The first Churchill Scholarships were awarded in 1963 after Winston Churchill sought an opportunity for young Americans to study at the University of Cambridge. The Winston Churchill Foundation awards approximately 10-14 scholarships annually to fund one year of study resulting in a master’s degree at the University of Cambridge. This research-oriented scholarship covers all tuition and fees, a living allowance of £11,000 to £13,000, a grant of $1,500 for international travel and $500 for personal travel abroad, reimbursement for UK visa application fees, and the possibility of a Special Research Grant of up to $2,000. The total value of a Churchill Scholarship is worth more than $60,000.

In most fields, the master’s degree involves only laboratory research, while in others there is a combination of courses and research. Acceptable fields of study include, but are not limited to, astronomy, astrophysics, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, genetics, theoretical mathematics, applied mathematics, mathematical statistics, medicine, experimental physics, theoretical physics, and zoology.

The selection criteria for Churchill Scholars include:

If you are interested in applying for the Churchill Scholarship, you may also be interested in applying for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, which does not require UNC’s endorsement.