College Scholarships and Prizes
College Scholarships and Prizes
The College recognises academic excellence amongst its undergraduates with a wide-range of annual prizes and scholarships, which bring both prestige and monetary rewards. Junior members who have obtained first Class Honours in any University or College examination are automatically awarded a prize and are elected into scholarships. In the absence of any candidate of sufficient distinction in a given year, the prize will not be awarded. When possible, monetary awards are paid directly into students' bank accounts.
Please note, students are awarded scholarships and prizes; no applications are required.
Name of prize and purpose
|
Eligibility |
Amount awarded |
|---|---|---|
AlcanPrize awarded to the most successful undergraduate student in their penultimate year |
Undergraduate reading Natural Sciences (Physical), Engineering, Computer Science or Applied Mathematics | £300 |
Alfred Monk F R LeavisPrize awarded to a student from any year who has performed exceptionally well in any one paper or in the Tripos as a whole |
Undergraduate reading English | £300 |
AssociationPrize awarded to a student who achieves the best, or a very high examination result in their final year |
Undergraduate reading any subject | £300 [more than one prize may be awarded] |
Barry MoorePrize awarded to a student for the best Part IIB Tripos performance |
Undergraduate reading Economics [must have achieved a First Class mark] | £300 |
B J EverittScholarship awarded for the best Part II Tripos performance |
Undergraduate reading Neuroscience or Psychology | £200 |
ChapelPrize awarded to a student in their final year who has made a valued contribution to the liturgical life of the Chapel |
Undergraduate reading any subject | £100 |
EggintonPrize awarded to a student from any year who has made an outstanding contribution to Fine Arts and Dance |
Undergraduate reading any subject | £200 |
Gabriel Oon Chong JinPrize awarded to a student in their final year, who achieve a First Class mark, and either a Blue or Half Blue in sports which may be in that year or earlier |
Undergraduate in any subject [must have achieved a First Class mark]
In the case of a Half Blue, it must be for a sport in which non-discretionary full Blues are not awarded |
£250 [if more than one individual is selected, in any one year, the prize will be shared equally] |
GelberPrize awarded for the greatest academic distinction in modern diplomatic or political history, or international relations (other than international legal studies), as determined by examination result |
Undergraduate reading History or Postgraduate reading for the MPhil in International Relations | £200 |
GrimmettPrize awarded for distinguished first-class performance in the Mathematics Tripos, normally in Part II Priority will be given for excellence in Part II, if there are performances of sufficient distinction |
Undergraduate reading Mathematics [must have achieved a First Class mark] | £200 |
Harold HargreavesPrize awarded to a student for the best Part II Tripos performance |
Undergraduate reading Natural Sciences (Chemistry) [must have achieved a First Class mark] | £200 |
Joseph TchengPrize awarded to a student for the best Part II Tripos performance |
Undergraduate reading Economics [must have achieved a First Class mark] | £250 |
Nigel AllingtonPrize awarded to a student for the best dissertation |
Undergraduate reading Economics [must have achieved a First Class mark] | £100 |
Peter and Anne RobsonPrize awarded to a student from any year with the best Tripos performance |
Undergraduate reading a subject in any area of Electonics | £250 |
Peter MathiasPrize awarded to a student for the best Part IIA Tripos performance |
Undergraduate reading Economics [must have achieved a First Class mark] | £300 |
S M and H HaniffPrize awarded to a graduating Physicist who has achieved a First in the top 12% of any Part II or Part III Tripos examination |
Undergraduate reading Natural Sciences (Physics) [must appear in the top 12%, when rounded to the nearest integer, of the class list] | £250 [if more than one qualifying student, prize amount will be shared equally] |
Whalley-TookerPrize awarded to a student in their penultimate year who has performed best in a Tripos examination |
Prize awarded to a student in their penultimate year who has performed best in a Tripos examination | £300 |
College prizes
The following College prizes are awarded for especial distinction. Qualifying students must appear in the top 2.5% of the class list for a given subject. One special prize is awarded per student in a given year:
|
Name of College prize
|
Eligibility |
Amount awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Bradbrook | Undergraduate in any year reading English | £100 |
| Clark | Undergraduate in any year reading Natural Sciences | £100 |
| Graeme Hall | Undergraduate in their final year reading Law | £100 |
| Harris | Undergraduate in any year reading Law | £100 |
| Platt | Undergraduate in any year reading any Arts or Science subject | £100 |
There are also a number of other prizes connected with Tripos results for which students can apply to as follows:
Name and purpose
|
Eligibility and amount awarded |
Application deadline and information |
|---|---|---|
HarrisonPrize for the best dissertation |
Any undergraduate in their final year reading a Biological subject in Part II or Part III of their Tripos One prize of £100 |
Apply by 24 May 2024 |
Judy C PettyScholarships for those who have made an outstanding contribution to Music and the Arts while at Cambridge |
Any undergraduate hoping to graduate at General Admission in June 2023 Up to two Scholarships of £200 |
Apply by 28 May 2024 |
PilleyScholarships for those who have shown proficiency in University examinations and have displayed good influence and qualities of leadership through College team sports |
Any undergraduate hoping to graduate at General Admission in June 2023 Up to four Scholarships of £200 |
Apply by 28 May 2024 |
Scholarships
The College awards Scholarships as follows. New scholars are admitted formally to their scholarships at a special ceremony each Michaelmas Term, and are subsequently invited to certain College feasts and other special occasions.
