Postgraduate Support
Offering students the opportunity to become a success in whatever field they choose.
Our postgraduates are the powerhouse of early-stage research both in this country and internationally. They work on matters from global challenges and wicked problems (those virtually impossible to solve due to their complexity), to exploring fascinating areas of knowledge which help us better understand ourselves and our world.
Postgraduate funding is under pressure. A reduction in funding through research councils means that we lose around 40% of our postgraduate applicants each year because of a lack of finances. The impact of this cut in funding is exacerbated by the fact that for many of those wanting to undertake a postgraduate degree they may already be facing £50,000 worth of debt because of their undergraduate degree.
It is recognised across the University that only 15-20% of PhD students submit their thesis within three years. We expect the numbers of PhD students continuing into a tenth term to increase in the coming years due to the pandemic causing delays to research. Such students are likely to experience concerns about paying living expenses at a stressful time. With this in mind, we aim to provide tenth-term grants of £3,600 to postgraduates who apply for extra financial support to complete their research.
We are committed to the principle that no student should be deterred from studying because of a financial barrier and we are determined to strengthen support for this next generation of thinkers and innovators. Our ambitions include the provision of studentships for academically qualified postgraduates as well as measures to nurture research by giving financial support to encourage students to maximise their opportunities to present and expand their work.
Securing additional funding will help ensure that talented and well-qualified students are able to undertake postgraduate research. This will expand and strengthen Trinity Hall’s research capability to ensure the College remains at the cutting edge of research.
Our Aims
- Endow five postgraduate studentships.
- Raise funds to enable our postgraduates to attend conferences to network and present their research, and to invite academic speakers to College to expand their academic knowledge.
- Raise £500,000 for the endowment to support the postgraduate communities of the future.
- Provide tenth-term grants of £3,600 each to support deserving PhD students as they are writing up.
Endowed studentships
To further strengthen our postgraduate community, we aim to endow five new postgraduate studentships to cover course fees and living costs. We are pleased to say we are already well on the way to our goal to support more postgraduates.
These studentships include:
Given our long tradition in the academic pursuit of Law over the past 675 years, the College will contribute historic funds to cover half of the costs of an endowed PhD studentship in Law. An endowed PhD studentship in Law will ensure Trinity Hall builds on its proud history to research multi-faceted and difficult legal questions in the future.
£500,000 for subjects with an under-representation of women
From 2026 to 2028 we will mark fifty years since the admission of women to Trinity Hall. The College will contribute half the funds to endow a PhD studentship for women in a subject where they are typically under-represented, currently STEMsubjects and economics. With your support, we will be able to endow a PhD studentship to address this imbalance.
You can make a difference
Your gift will enable us to attract excellent postgraduates regardless of background. You can help ensure finances will not negatively impact their time at Cambridge.
Together we can ensure the next generation of great thinkers, leaders, creators, entrepreneurs, and problem solvers find their home at Trinity Hall.
