W.D. Armstrong Trust Fund

Postgraduate studentships in the application of engineering in medicine

The Managers expect each year to elect at least one W. D. Armstrong Studentship, tenable in the University, for postgraduate work towards the PhD degree in a field related to the application of engineering in medicine.

Supervisors in eligible departments will be invited to apply for PhD projects, with each project being jointly proposed by one supervisor from the School of Technology and one from the School of Clinical Medicine. Prospective students in Departments awarded a project will be considered for nomination for a W. D. Armstrong studentship by their Departments; there is no need for prospective students to apply separately.

Eligible departments are:

  • Department of Engineering
  • Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
  • Department of Computer Science and Technology
  • All departments in the School of Clinical Medicine

Value of the studentship

The usual financial support offered by the Armstrong Fund comprises:

  • 3 years of the University Composition Fee at the Home rate
  • 3.5 years of maintenance at the standard EPSRC yearly rate
  • A training allowance of £1000/year for 3 years

The studentship can be awarded to students with Overseas fee status, but the difference between Home & Overseas fees is the responsibility of the individual. (It can be funded from resources available to the Supervisor/Department, where available.) The student will be asked to confirm that they understand this, at the point of accepting the studentship.

In fixing the value of an individual studentship, account will be taken of other resources available to the student, and part-studentships may be awarded as described below. Continuation of studentship is subject to satisfactory progress, and will in no cases exceed the prescribed duration of the course.

Part-studentships

Funding awarded partway through a student’s course

The managers will consider funding part of a course, for instance if a student has had funding during their first year which has run out, or they self-funded their first year. If a student is awarded an Armstrong Studentship after the start of their course, the duration of their Armstrong funding will be correspondingly shortened, so that the total duration of funding (across all sources) does not exceed three and a half years.

Student has additional funding

The managers will consider part-funding a student who has partial support from another source, or who is partially self-funded. If a student has other funding already, the amount of their Armstrong funding will be correspondingly reduced, so that total amount of funding (across all sources) does not exceed the standard EPSRC stipend + full fees.

Application process for supervisors

Supervisors are invited to propose projects and submit them to the Secretary of the Fund, for consideration by the Fund Managers. The number of studentships offered varies by year, and it is likely that only one award can be offered for a start in the academic year 2026-27.

  1. Download and complete the project proposal form.
  2. Upload the project proposal form and add contact details here. (Please note you must be logged into Raven to do this - if your browser is logged into a personal email account, you'll need to switch to your Cambridge one instead.)
  3. If a student is nominated at the same time as submitting the project proposal, please upload the Graduate Application Form(s) alongside the project proposal form. If more than one student is nominated, Supervisors are asked to rank the applications.

Timeline

  • Project proposal deadline for supervisors: 9am, Monday 10th November 2025
  • Outcomes notified: Before the end of Michaelmas Term (19 December)
  • Earliest start date for a student: October 2026 (Deadline for student to meet all conditions with the Postgraduate Admissions Office: 31 July 2026)
  • Latest start date for a student: January 2027 (Deadline for student to meet all conditions with the Postgraduate Admissions Office: 30 September 2026)

Should a student not be found in time to begin by January 2027, the award will lapse. However, the supervisor may make a new application in the next round.

The deadline to receive all applications is 9am, Monday 10th November 2025. We will acknowledge all project proposals submitted.

If you have any further questions, please contact education@tech.cam.ac.uk