Cambridge Philosophical Society

Quick Stats

• Annual Income: £874,974 (2023)
• Total Assets: £15.9 million (2023)
• Decision Time: 2-3 months after deadline
• Grant Range: £500 - £5,500 (individual awards)
• Geographic Focus: Cambridge, UK (Fellows only)
• Founded: 1819

Contact Details

Address: Cambridge Philosophical Society, 17 Mill Lane, Cambridge CB2 1RX

Phone: 01223 334743

Email: philosoc@group.cam.ac.uk

Website: https://www.cambridgephilosophicalsociety.org

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm

Application Portal: https://app.casc.cam.ac.uk/fas_live/ (various programs)

Overview

Founded in 1819 by John Stevens Henslow, Adam Sedgwick, and Edward Clarke, the Cambridge Philosophical Society is one of the UK's oldest learned societies dedicated to promoting scientific inquiry and facilitating communication of research results. With assets of £15.9 million and annual income of £874,974 (2023), the Society operates as an independent, self-supporting charity (No. 213811) governed by an elected Council of 21 senior academics from the University of Cambridge. Its mission remains true to its founding purpose: to promote research in all branches of science and encourage communication of scientific results. The Society maintains uninterrupted fortnightly scientific meetings since 1819, publishes two world-class journals (Biological Reviews and Mathematical Proceedings), and provides targeted research support through grants, fellowships, and prizes primarily for early-career researchers and postgraduate students affiliated with Cambridge institutions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Research Studentships (£500 - £5,500 per award)

• Duration: Up to 3 months
• Maximum monthly award: £1,550
• Two application rounds per year
• Rolling basis with fixed deadlines: 30 September and 31 March
• For continuation of exceptionally promising research beyond PhD or thesis completion delayed by unforeseen circumstances

Travel Grants (up to £500 per application)

• Maximum £1,500 total over 3-year PhD period
• Quarterly deadlines: 1 November, 1 February, 1 May, and 1 July
• Rolling basis throughout the year
• For conference attendance and research visits to laboratories

Henslow Fellowships (3-year awards)

• Three-year research fellowships awarded to Cambridge colleges
• Over 30 recipients since 2010
• Application managed by individual colleges in consultation with CPS

Sedgwick Studentships

• Partnership with Anglia Ruskin University
• Two PhD studentships

Small Grants and Sponsorships (amounts vary)

• Occasional support for scientific events in Cambridge
• Applications reviewed by Council every few months
• No fixed deadlines

Prizes

• Sir Isaac Newton Bursary
• William Bate Hardy Prize
• William Hopkins Prize

Priority Areas

• Natural sciences (all branches)
• Mathematics
• Engineering
• Computer science
• Clinical sciences
• Technology-related research
• Priority given to postgraduate students and early-career researchers
• Events and research in or near Cambridge

What They Don't Fund

Research Studentships explicitly exclude:

• University or college fees
• Travel expenses
• Delays from predictable project overruns
• Core fieldwork anticipated at project start
• Applicants who have previously received a CPS Research Studentship

Travel Grants explicitly exclude:

• Travel that is part of core requirements of funded research projects
• Fieldwork anticipated at project start
• Applications from non-Fellows or those with less than one year of membership

General exclusions:

• Non-Fellows of the Society
• Research outside the natural sciences, mathematics, engineering, and computer science
• Activities not organized in or near Cambridge (for small grants)

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Governance and Leadership

The Society is governed by an elected Council of 21 senior academics from the University of Cambridge, comprising up to nine Officers and up to twelve Ordinary Members. The Society has 11 registered Trustees. Council members are elected at the annual general meeting.

Current Officers (as of latest information)

President: Professor Lindsay Greer, Professor of Materials Science, Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy

President Elect: Professor John Carr, Plant Virology & Molecular Plant Pathology Group, Department of Plant Sciences

Vice-Presidents:

• Dr Claire Barlow, Department of Engineering and Newnham College (materials engineering and sustainability)
• Professor Paul C Hewett, Professor of Observational Cosmology and Astrophysics, Institute of Astronomy

Treasurer: Dr Keith Carne, Department of Pure Maths and Mathematical Statistics, First Bursar at King's College

Secretaries:

• Mathematical Secretary: Professor Maciej Dunajski, Professor of Mathematical Physics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
• Biological Secretary: Dr James Fraser, Senior Lecturer, Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience
• Physical Secretary: Professor Joan Lasenby, Professor of Image and Signal Processing, Department of Engineering

Terms of Service: The President serves for no more than two years successively, Vice-Presidents for no more than three years, the Treasurer for no more than twelve years, and Secretaries for no more than nine years. No trustees receive remuneration from the charity.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Research Studentships and Travel Grants:

• Submit applications online through the Society's portal: https://app.casc.cam.ac.uk/fas_live/
• Read guidance notes thoroughly before applying
• Secure required references (submitted separately by referees online)
• Ensure current Fellowship membership in good standing

Small Grants and Sponsorships:

• Submit formal letter to philosoc@group.cam.ac.uk
• Include event plan, target audience, alignment with Society's aims, budget breakdown, and specific amount requested

Henslow Fellowships:

• Applications managed by individual Cambridge colleges
• Colleges advertise and select candidates in consultation with CPS

Decision Timeline

Research Studentships and Travel Grants:

• Decisions communicated “usually within 2 months after the application deadline”
• May occasionally take up to 3 months

Small Grants:

• Applications reviewed by Council “every few months”
• No guaranteed timeline

Success Rates

Success rate data is not publicly available. The Society describes travel grants as “limited number of grants” and emphasizes that research studentships are for “exceptionally promising” research, suggesting competitive selection processes.

