Financial support can make a real difference to someone’s time at Cambridge, giving them the chance to take up a place, focus on their studies or share their research. At Clare Hall, the generosity of our supporters makes this possible through a range of funds benefiting both students and postdoctoral members.

Among them is the Thouless Fund, established in 2019 through the generosity of Dr Margaret Thouless to support UK graduate study in the Arts and Humanities. Its MPhil studentships and Postdoctoral Studentship Prizes help members at different stages of their academic lives.

For Evan Grandidge de Paz, the Fund made an MPhil in Latin American Studies financially possible and helped him prepare for further research in archaeology this year. “I feel that my MPhil degree has equipped me well for these subsequent studies, and I am very grateful for the funding that permitted me to finance the degree,” he reflects.

Viviana Pupeza, having recently been awarded a Postdoctoral Studentship Prize, received support after her Geography PhD, giving her the opportunity to work towards publishing her research. “Receiving the award has made a great difference in my personal and professional life,” she says.

For Philosophy researcher Adham El-Shazly, the same Prize helped publish his work and share it internationally. He subsequently secured an Assistant Professor position in Canada and was awarded an Early Career Leverhulme Fellowship at Oxford. “The Thouless Fund has been instrumental in supporting the next step of my career,” he explains.

We are delighted that three new funds will offer further support to our postgraduate community:

• The Natural Sciences Bursary Fund, established in March 2026 by two anonymous donors, will offer two annual entrance bursaries for UK and international doctoral students in chemistry, physics, materials science or earth sciences.
• The Francis Wells Bursary was established in May 2026 through the generosity of two anonymous donors. Open to UK and international postgraduate students across all subjects, it will support one recipient each year, with preference given to those in financial need.
• The Norman Hammond Bursary Fund, created by Professor Norman Hammond in October 2026, will provide financial assistance to a postgraduate student in any field, with a modest preference for an archaeology student.

We are warmly grateful to all our supporters for helping Clare Hall members pursue their ambitions with greater confidence and financial security.