Harding Scholarship 2027–28 in the UK (Fully Funded PhD at the University of Cambridge)

The Harding Scholarship, officially the Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarship, is a fully funded PhD award at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom for outstanding students from any country and in any discipline. Applications for scholarships starting in 2027-28 opened in September 2026. The programme was set up with a donation from the David and Claudia Harding Foundation, and about 45 PhD students receive a Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarship each year. The scholarship pays the University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate for the length of the PhD and a maintenance allowance for living costs for 3.5 years; for 2025-26 the maintenance allowance was 21,360 pounds a year. Scholars can request further maintenance for the last six months of the writing-up period and receive a personal research allowance of 6,000 pounds over the PhD. International scholars also get the cost of the student visa and the Immigration Health Surcharge, and economy travel to Cambridge at the start and home at the end of the course. You can apply if you are applying for a full-time or part-time PhD at Cambridge, including a fully integrated MRes plus PhD (1+3) route. There is no nationality restriction, and current Cambridge undergraduate and Master's students may apply for a PhD. You are not eligible if you have already started your Cambridge PhD, and people who already hold a PhD are not normally eligible. Scholars are expected to live in the UK for most of their studies, and the scholarship can be held at every College except Trinity and St John's; a proportion of scholars are at St Catharine's College. There is no separate Harding application. You apply for your PhD in the University's Applicant Portal, tick the box saying you wish to apply for funding, and submit your complete application, including references, by your course funding deadline: 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027 at 23:59 GMT, depending on the course. Your Department must assess you as academically excellent. Departments assess applicants from December 2026 to February 2027, scholars are chosen in late February 2027, and offers are made from late February to early March 2027. Last checked on 29 October 2026 against the Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme website (home page, About us, What we offer, Apply, Application and eligibility information) and the University of Cambridge Postgraduate funding page.