Abroad Award
Term Length: 1 year
Needs Institutional Endorsement
US Citizenship Required

Northeastern University nomination is required.

An applicant for the Churchill Scholarship must be a citizen of the United States, either native born or naturalized, and must be a senior who is enrolled in one of the institutions participating in the Scholarship Program (including Northeastern University) or a student who has graduated from one of those institutions within the past 12 months. Upon taking up the Churchill Scholarship, a Churchill Scholar must hold a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent, and may not have attained a doctorate.

Except for reasons of health or other emergency, a Churchill Scholar makes a commitment to complete the program of study for which he or she is admitted, including such requirements as completion of a thesis and sitting for written or oral examinations. Failure to fulfill this commitment will require the refund of all funds expended on the student’s behalf.

Each Scholar must submit two narrative reports describing his or her academic work and the Cambridge experience, one in January and the second upon completion of the academic program.

Applicants are chosen on the basis of outstanding academic achievement in their chosen STEM field, proven capacity for original, creative research, and engagement in current field-leading conversations.

Indicators of these criteria are likely to include:

• Strong GPA in STEM courses
• Rigorous, advanced course selection
• A track record of sophisticated research experiences in which the applicant’s individual contributions are clearly identifiable
• Engagement in avenues of scientific discourse and dissemination such as conference presentations, posters, or publications

The Churchill Scholarship provides all tuition and fees for the Scholar’s course of study at Cambridge, as well as a living allowance, travel allowance, and eligibility to apply for special research funds. Scholars also participate in seminars on scientific communication and leadership, get behind-the-scenes access to historical sites related to Winston Churchill, and receive the lifelong benefit of being part of a close network of former Churchill Scholars, many of whom are leaders in academia, industry, and government science. There are regular alumni gatherings, seminars, and publications.

These instructions are for the 15 Churchill Scholarships available in science, mathematics, and engineering. Applicants for the Kanders Churchill Scholarship in Science Policy simply apply to the Master’s in Public Policy at the University of Cambridge and indicate that you would like to be considered for that award. Contact URF@Northeastern.edu for an Applying for a Churchill Scholarship Booklet and Request for Reference forms — and to schedule an appointment to speak with someone from our office.

Before You Apply

1. Check that you are eligible
The Churchill Scholarship is open to US citizens who are in their senior year or have graduated within the past 12 months from a Participating Institution (Northeastern is a participating institution). Please check the full Eligibility Requirements before you apply.

2. Understand Northeastern’s Internal Application Process and Use Northeastern’s Internal Fellowships Portal
You will complete a version of the Churchill Scholarship application on the Scholarship’s website, but must simultaneously apply for Northeastern’s nomination and solicit your letters of reference via Northeastern’s Internal Fellowships Portal.

3. Select a course
Choosing the right course for you can be far from straightforward, and you should check the Programs of Study page for a list of eligible and ineligible courses. Applicants interested in the MASt in mathematics should first read the Foundation’s guide, Part III Mathematics for Churchill Scholars.

Applying

1. Register for the online application at the Churchill Scholarship website
Register at https://webportalapp.com/sp/login/churchillscholarship and fill out your application at that website.

You can look at an overview of the application questions here: Application form overview.

In addition to the application form, you will also need to supply a 1-page Proposed Program of Study, a 2-page Personal Statement, your transcript, and correspondence with a potential lab supervisor (if applicable). All this is explained in detail at the online application portal.

2. Request four academic letters of recommendation
Please share our Request for Reference form, which includes a special Churchill Scholarship waivier, and share it with your recommendation writers. They must submit their letters of recommendation via Northeastern’s Internal Fellowships Portal, not to the Churchill Scholarship Foundation. You must register your recommenders on Northeastern’s Internal Fellowships Portal in order for them to be able to submit a letter on your behalf.

3. Apply to the University of Cambridge
The Churchill Scholarship is only tenable at Churchill College, so you must put Churchill College as your first choice on the Cambridge application. The Scholarship is only for a 1-year Master’s degree, so your application must be for an MPhil or MASt. Because of Cambridge’s rolling admissions, we strongly suggest that you apply by the deadline for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

4. Complete the application
Complete your online application and press “SUBMIT.” Then save your completed application as a PDF and upload that PDF via Northeastern’s Internal Fellowships Portal.

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships will assist selected nominees in regaining access to the application so that they can continue to revise it until close to the scholarship’s national deadline.

Nominees are normally notified of the results by late December and awards are announced publicly by early February.