|
Eligibility |
Scholarship |
Amount Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Achieve a First or Distinction in a Foundation Year exam or a 1st year exam | Elected or re-elected to Scholar | £100 |
| (b) Achieve a First or Distinction in a 2nd year exam | Elected or Re-elected to Scholar | £100 |
| (c) Achieve a First or Distinction in a 3rd year exam and staying for a 4th year, LLM, PGCE or Clinical Medicine | Elected or Re-elected to Scholar | £100 |
|
(d) Achieve a First or Distinction in a 3rd year exam and leaving: - If did not receive a First in a previous year - If received a First in a previous year |
Title of Scholar Nothing (already a Scholar) |
No emolument No emolument |
|
(e) Achieve a First or Distinction in a 4th year exam or LLM - If no First in a 3rd year exam - If received a First in a previous year |
Title of Scholar Nothing (already a Scholar) |
No emolument |
| (f) Achieve a Distinction in Parts I, II or III Clinical Medicine or Clinical Veterinary Medicine | Title of Scholar | No emolument |
| (g) Achieve a First or Distinction in each year of first three undergraduate years. 4th years are required to achieve a minimum II.I in their 4th year. | Title of Foundation Scholar | Certificate, no emolument |
In order to emphasise the importance that is placed on academic excellence at Downing, the category of 'Foundation Scholar' was introduced in 2012 (This has no connection to the University's Foundation Year Programme). There is a different scheme in place for Law, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine where it is possible for high achieving students to be elected into endowed Scholarships (Harris, Seton, Jarvis and Whitby) which are associated with comparatively substantial emoluments to help students prepare for these professions:
|
Name |
Purpose |
| Senior Harris | Scholarship awarded to graduating Lawyers going into any branch of the legal profession. |
| Senior Seton | Scholarship awarded to graduating Lawyers going into any branch of the legal profession. |
| Senior Jarvis | Scholarship awarded to graduating Lawyers going into the legal profession as a solicitor only. |
| Senior Whitby | Scholarship awarded to graduating students in Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. |
|
Eligibility |
Total amount awarded [yearly amount stated in brackets up to a maximum of three years] |
| First in all three years | £3000 per person [£1000 each year] |
| First in 3rd year only | £1800 per person [£600 each year] |
| First in 2nd year only | £1200 per person [£400 each year] |
| First in 2nd and 3rd year only | £2400 per person [£800 each year] |
| First in 1st year only | £600 per person [£200 each year] |
| First in 1st and 2nd year only | £1800 per person [£600 each year] |
| First in 1st and 3rd year only | £2400 per person [£800 each year] |
| Three Firsts in four years [LLM Degree only] |
£3000* per person [£1000 each year] * Please note, the Scholarship is extended by one year if a fourth First is achieved |
| First [MCL Degree only] | £600 per person |
Book prizes
Book prizes are also awarded, in the form an emolument to the value of £140, to students who achieve a First Class mark or Distinction in any year of their Tripos examinations. Please see below for details of how the value is determined:
Book prizes
|
Gift card value |
|---|---|
| First or Distinction in 1st year | £100 |
| First or Distinction in 2nd year | £120 |
| First or Distinction in 3rd year | £140 |
| First or Distinction in 4th year, LLM or Clinical Medicine | £140 |
| Distinction in Oral in MML or Classics | £40 |
Other prizes
Thanks to the generosity of various benefactors, the College is able to offer a number of other prizes unconnected with Tripos results:
Name and purpose
|
Eligibility and amount awarded |
Application deadline and information |
|---|---|---|
Florence and David Jacobs MemorialPrize for undertaking medical research |
Postgraduate One prize of £200 |
Apply by 30 May 2024 |
John TrehernePrize for creative writing |
Undergraduate Three prizes of £500 [1st], £250 [2nd] and £100 [3rd] |
Apply by 23 May 2024 |
Mr and Mrs Geoffrey Twining EggintonPrize for those who have excelled in Fine Arts |
Current undergraduate or postgraduate in residence Three prizes of £300 [1st], £100 [2nd] and £100 [3rd] |
Apply via the Heong Gallery |
R J WhitePrize for the best essay on any historical subject |
Undergraduate reading any subject (undergraduate clinical Medics and Vets are also eligible to apply) One prize of £200 |
Apply by 29 May 2024 |