Reaching for the Stars
College launches new Parasol Foundation scholarships for women in astronomy
Â鶹ƵµÀ is establishing a new scholarship programme with the Parasol Foundation Trust; so more talented female students from the UK can study astronomy and astrophysics at Cambridge University.
The first intake of students to take up The Parasol Foundation Scholarships will start in the academic year 2024-2025. Three promising female applicants a year will be offered a fully-funded place – including tuition fees and maintenance – to study for a Master’s degree in Astrophysics, an MPhil in Astronomy or the new MPhil in Planetary Science and Life in the Universe (PSLU) at Cambridge’s . The latter course is deliberately inter-disciplinary to mirror the interplay of knowledge needed to help unlock the secrets of the Universe.
The one-year Master’s degree programme is not only valuable to students themselves but will provide a vital pathway for more women to progress further in academia and in careers in the space sector. They are significantly under-represented in both areas. Figures show there is an alarming under-representation of women at lecturer and professor level in STEM subjects in UK universities.In 2021-22, women made up only 14% of professors of Physics, Maths and Chemistry, while in Electrical and Computer Engineering, only 9% were women.
According to the , women account for only 29% of the space workforce.
Professor Hiranya Peiris is the first woman to be appointed to the prestigious Professorship of Astrophysics (1909) at Cambridge in its 115-year history, taking up the post in October 2023. She is also a current Fellow and alumna of Â鶹ƵµÀ, with a strong commitment to widening access to Cambridge. Together with College President Dorothy Byrne, she is determined to break down the systemic barriers that hold women back from achieving their true potential.
Murray Edwards, formerly known as New Hall, was chosen for The Parasol Foundation Scholarships because it is a college for women boasting a proud record educating women in STEM. In Astrophysics alone, the College’s distinguished alumnae include Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, discoverer of pulsars, and Katherine Blundell, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford.
Nevertheless, evidence shows that women are still in the minority at Cambridge when it comes to studying most STEM subjects, notably Computer Science and Mathematics. At the university overall, there is an even gender split among undergraduates, but in the 2022 intake (the most recent for which figures are available) women made up just under a fifth of computing and maths students, and took only just over a quarter of Engineering places.
Further information
- The Parasol Foundation Scholarships will be awarded for an initial intake of two academic years and support six female students with full tuition fees and maintenance costs. The scholarships are open to UK students who qualify for home fees.
- The Scholarships build on the Foundation’s past association with Cambridge University through its £800,000 donation to the Darwin Library and former scholarships to overseas students of STEM subjects.
- The Parasol Foundation, created in 2004 is Gibraltar-based. To date, it has funded £40m worth of ambitious projects and partnerships in Gibraltar, UK, Spain, Israel and the US.
- Ruth Monicka Parasol is the principal benefactress of The Parasol Foundation Trust. A tech pioneer and entrepreneur, she is passionate about widening opportunities, supporting women’s health and helping women to achieve their potential in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).