sortname|Jerelle | Joseph}}
|[[University of the West Indies]]
|[[Churchill College, Cambridge|Churchill]]
|2014
|{{flag|Dominica}}
|professor of chemical and biological engineering
|-
|{{sortname|Alessio | Ciulli}}
|[[University of Florence]]
|[[Wolfson College, Cambridge|Wolfson]]
|2002
|{{flag|Italy}}
|professor of chemical and structural biology, [[Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry]]
|-
|{{sortname|David|Haskell|David Haskell (editor)}}
|[[Yale University]]
|[[Queens' College, Cambridge|Queens']]
|2001
|{{flag|USA}}
|Editor-in-chief of ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' and co-founder of [[Kings County Distillery]]
|-
|{{sortname|Iryna | Shuvalova}}
|[[Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv|National University of Kyiv]], [[Dartmouth College]]
|[[St. John's College, Cambridge|St. John's]]
|2016
|{{flag|Ukraine}}
|poet, translator and scholar
|-
|{{sortname|Jessica | Grahn}}
|[[Northwestern University]]
|[[Wolfson College, Cambridge|Wolfson]]
|2001
|{{flag|USA}}
|music neuroscientist
|-
|{{sortname|Shadrack | Frimpong}}
|[[University of Pennsylvania]], [[Yale University]]
|[[Jesus College, Cambridge|Jesus]]
|2020
|{{flag|Ghana}}
|entrepreneur and global health leader, founder of Cocoa360
|-
|{{sortname|Brady | Wagoner}}
|[[Clark University]]
|[[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge|Corpus Christi]]
|2005
|{{flag|USA}}
|professor of psychology
|-
|{{sortname|Michael G.| Masters}}
|[[University of Michigan]]
|[[Hughes Hall, Cambridge|Hughes Hall]]
|2001
|{{flag|USA}}
|lawyer and global security consultant
|-
|{{sortname|Jana | Zaumseil}}
|[[Leipzig University]]
|[[St. John's College, Cambridge|St. John's]]
|2003
|{{flag|Germany}}
|professor of physical chemistry
|-
|{{sortname|Victoria | Herrmann}}
|[[Lehigh University]], [[Carleton University]]
|[[Pembroke College, Cambridge|Pembroke]]
|2014
|{{flag|USA}}
|polar geographer and climate change communicator
|-
|[[Scott Barry Kaufman|Scott Kaufman]]
|[[Carnegie Mellon University]]
|[[King's College, Cambridge|King's]]
|2003
|{{flag|USA}}
|cognitive scientist, author, podcaster, coach, and popular science writer
|-
|[[Urbasi Sinha]]
|[[University of Cambridge]]
|[[Queens' College, Cambridge|Queens']]
|2002
|{{flag|India}}
|quantum physicist and professor
|-
|[[Rob K. Henderson (author)|Rob Henderson]]
|[[Yale University]]
|[[St Catharine's College, Cambridge|St. Catharine's]]
|2018
|{{flag|USA}}
|writer and political commentator
|-
|[[Emily Kassie]]
|[[Brown University]]
|[[St. John's College, Cambridge|St. John's]]
|2016
|{{flag|Canada}}
|investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker
|-
|[[Caitlin Casey]]
|[[University of Arizona]]
|[[St. John's College, Cambridge|St. John's]]
|2007
|{{flag|USA}}
|observational astronomer
|-
|[[Todd Tucker]]
|[[George Washington University]]
|[[Queens' College, Cambridge|Queens']]
|2012
|{{flag|USA}}
|academic, political scientist, and political commentator
|-
|-
|[[Yassamin Ansari]]
|[[Stanford University]]
|[[St. John's College, Cambridge|St. John's]]
|2012
|{{flag|USA}}
|US congresswoman
|-
|[[Kate Brandt]]
|[[Brown University]]
|[[Selwyn College, Cambridge|Selwyn College]]
|2007
|{{flag|USA}}
|Chief Sustainability Officer at Google
|-
|[[William Greenleaf (American scientist)|William Greenleaf]]
|[[Harvard University]]
|[[Trinity College, Cambridge|Trinity]]
|2002
|{{flag|USA}}
|molecular biologist, biophysicist, inventor, and professor
|-
|[[Njoki Wamai]]
|[[University of Nairobi]], [[King's College London]]
|[[Queens' College, Cambridge|Queens']]
|2012
|{{flag|Kenya}}
|feminist activist and professor
|-
|[[Naomi Woo]]
|[[Yale University]]
|[[Clare College, Cambridge|Clare]]
|2013
|{{flag|Canada}}
|conductor and pianist
|-
|[[Christopher Tooley]]
|[[Massey University]], [[University of Auckland]]
|[[Girton College, Cambridge|Girton]]
|2002
|{{flag|New Zealand}}
|academic, executive and indigenous health leader
|}

==See also==
* [[Churchill Scholarship]] at [[Cambridge University]]
* [[Rhodes Scholarship]] at [[Oxford University]]
*[[Clarendon Fund|Clarendon Scholarship]] at [[Oxford University]]
* [[Yenching Scholarship]] at [[Peking University]]
* [[Schwarzman Scholars]]hip at [[Tsinghua University]]
* [[Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan]]
* [[Marshall Scholarship]] for any university in the [[United Kingdom]]
* [[Mitchell Scholarship]] for any university in the [[Republic of Ireland]] or [[Northern Ireland]]
* [[Knight-Hennessy Scholars]] at [[Stanford University]]
* [[Jardine Scholarship]] at [[University of Oxford]] and [[University of Cambridge]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2010/2/16/cambridge-scholarship-gates-studies/ Coverage in the Harvard Crimson]

{{University of Cambridge}}
{{Global Scholars Group}}

[[Category:Awards and prizes of the University of Cambridge]]
[[Category:Scholarships in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]]
[[Category:Awards established in 2000]]

Gates Cambridge Scholarship - Revision history

Sovrenn at 00:20, 29 March 2026