Reapplication Policy

Research Studentships: Applicants who have previously received a CPS Research Studentship are ineligible to apply again.

Travel Grants: Fellows may make one application per year. No specific information about reapplication after rejection.

Application Success Factors

Critical Eligibility Requirements

Fellowship Membership: All applicants must be Fellows of the Cambridge Philosophical Society for at least one year before applying. Membership costs £20 per year and requires:

• Graduate status from University of Cambridge, OR
• Graduate from another university who is resident in or near Cambridge at time of application
• Recommendation by a proposer (Fellow for 3+ years) and supporter

Specific Guidance from the Society

For Research Studentships:

• “These awards provide for the continuation of an exceptionally promising piece of research beyond the usual standard of the PhD”
• Successful applications “are expected to lead to immediately publishable results”
• “Funding from the Cambridge Philosophical Society will be provided only after relevant University and College resources have been explored”
• The Society emphasizes they fund exceptional continuation work, not routine thesis completion

For Travel Grants:

• “Preference given to postgraduate students and early-career researchers”
• Must demonstrate exploration of alternative funding sources
• Travel must be “additional to the core requirements” of funded research projects
• Clear justification required for any travel that might fall under restrictions

For Small Grants:

• Priority given to initiatives involving “postgraduate students and early career researchers”
• Preference for events with pre-existing CPS connections
• Awardees must “publicly acknowledge support from the Society”

Common Reasons for Rejection

Applications will be rejected if:

• Applicant has not been a Fellow for at least one year
• Required policy compliance assurances not provided
• For eligible applicants, failure to demonstrate prior application to University/College funds
• For travel grants, lack of clear justification for restricted travel categories
• For research studentships, proposing to fund fees, travel, or predictable delays

Standing Out

1. Demonstrate exceptional promise: Use language emphasizing how your research goes “beyond the usual standard” and will yield “immediately publishable results”

1. Show you've exhausted other options: Clearly document applications to University and College funding sources

1. Align with the Society's mission: Emphasize how your work promotes scientific inquiry and facilitates communication of research results

1. For travel grants: Show how the opportunity is supplementary to your core research and provides unique advancement opportunities

1. Provide strong references: Ensure referees explicitly address the exceptional nature of your work and compliance with Society policies

1. Plan ahead: Membership must be at least one year old, so join early if you anticipate future need for funding

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Membership is mandatory: You must be a Fellow for at least one year before applying - plan accordingly and join early (£20/year)

• Cambridge-centric: Effectively restricted to University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University postgraduate students and early-career researchers

• “Exceptional” is the key word: Research studentships explicitly fund work “beyond the usual standard of the PhD” - your application must demonstrate exceptional promise

• Exhaust other sources first: The Society expects you to have applied to University and College funds before seeking their support

• Quick turnaround: With 2-3 month decision times and quarterly/biannual deadlines, the process is relatively swift

• Limited funding available: Travel grants are described as “limited number” and amounts are modest (£500-£5,500), suggesting highly selective processes

• One chance for research studentships: Previous recipients cannot reapply for research studentships, making your first application critical

• Build connections early: The Society gives preference to events with “pre-existing CPS connections” for small grants

References

1. Cambridge Philosophical Society official website - Funding page: https://www.cambridgephilosophicalsociety.org/funding

1. Cambridge Philosophical Society - Research Studentships: https://www.cambridgephilosophicalsociety.org/funding/research-studentships

1. Cambridge Philosophical Society - Travel Grants: https://www.cambridgephilosophicalsociety.org/funding/travel-grants

1. Cambridge Philosophical Society - Small Grants and Sponsorships: https://www.cambridgephilosophicalsociety.org/funding/small-grants

1. Cambridge Philosophical Society - Henslow Fellowship: https://www.cambridgephilosophicalsociety.org/funding/henslow-fellowship

1. Cambridge Philosophical Society - About Us/Who We Are: https://www.cambridgephilosophicalsociety.org/about/who-we-are

1. Cambridge Philosophical Society - Our History: https://www.cambridgephilosophicalsociety.org/about/our-history

1. Cambridge Philosophical Society - Membership: https://www.cambridgephilosophicalsociety.org/membership

1. UK Charity Commission - Cambridge Philosophical Society (Charity No. 213811): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=213811&subid=0

1. ECRcentral - Cambridge Philosophical Society Funder Profile: https://ecrcentral.org/funders/cambridge-philosophical-society