The Sir David Harrison Fund: supporting science at Selwyn
The Sir David Harrison Fund supports the teaching and learning of science, including Maths and Engineering, in a number of ways.
Established with the support of over 400 alumni in 2024 the Fund now stands at £1million and is currently supporting the first Sir David Harrison Fellow, Professor James Moultrie.
We are incredibly grateful for the incredible support we have received, and the success of the Sir David Harrison Fund means that it has been established as a permanent fund at Selwyn as a way for alumni and friends to further deepen support for scientific fields at the College. Areas that the Fund could support include:
£30,000 could cover the costs of the fees for a UK PhD student studying Chemical Engineering or similar.
£16,500 could cover the fees for a UK MPhil student in advanced Chemical Engineering or similar.
£1,750 could provide a full Cambridge bursary for UK science undergraduates from low-income backgrounds.
If you would like to support the Fund, and support Selwyn’s provision for teaching of the sciences, engineering and maths, you can make your gift online using the button below.
The first Sir David Harrison Fellowship
Teaching is at the heart of what we do as a college. There is nothing more important than instilling the next generation with the learning that they need. We are delighted that, as a tribute to our late master Sir David Harrison there is now a David Harrison Fellow teaching Selwyn undergraduates.
Sir David Harrison had a remarkable association with Selwyn College, which lasted almost 73 years from his arrival as an undergraduate in 1950 until his death in March 2023. He became a fellow in 1957 and saw him serve the college as a tutor, senior tutor and, from 1994 – 2000, as master.
As admissions tutor and master he opened Selwyn’s doors to generations of students and, as senior tutor, he oversaw the process which welcomed the first female students here in 1976. