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Application deadlines per year:

  • 31 January

  • 16 May

All applications must be sent to the INT Administrators by 5pm. 

Please mention in the subject line of the email
that it is an application for the WPIF. 

Please assemble your application and submit
as a single concatenated PDF

How to Apply

Your application needs to include a Cover Sheet and Proposal. 

Use font size 11 or larger for all text in your application. The font must be Calibri, Aptos, or Arial. All A4 margins should be set at a minimum of 1 inch. Please follow the page limits as we will ask you to shorten any applications that are too long.

Who Can Apply?

The Widening Participation & Induction Fund is open to all Cambridge Colleges.

Colleges are invited to apply for funding for specific projects, for up to £50,000 per academic year per College.  

Colleges may submit applications:

  • Individually
  • Together with other Colleges
  • Jointly with other institutions, such as University departments or voluntary sector organisations.

Note that grants are awarded and disbursed to Colleges, but this may include costs associated with participation in University-wide programmes. 

Grants cover activities to be done within 12 months of funding. If this causes scheduling issues, please consult the INT. Colleges may reapply in later funding rounds for up to £50k in any academic year. They can seek support for the same or different activities.

A panel, chaired by a Trustee of the INT, will decide all funding outcomes for the WPIF.

We will prioritize well-costed, innovative proposals. They should address educational gaps made worse by COVID. Other proposals may also be considered for funding. The Fund should not replace funds already committed by a College to an activity. Such applications may be given low priority.

For more information on the WPIF, please contact the INT Director.

Proposal

The Proposal should normally be no more than two sides of A4 and include the following:

  • A full description of the project including a timetable
  • Budget with full costs showing which costs you would like the WPIF to cover
  • Information about what your project seeks to change and why you seek to do this
  • How you expect to realize change through the project
  • How you will measure and report on the difference made by the project
  • What difference would indicate a positive change

Please set out the extent to which you have consulted with subject specialists in the relevant Department or Faculty, where appropriate.

If you are making an application which develops a project already funded by INT’s WPIF,  please detail how the new project has developed and builds on the previous project.

Project Costs

Summary of Eligible Costs

up to £50,000 in any given academic year

WPIF grants can be used for:

  • Partial salary costs
  • Student travel costs to outreach events held at Colleges
  • The creation of lasting resources, such as websites or equipment
  • Direct student contact activities, such as residential events
  • Projects for primary school pupils

WPIF grants cannot be used for:

  • Additional bursaries or scholarships already covered under the Cambridge Bursary Scheme
  • Buying out the time of existing Admissions/Schools' Liaison staff
  • Core University business
  • Teaching for the Foundation Year, which is already fully funded
  • Hiring College rooms

Salary Costs

You can claim for new posts for the project. You can also claim for back-filling of posts where existing postholders are temporarily undertaking new duties for the project.

You cannot claim costs for staff whose jobs already include the duties in the application. Also, you cannot claim costs where no new staff costs are involved. 

We expect the salary for supporting staff to match a suitable pay scale. We know this may vary between Colleges. So, please explain why the one you chose is best for the project.

Student Travel Costs

We feel it's important to diversify the attendees at events. We want to attract more students from under-represented regions. We also want to help those with financial concerns benefit from Cambridge Colleges. 

We have therefore agreed to extend the WPIF's scope. This will encourage colleges to seek support for student travel to outreach events, which may or may not be on University Open Days. If funds are limited, priority may go to projects that encourage applicants who might not otherwise consider Cambridge. This includes supporting the most disadvantaged students from College Link Areas.

Applications can be for travel cost support only. Travel costs can also be part of a WPIF project's costs. The travel costs must be for events run by Cambridge Colleges. They may or may not be on University Open Days.

Event & Hospitality Costs

Use internal student or outreach rates for participant hospitality. This includes rooms, halls, and meals. Do not use commercial or peak-season rates. 

We expect the host College to cover the costs for teaching space. If you think this isn't possible, please justify it in your proposal. Alternatively, contact the INT Director to discuss.

INT Funding Rounds

For Research Grants:

Lent: 10 January 2025

Easter: 25 April 2025

 

For Research Grants in the Humanities

Collection-based Research in the Humanities

Application Deadline: 10 January 2025

Project Completion Grants for Mid-Career Researchers in Humanities

Application Deadline: 10 January 2025

 

For Colleges:

Academic Career Development Fellowships

Colleges and Departments interested in making partnerships should contact the Director at the earliest opportunity. 
Partnerships should be agreed in Lent Term and no later than 21 February 2025

Widening Participation & Induction Fund

Next application deadline: 31 January 2025 

Junior Research Fellowship Programme

Next application deadline: 09 May 2025

 

For Early Career Fellows:

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships 2025

Application deadline: candidates’ applications must reach the University's Research Operations Office by 18 February 2025 in order to submit an application to the Leverhulme Trust no later than 20 February 4pm 2025

Trustees' Meeting Dates

Thursday 20 March 2025

Thursday 03 July 2025

Thursday 20 November 2025

Information about INT