| Website | Eligibility | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| gatescambridge.org | Seniors | Oct. 14, 2026 |
This information is provided as a resource only. Case Western Reserve University cannot verify the accuracy, availability or requirements for any listing.
About
In October 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a donation to the University of Cambridge of $210 million to establish the Gates Cambridge Trust. This benefaction creates in perpetuity an international scholarship program to enable outstanding graduate students from outside the United Kingdom to study at the University of Cambridge. The Trustees are required to award scholarships on the basis of a person's intellectual ability, leadership capacity and desire to use their knowledge to contribute to society throughout the world by providing service to their communities and applying their talents and knowledge to improve the lives of others.
The Trust expects there to be of the order of 225 Gates Cambridge Scholars studying at the University at any one time. Although there may be variation in the actual number of awards made each year, the Trust seeks to elect approximately 80-100 new scholars annually.
Eligibility
- a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom
- applying to pursue one of the following courses at the University of Cambridge:
- PhD (full-time or part-time*)
- MLitt (full-time)
- one-year postgraduate course (full-time), NOT including the following:
- Any undergraduate degree (BA) or second undergraduate degree (BA affiliated)
- Master of Business (MBA)
- Master of Finance (MFin)
- PGCE
- MBBChir Clinical Studies
- MD Doctor of Medicine degree
- Graduate Course in Medicine
- Part-time degrees
- Non-degree courses
Selection Criteria
Applicants must demonstrate academic excellence through:
- Transcripts
- References
- Experience
- Potential to succeed on the chosen course
- Reasons for choice of course
- Make a strong case for a particular postgraduate degree. You will need to demonstrate that you have the academic background and necessary skills and expertise to complete the course
- Contact with a potential lab supervisor with whom you will develop a research project for PhD and most research MPhil applicants. A summary of the project is part of the application.
- Reasons for choice of course
- Commitment to improving the lives of others
- A capacity for leadership
Preparing for Application
1. Determine if you are eligible and which round you are in
- Confirm your citizenship, where you’ll be living when you apply, and that your intended course is eligible. Your round sets your deadline.
2. Choose your Cambridge course
- Your application is for a specific course at Cambridge, so the course comes first. Browse the Cambridge Postgraduate Course Directory and ask yourself:
- Why this course, and why Cambridge instead of a program in the US?
- What will this course let me do that I couldn’t do otherwise?
- How does it connect to what I want to do after?
- If you’re applying for a PhD, look at faculty whose work fits your interests. Many departments expect you to contact a potential supervisor before applying.
3. Reflect on the four criteria
- Before you write, think about specific examples from your coursework, research, jobs, service, and campus involvement that show:
- Academic excellence
- Why this course at Cambridge fits your plans
- A commitment to improving the lives of others
- A capacity for leadership
- Leadership doesn’t have to mean a title.
4. Draft your responses to the Gates Cambridge questions
- The funding section of the application asks four short questions, one for each criterion:
- How you have shown academic excellence (about 200 words)
- Why this course at Cambridge, and how it supports your future plans (about 200 words)
- How you have shown a commitment to improving the lives of others, and why it matters to you (about 300 words)
- How you have shown a capacity for leadership, and how it will help you make an impact (about 300 words)
- These responses are the only part of the application that asks directly about your fit for Gates Cambridge. Use specific examples. Each response should connect your past experience to your future plans.
5. Prepare a research proposal (PhD applicants only)
- Gates Cambridge requires a research proposal from PhD applicants. Most PhD courses already ask for one as part of the admission application. Applicants for master’s courses don’t need one.
6. Ask for strong references
- You’ll need three references:
- Two academic references for your course application
- One Gates Cambridge reference that speaks to how you meet the scholarship’s four criteria
7. Get feedback and revise
- Give yourself time to revise your responses several times. Ask faculty, mentors, and other trusted readers for feedback.
- A reader outside your field can help you check whether your plans and reasons are clear.
- Although an institutional nomination is not required for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, CWRU students are encouraged to connect with scholarshipsandfellowships@case.edu for application support and advising.
8. Submit your application
- You submit your course application and your Gates Cambridge application together through the Cambridge Graduate Application Portal. Complete both the admission section and the Gates Cambridge part of the funding section. There is no institutional nomination requirement.
- Deadlines for 2027-28: October 14, 2026 - US round (US citizens living in the US)
- All application materials, including references, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. UK time on the deadline date (6:59 p.m. Eastern Time).