ESRC REP - Eligibility

Eligibility

You must meet all of the criteria in Part A. The widening participation criteria in Part B will be used to take positive action to tackle the underrepresentation of certain groups.

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Part A - Eligibility

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria: 

1. Be settled in the UK on 1 July 2023, with no restrictions on how long you can stay in the UK or be a national of the Republic of Ireland.
   • This does not include any non-UK national holding any type of time-limited UK visa, including international students on Tier 4/Student visas and EU citizens with pre-settled status.
2. Have been ordinarily resident in the UK (but not mainly for full-time education) since 1 July 2020.
3. Be currently undertaking an undergraduate degree at a UK or Irish university.
   You do not have to be a Cambridge undergraduate to apply. We particularly encourage applications from undergraduates currently studying at higher education institutions where research experience may not be as readily available as in more research-intensive institutions. You can check if your institution appears on the Sutton Trust 30 list of most highly selective universities. Students who do not have previous significant research experience and who would not otherwise have the means to access such experience will benefit most from the programme.
4. Be in the penultimate year of an undergraduate degree.
   • Applicants must be undergraduate students who are in their second year (or third year of a four-year course) at the time of application.
5. Have proven and potential academic excellence, based on your current transcript.  
   • Applicants will usually be on track to achieve a final undergraduate degree grade of a strong 2:1 or First. If your transcript shows year-on-year grade progression towards the upper range of a 2:1, we encourage you to apply.
6. Have an interest in undertaking postgraduate study and/or a research postgraduate degree (MPhil or PhD) in the humanities or social sciences, either at Cambridge or elsewhere.
   • As part of your application, you will need to demonstrate an interest in and potential for conducting research in the humanities or social sciences.
7. Consent to abide by the terms and conditions of the offer, should you be made one.

Part B - Widening Participation

In addition, the University will be using positive action under the Equality Act 2010 to tackle the underrepresentation of, and overcome the disadvantage experienced by, certain groups.  The number of these widening participation criteria you select are not the primary assessment measure, as we are looking for evidence of academic potential within the context of your education and circumstances to date. We will ask you to describe your circumstances in your application, and you should make reference to the relevant criteria below. In some cases, we will ask for further documentation to support your application. Any information you share with us will be held securely and confidentially by our applications team.

• identifying as belonging to an underrepresented ethnic group

• granted refugee status in the UK

• were the first generation of your family to go to university

• entered university at undergraduate level from a Care background or a Foyer resident

• estranged from your family

• a young carer (i.e. have caring responsibilities for an ill or disabled family member who could not manage without this help)

• mature student

• a single parent, or lone guardian of a young person who is aged under 18 and/or still in full-time education during their undergraduate degree course.

• have received free school meals

• at the time of applying for your undergraduate course, were living in one of the most deprived areas of the country

• at the time of applying for your undergraduate course, were living in an area where it is unusual for young people to go to university.

• received full state support for maintenance for your course of undergraduate study.

Useful links

• Overview

• Key information

• Applications

• Guidance for referees

Application Process

Further information about Part B criteria is provided below.