We offer scholarships for Australian graduates of outstanding academic merit to study for a PhD degree at University of Cambridge.

Each scholarship covers:

  • University fees;

  • A maintenance allowance at the single student rate set for graduate admission; and

  • A contribution towards a return airfare to the UK.

Up to ten competitive scholarships are awarded each year by Cambridge Australia Scholarships.  The scholarships have been made possible through the generosity of a number of Cambridge alumni and others  in Australia, in partnership with the Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust. 

Note: Some scholarships are tied to specific colleges or have a strong preference for a given college.  

To be eligible applicants must:

  • Be an Australian citizen;

  • Have a degree  from a recognised university; and

  • Have completed the majority of pre-tertiary level education in Australia.

  • Have gained admission to the University of Cambridge to undertake a PhD degree.

Generally, successful applicants for our PhD scholarships have been awarded (or are likely to achieve) a First Class Honours degree or equivalent.   In the case of a research or course-work Master’s degree, the overall quality of performance must also be of an equivalent standing. 

Applicants do not need to have fully completed their course to apply to the University of Cambridge, but must be near completion—e.g., one to two semesters remaining.  If your application is successful you will be issued with a conditional offer that depends on your successful completion of an undergraduate degree to a suitably high standard.  The undergraduate degree must be completed before students can commence at the University of Cambridge.

Successful candidates will be expected to:

  • Keep us informed of your academic and other activities at the end of each term and on completion of your course; and

  • Allow us to publicise your achievements.

On completion of your course, you will be expected to:

  • Encourage others to apply for Cambridge Australia Scholarships;

  • Meet with past, current and prospective Scholars; and

  • Raise and make contributions to the Scholarship fund where possible.

For further information on entry requirements click here.

  • Cambridge Australia Poynton Scholarship a full cost scholarship available for any student wishing to undertake a PhD at the University of Cambridge.

    The Poynton Scholarship is partly funded by a major bequest from and named in honour and memory of the late Dr John Orde Poynton AO, CMG, MA (Cantab.), MD (Cantab.), LLD (Hon) (Melb.). Orde Poynton was born in 1906 in England and studied at the University of Cambridge (Gonville and Caius College) where he trained as a medical doctor. During the Second World War he became a prisoner of war in Changi Prison. After the war, he moved to Australia and was a Lecturer at the University Medical School as well as the Director of the Institute of Veterinary and Medical Science. Following his retirement in 1961, he became a consulting bibliographer to the University of Melbourne

  • The Allen, Bragg, and McCrum scholarships are all generously funded by Charles Allen AO. They have a preference for Corpus Christi College and are available across any subject.

    The Cambridge Australia Allen Scholarship is partly funded by and named in honour of Mr D Charles K Allen AO, MA (Cantab), MSc, DIC, Hon LLD (Monash), FTSE.

    The Cambridge Australia Bragg Scholarship is partly funded by Mr D Charles K Allen AO, MA (Cantab), MSc, DIC, Hon

    LLD (Monash), FTSE and named in honour and memory of Sir William Henry Bragg and Sir

    William Lawrence Bragg. William Henry Bragg was a British physicist, chemist, mathematician

    and active sportsman. His son, William Lawrence Bragg was an Australian-born British physicist

    and x-ray crystallographer and discoverer of the Bragg law of X-ray diffraction. He was joint

    winner with his father of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1915.

    The Cambridge Australia McCrum Scholarship is partly funded by Mr D Charles K Allen AO, MA (Cantab), MSc, DIC, Hon LLD (Monash), FTSE and named in honour and memory of the late Michael William McCrum CBE, Head Master of Eton College, Master of Corpus Christi College and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

  • Fully funded Scholarship, available across any subject.

    Funded by donation from Professor Henry Bennett in memory of Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher, an English statistician, evolutionary biologist, eugenicist, and geneticist, who spent some time as a senior research fellow at the CSIRO in Adelaide. Awarded to one scholar at a time (i.e. approximately every 3 years as accumulated funds permit)

  • Full funded scholarship, awarded to one scholar at a time. Available for any subject.

    Funded by a bequest from the late Miss Kathleen Clarice Hammer and named in honour and memory of the late Miss Barbara Rosalind Fulton. Barbara Rosalind Fulton, born in Tasmania in 1899, was educated at the University of Sydney in the early 1920's and undertook further studies at the University of Cambridge, 1934-35. She served with the YWCA War Service in the Middle East, 1942-43 and spent many years before and after the war working in India. After returning to Australia she taught at various private girls' schools in Sydney.

  • Awarded to one scholar at a time. Available for any subject.

    Funded by a donation from Lady Catherine Kater in memory of Sir Gregory Blaxland Kater (1912-1978), businessman and army officer.

  • Available only to female scholars accepted by Newnham College. Awarded to one scholar at a time. Available for an subject.

    Funded by donation from Professor Jan Anderson, international expert on photosynthesis research. She has been an Adjunct Professor at th.e Research School of Biological Sciences at the Australian National University since 1996 and was Chief Research Scientist at CSIRO's Division of Plant Industry.

  • Awarded to one scholar at a time. Available for any subject.

    Funded by donation from Professor Peter and Dr Barbara Treacy in memory of Sir Mark Oliphant, former Governor of South Australia and Australian physicist and humanitarian.

  • Awarded to one scholar at a time. Available across any subject.

    Funded by donation from Dr George H C Wong and Dr C Mary Calthorpe. Applicants for these . scholarships should include Sidney Sussex as one of their two choices of College or "open application" in their University application.