- Martingale scholarships support exceptional postgraduate students to pursue world-leading research at top UK universities
- More than £25m in donor support secured to date, with partners including XTX Markets, Google DeepMind, UK Atomic Energy Authority and Alzheimer’s Research UK
Martingale Foundation is today announcing a major expansion of its flagship postgraduate scholarship programme, with a pledge to support 800 exceptional STEM scholars by 2030. This ambitious goal is made possible by new and continued donor support with more than £25m committed to date.
Since launching in 2022, the Martingale programme has been hugely successful, with more than 100 fully funded Master’s and PhD scholarships being awarded across ten universities, including more than a third of scholars securing places at Cambridge and Oxford. Applications for the 2026 cohort are now open.
The programme, which ensures family income is never a barrier to world‑class postgraduate research, will now offer scholarships in biomedical and nuclear research for the first time. In doing so, the programme directly aligns with the UK’s Industrial Strategy and helps to meet the country’s rising demand for advanced STEM qualifications.
Our partners
- XTX Markets: Founding donor XTX Markets provided the initial £12.5 million grant to launch the Martingale Foundation in 2022. It has renewed its commitment with an additional £10.5 million to support over 100 more scholarships across two cohorts. The algorithmic trading firm is a major donor to mathematical talent programmes worldwide, and its renewed funding will support a new range of Master’s and PhD scholarships in pure maths and AI.
- Google DeepMind: After an exceptional first year partnership on the Google DeepMind AI Master’s Scholarships in 2024, which saw a 16:1 demand for places, Google DeepMind has extended its partnership for a second year. This underlines the huge global demand for AI talent at a time when expertise in this area is increasingly vital for driving innovation and addressing global challenges.
- UK Atomic Energy Authority and the University of Manchester: New PhD scholarships in nuclear research will be launched in conjunction with UKAEA and the University of Manchester’s SATURN doctoral programme, with support from Rolls‑Royce and the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency. The scholarships support the country’s growing need for alternative energy options to meet the 2050 Climate Change Act.
- Alzheimer’s Research UK: Martingale will introduce new PhD scholarships in biomedical research in partnership with the leading health charity.
Martingale Foundation’s pioneering programme
Martingale Foundation was founded with the belief that family income should never be a barrier to academic excellence, and partners with leading UK universities to open doors for the brightest minds.
The demand for highly skilled graduates continues to rise. It is predicted that by 2035, the UK will need 1.9m new STEM professionals by 2035². As the UK increasingly lags in global innovation rankings³, it is clear that we have the talent, but we need to invest in it – at all levels. For many, the cost of pursuing postgraduate study is simply out of reach. The financial pressures associated with postgraduate study is forcing talented individuals to abandon their research ambitions.
Students from low‑socioeconomic backgrounds are up to eight times less likely to pursue a Master’s degree and 15 times less likely to undertake a PhD than their more advantaged peers¹. Martingale Foundation’s scholarships play a vital role in bridging that gap, particularly in AI, climate science, healthcare, energy, and data science.
Martingale Foundation provides fully funded scholarships, covering tuition fees, research costs, and a tax‑free living stipend, alongside a bespoke professional development programme that empowers students to excel academically and professionally.
Cassandra Hugill, Chief Executive Officer of the Martingale Foundation, said:
“Unfortunately, the rising cost of postgraduate study is increasingly shutting out brilliant minds. We strive to change that, and our mission is simple: empower and nurture talented individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds to thrive in world-leading postgraduate research.
“If the UK wants to remain a global leader for research and innovation, we need to be supporting top talent, no matter their background. Martingale is proud to have made a significant impact in this area since our launch, and this renewed and enhanced support from our donors – together with our university partners – will enable us to support more bright minds to tackle research challenges, unlock potential and fuel innovation.”
Freddie Truman-Williams is a Martingale Masters Scholar studying Mathematical Sciences at University of Oxford. He said:
“Becoming a Martingale Scholar has transformed my academic journey. The programme’s events and mentorship didn’t just deepen my research skills, they gave me the confidence and network to reach out to leading academics worldwide. Simply telling people I’m part of the Martingale Foundation opens doors and inspires collaboration.”
Martingale Foundation’s partner universities are leaders in research and innovation globally and span the UK, including the University of Birmingham, University of Bristol, University of Cambridge, The University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London, King’s College London, The University of Manchester, University College London, Queen Mary University of London, and University of Oxford.
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Sources
- Institute for Fisal Studies (2020), Family background and access to postgraduate degrees
- Universities UK (2023), Jobs of the future
- Global Innovation Index https://www.wipo.int/en/webglobal-innovation-index