Cambridge Africa Changemakers Scholarship (University of Cambridge)

The Cambridge Africa Changemakers Scholarship is a full-cost PhD award at the University of Cambridge reserved for citizens of African countries. Funded through the Cambridge Trust, it pays international tuition, an annual maintenance stipend, the UK visa fee and health surcharge, plus travel and research costs for the whole doctorate.

Priority goes to research that advances Africa’s development and climate-resilient, sustainable futures, in any subject and at any Cambridge college, and 55 scholars were funded in a single recent cycle. There is no separate form: apply for your PhD course by the Cambridge funding deadline, typically December 3, 2026 for October 2027 entry, and tick the funding section.

• Citizens of any country in Africa applying for a full-time PhD at the University of Cambridge.
• Open to any subject except premium-rate courses, and tenable at any Cambridge college.
• Aimed at talented students who need financial assistance to take up their Cambridge place; financial need is part of the assessment.
• Priority goes to research that contributes to the development of the African continent and to climate-resilient, sustainable futures for Africa and the world.
• Applicants must meet the normal academic entry requirements of their chosen Cambridge PhD, typically a strong master's degree in a relevant field.
• The programme is closely affiliated with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Cambridge, and dozens of awards have been made per cycle (55 in the 2023-24 round).
• No separate scholarship form exists; eligibility is assessed from the admission application itself.

• University tuition fee at the full international rate for the whole PhD.
• Annual maintenance stipend sufficient for a single person, for the duration of the degree.
• UK student visa cost and the Immigration Health Surcharge paid, which many scholarships leave out.
• Allowances for travel and research costs during the PhD.
• Membership of the Cambridge Trust scholar community at one of the world's leading research universities.
• A rare full-cost route into a Cambridge doctorate specifically reserved for African students.

• University of Cambridge graduate application submitted through the Applicant Portal for your chosen PhD course.
• Research proposal that makes the contribution to Africa's development and climate-resilient futures explicit.
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates for all previous study.
• Academic references as required by the course.
• English language evidence where required by the university.
• The funding section of the application completed, ticking consideration for Cambridge Trust funding; no separate Felix-style form is needed.

• Choose your PhD course in the Cambridge Postgraduate Course Directory and identify a potential supervisor whose research fits yours.
• Submit the university application by the course's funding deadline; the main Cambridge funding deadlines for October 2027 entry fall in early December 2026 (December 3 pattern) with some courses in early January 2027, so verify your exact course date.
• Complete the funding section so you are automatically considered for the Changemakers Scholarship and every other award you qualify for, including Gates Cambridge and other Cambridge Trust programmes.
• Invest most of your effort in the research proposal, since selection weighs academic excellence, financial need and the relevance of your research to Africa.
• Interviews, where used, are arranged by the department as part of admission.
• Funding outcomes are communicated in spring alongside or shortly after admission decisions.