Winston Churchill Foundation Scholarships

Websites: http://www.winstonchurchillfoundation.org/Index.html,

Cambridge University website: http://www.cam.ac.uk/

Churchill College: http://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/

Winston Churchill Foundation Scholarships are awarded for one year of study, and a Master’s degree, at Churchill College, Cambridge. Acceptable fields of study include mathematics, biology, biochemistry, physical anthropology, computer speech and language processing, computer science, physics, chemistry and mathematical statistics.  This research oriented scholarship covers all fees and tuition, a living allowance of £10,000 to £12,000 and a grant of $1,000 for international travel and the possibility of a Special Research Grant of up to $2,000. The total value of a Churchill Scholarship is currently worth between $48,000 to $50,000 at current exchange rates, among the highest of any prestigious international scholarship.

The criteria for the selection of Churchill Scholars include the following: 

• Exceptional academic achievement in all disciplines, but especially in the major, as indicated by course grades.
• 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.
• Outstanding personal qualities.

Eligibility

Potential applicants should consult Dr. Peter Mucha (mucha@email.unc.edu), Chair of the Selection Committee, for UNC nominations.

The criteria for the selection of Churchill Scholars include the following:

1. An applicant must be a citizen of the United States and be enrolled in a participating college or university.  (UNC-CH is a participating University.)
2. Upon taking up a Churchill Scholarship, a student must be between the ages of 19 and 26, must hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a U.S. college, and, must not have earned a doctorate.

Application Procedure

1. Campus Selection: Students must submit a preliminary application (see below for details) to the Office of Distinguished Scholarships (225 Graham Memorial, CB#3510) by 12:00 p.m. on September 15, 2008.
2. The nominating committee will select and notify up to two students for national consideration by early October.
3. Final applications will be due to the Office of Distinguished Scholarships by Thursday, November 8.
4. The awards are announced by April 15, 2009.

Application Information

Note: Applicants for the Churchill Scholarship must apply separately for admission to the University of Cambridge no later than mid-October. 

Please see the Web site of the Board of Graduate Studies of the University of Cambridge for all requirements and details.  Applicants must indicate Churchill College as their first choice in Section A(4) “College membership.”  In Section B(3) applicants should indicate that they are applying for a Churchill Scholarship from the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States:  indicate Yes as tenable at the University of Cambridge; leave blank the section “Awarded”; indicate one (1) year for Tenure; indicate March of the appropriate year for Date; and indicate £22,000-£25,000 as the Value of the Scholarship.

Format: Please type and double-space the activities list, the autobiographical statement, and the research proposal.  Place your name at the top right-hand corner of each page. (See detailed instructions)

Preliminary Application

The preliminary application consists of one original and four copies of the following materials:

1. Cover page listing your name, home address, current local mailing address, local telephone number and e-mail address.
2. Transcripts from each college or university you have attended and a list of the courses in which you are currently enrolled.
3. Copy of GRE scores as soon as they are available.
4. List of principal activities and honors in college, including prizes, scholarships, and offices held, athletic accomplishments, and extra-curricular activities.
5. Brief biography (4 - 5 pages), including an account of your interest in science, your reasons for wishing to attend Churchill College, and your career plans.  We strongly recommend that all applicants have a professor read and critique the autobiographies.
6. A one or two paragraph proposal for research that you would like to conduct at Cambridge University.
7. Four letters of recommendation from mathematics or science professors who are familiar with your academic ability and are able to discuss your promise as a Churchill candidate.  Please ask the recommenders to send their letters directly to the Office of Distinguished Scholarships. You will need a total of four (three scientific, one personal) for the formal application. The letters should be dated and addressed to the Churchill Scholarship Nominating Committee.  The student must take responsibility to inform and remind recommenders of the deadline.

Selection Process

Selection Criteria include:

Achievement in academic work as indicated by course grades; scores on the Graduate Record Examination; capacity for original creative work as shown by awards, other forms of recognition, or letters of reference; good character, adaptability, and demonstrated concern for critical problems of society; and, good health.

GRE Scores:

For the Churchill Scholarship, applicants must take the general aptitude GRE.  If at all possible, students should submit scores for the general aptitude test, to Distinguished Scholarships by November 8, 2008.  At the minimum, an applicant must submit scores for the general aptitude test with the preliminary application.  The general aptitude test can be taken in written form or through computer based testing (CBT).  There are a number of opportunities to take the general aptitude test through CBT. The score must be available for consideration by the Churchill Foundation in late December.  Students are urged to get information about the schedule for test dates for the GRE general aptitude from the Educational Testing Service.   The University Counseling Service in Nash Hall has brochures from the ETS. Students can also consult the ETS website (http://www.ets.org).

Return all applications to the Office of Distinguished Scholarships, Room 225 Graham Memorial Hall.  For further information about the application process, please contact Dr. Peter Mucha (919-843-2550 or mucha@email.unc.edu) or the Office of Distinguished Scholarships (ODS@unc.edu).