Staff Fee Scheme and Staff Bursary Scheme

Staff Bursary Scheme - for courses starting academic year 2026/27 onwards

If you are a member of staff at the University of Cambridge, and plan to start a postgraduate course at the University related to your employment on or after October 2026, you may be eligible for a Bursary to cover some of the fees for your course. 

The Staff Bursary Scheme encompasses three separate bursaries, each with their own eligibility criteria.

Staff Training Bursary - for current staff wishing to undertake postgraduate study 

The Bursary is available to University staff who meet the following criteria: 

1. You must be a candidate for a research course covered by the Code of Practice for Research Students (i.e. PhD, MSc, MLitt, CPGS, EdD, those MPhils examined by thesis and oral only). Course information can be found in the University's Statutes & Ordinances, Chapter I. Students undertaking the MD course are not eligible for the bursary. 

2. You must have a contract of at least 40% full time employment with the University of Cambridge on the first day of the research course. This does not include employment in one of the University Partner Institutions, nor ESOL, nor CUPA nor Colleges. The course is considered to start on the first day of term, which is 1 October for Michaelmas Term, 5 January for Lent Term, and 10/17 April for Easter Term. 

3. Your course of study must commence after you have passed your probation. 

4. You must have your Head of Department's support for the Bursary. If the employing department is different from the admitting department, the agreement of both Heads must be obtained. 

5. You must be able to demonstrate that your research will overlap almost entirely with your paid employment (for full-time courses) or contribute directly to it (for part-time courses). 

6. Your employment contract must end on, or after, the expected end date of your course when you submit your course application. 

7. You must sign an undertaking that you understand and agree that if the employment contract comes to an end, the Bursary will also end. You will then be required to pay the normal termly fee for any remaining term(s) of study, i.e. the Home or the Overseas fee, according to your fee status. 

The list of eligible courses will be reviewed annually by the PRC Fees and Funding Sub-committee in consultation with the Postgraduate Committee. 

Staff Bursary Scheme Application Form

Staff Postgraduate Bursary - for staff employed on specific grants 

This Bursary is available to all University staff meeting the following criteria: 

1. You must be undertaking a course of postgraduate study at the University and employed by the University on one of the grant schemes listed below:

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Early Career Researchers/ITN/DNs 

• Wellcome (outside the Clinical Research Training Fellow Bursary described below)

• ERC 

• UKRI (non-doctoral training only) 

• Other funders (including charities) whose grant conditions specifically prohibit student costs 

Staff employed on one of the following funding routes are not eligible for a Staff Postgraduate Bursary: 

• Other grants that will fund the full fee (regardless of fee status), or student costs at the Home fee rate only  

• Industry funds  

• Departmental funds  

2. The advert for your post made it clear that this was a staff vacancy at the University of Cambridge that allowed for the post holder also undertaking a postgraduate course at the University. For example, an advertisement for a Research Assistant with the possibility of undertaking PhD study. 

3. You applied for your role via the University’s normal recruitment process (Recruitment Administration system (RAS) / Web Recruitment) 
4. You must have a contract of at least 40% full time employment with the University of Cambridge on the first day of the research course. This does not include employment in one of the University Partner Institutions, nor ESOL, nor CUPA nor Colleges. The course is considered to start on the first day of term, which is 1 October for Michaelmas Term, 5 January for Lent Term, and 10/17 April for Easter Term. 
5. The employment must start on or before the start date of the course and end on or after the expected end date of the course.

When submitting a Postgraduate Bursary application, departments will need to include a copy of the vacancy advertisement and excerpt from the grant conditions confirming that student costs cannot be charged to the grant.  

Staff Bursary Scheme Application Form

Clinical Research Training Fellow Bursary 

This Bursary is available to University staff meeting the following criteria:  

• Medical or non-medical healthcare professionals who are taking a fixed time out of their employment or training in the NHS or equivalent body, in order to undertake a PhD.  

The source of funding for the individual’s Fellowship does not matter. Eligible Fellowships include, but are not restricted to, Wellcome PhD Fellowships for Health Professionals, and CRUK Cambridge Centre Clinical Research Fellowships.  

Please note that the following individuals are not eligible for this Bursary: 

• Medical students intercalating a PhD into their medical degree 

• Healthcare professionals normally living outside the UK or Ireland wishing to undertake a PhD, who do not hold a national training number (or equivalent) and are not committed to a long-term career in the NHS/health services in the UK or Ireland.

Departments submitting a Clinical Research Training Fellow Bursary application will need to include a letter from the appropriate body (NHS Deanery, NHS employer, health services employer) confirming that the individual has been approved to take time out of their training or employment in order to undertake study.   

Staff Bursary Scheme Application Form

Staff Fee Scheme - for courses starting prior to academic year 2026/27

If you are a current staff member and your course started before Michaelmas Term 2026, you may be eligible for the reduced staff fee for your course. Further information about Staff Fee Scheme eligibility criteria and application can be found on this document.

Further Staff Bursary information