www.winstonchurchillfoundation.org

Deadline: October 22, 2008

Fields of study: Sciences, engineering, computer science, and mathematics

Adviser: Dean Peter Bogucki • bogucki@princeton.edu • Ext. 8-4554 (please call for appointment)

Description:

The U.S. Winston Churchill Foundation’s Scholarship Program enables about 13 students in the natural and physical sciences, engineering, computer science, or mathematics to study for one year at Churchill College, Cambridge University. The award covers all Cambridge University and Churchill College fees and tuition (currently about $25,000) and provides a living allowance of £10,000 if enrolled in a nine-month academic program and £12,000 if enrolled in a full-year academic program. They also receive an allowance of up to $1,000 for travel to and from the United Kingdom. In all, the scholarship is worth between $44,000 and $50,000.

(Note: Students should be aware that they will need to supplement the scholarship with modest funds of their own to meet the costs of vacation travel during the long Cambridge vacations and to cover other personal expenses.)

Criteria for Selection:

U.S. citizen of good health between the ages of 19 and 26 as of October 1, 2008.

Results of the GRE general aptitude test (GRE subject test no longer required).

Exceptional academic achievement in all disciplines, but especially in the major, as indicated by course grades (previous Churchill Scholars have had a grade point average of at least 3.7).

A capacity to contribute to the advancement of knowledge by pursuing original, creative work at an advanced level. Applicants in the sciences and engineering will show extensive laboratory experience, internships, or other related work, while applicants in mathematics will show substantial independent work or other projects.

Character, adaptability, and a demonstrated concern for the critical problems of society.

Application Procedure:

Application materials may be obtained from the Churchill Foundation website. Fill out the application online, but do NOT submit it. Instead, print out a draft of the application and submit it to Dean Bogucki no later than October 22, 2008. All applications are evaluated by a faculty panel, which nominates no more than two candidates for the national competition. If you are chosen to be one of Princeton’s nominees, you will then be notified to complete the online submission of your application. In December, a committee of scientists and engineers is convened by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to evaluate and rank the applications. The Churchill Foundation informs applicants by February 1 whether or not they have received the committee’s endorsement. The Board of Graduate Studies and the appropriate department chairs at the University of Cambridge consider the nominees and, on the basis of the recommendations of the NAS committee, the applicant’s credentials, and the availability of appropriate supervision and laboratory space, decide whom to invite. No later than April 15, the Churchill Foundation sends individual letters of the award and announces the final list of scholars.

(Note: Reference copies of the Cambridge University Lecture List and Graduate Studies Prospectus are available on the Web at www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/gsprospectus.)

Additional Information:

Programs of Study: Churchill Scholars may enroll in one of the following one-year programs:

Master of Philosophy (choice of various scientific disciplines);

Diploma in Computer Science or Mathematical Statistics;

Certificate of Post-graduate Study in Natural Science or Chemical Engineering; or

Certificate of Advanced Study in Mathematics (Part III of Math Tripos).

Advice for Churchill Applicants:

1. Investigate the opportunities at Cambridge University thoroughly so that you can identify specific faculty and laboratories that correspond to your interest. Contact them by e-mail to signal your interest in working with them.

2. Choose four science, math, or engineering faculty members who can write strong and detailed letters on your behalf. Terse and perfunctory letters, even if from famous scholars, do not help your candidacy; most should come from Princeton science, math, or engineering faculty who have taught you in courses or advised your research.

3. Think carefully about your personal statement; keep it focused on your research subject. In general, it should take the form of a scholarly autobiography. Having said that, however, it is best not to make it self-congratulatory about your accomplishments or to include reminiscences about your childhood, but rather to recount your pathway to your current level of scholarly maturity factually as a basis for discussing what you expect to do with a Churchill Scholarship, both during the year you hold it and then afterward as you embark on a scholarly career.

4. Visit the Churchill College website at www.chu.cam.ac.uk.