Awards and Prizes

As well as major studentships and grants, Newnham offers awards for academic-related travel, academic research and university sport throughout the academic year. A number of prizes are also available for examples of outstanding scholarship, and which may be awarded in addition to any other funding received from the College.

Some information is below, or speak to your Tutor if you have any questions regarding financial support.

Instrumental Awards

University Instrumental Awards are intended to enable gifted players to reach a high standard of performance in chamber music playing. Award holders are expected to give priority to rehearsals (about 6 hours per week) with their ensemble. Professional coaching is provided for all ensembles free of charge.

In addition to the Award itself, the Scheme is normally able to offer Award-holders modest subsidies towards the cost of individual instrumental lessons.

Instrumental Awards are open to performers on any of the following: violin, viola, cello, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, piano. The Awards are intended for candidates who are qualified to read the subject of their choice and have outstanding ability as instrumental performers; a Distinction at Grade VIII of the Associated Board may be regarded as the minimum level of achievement.

Further details and an online application form will be available on the University website in March. Auditions will be held at the beginning of October, just before the start of your first term.

Jessie Forbes Award

Eligibility: Any Newnham undergraduate student returning to Newnham to study for an MPhil or Ph.D in Public Policy, Economics, Health or Social Care.

Timing: Awards will be confirmed in July (where possible).

Procedure: Eligible students will be automatically considered providing they have opted to return to Newnham College for postgraduate study.

The value of these awards will be £500.00.

R.M Jackson Award

The R.M Jackson fund for Newnham students who wish to proceed to further education in Law, whether or not they are studying or have studied Law as a first degree.

Eligibility: Open to current undergraduate, postgraduate students and alumnae.

Timing: Applications are open in April.

Procedure: For further information including how to apply, please email grantsawards@newn.cam.ac.uk. If you are successful in receiving an award, you will receive a letter from the Undergraduate Grants and Awards Committee. Typical awards range from £500-1000.

M. S Kemp Award

The Margaret Sylvia Kemp fund for Newnham postgraduates intending to practise at the Bar.

Eligibility: Open to current postgraduate students and alumnae who intend to practise at the Bar. Students need not have studied Law, but evidence of serious interest in the Bar, such as participation in mooting competitions or mini-pupillages will be expected.

Timing:  Applications are open in June.

Procedure: For further details (including how to apply) please email grantsawards@newn.cam.ac.uk. Awards up to £10,000.

Dr Margaret Speight Grants for Medical Courses

Eligibility: One or more grants are available for award annually to any Newnham undergraduate who is not a registered medical student and who wishes to start a medical course after graduation, or to any postgraduate of the College who wishes to start a medical course after graduation, and was not, as an undergraduate, a registered medical student. The grants are not likely to exceed £500. Please email grantsawards@newn.cam.ac.uk for more information.

Timings:

By 5 May – the completed form to be sent to the student’s present or former Director of Studies for comments

By 12 May – the form to be passed to the Director of Studies in Medical Sciences for comments

By 19 May – the form to be returned to the Tutorial Office

Procedure: by the end of Easter term – applications considered and awards made by the Undergraduate Grants and Awards Committee

Wood-Whistler Medal and Scholarship

The Wood-Whistler Medal and Scholarship is awarded annually to a first year postgraduate student in Newnham College who is following a course in:

  • English
  • Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
  • Divinity/Theology
  • Philosophy
  • Linguistics
  • Classics
    Modern and Medieval Languages
  • Assyriology
  • Egyptology
  • Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic

The Scholarship is worth £3,000 and is awarded to the applicant who submits the best written work to the panel of judges.

Applicants should submit work not exceeding 7,500 words. This could be a dissertation, or two essays that students consider to be their best work and which you feel best illustrates your potential. There is no need to write anything new as a dissertation or essay already submitted would be perfectly acceptable.

We should point out that this is a reward for an outstanding young scholar. Were you to win it, it would not affect any other funding.

Details of the competition will be circulated to all postgraduates in Lent term.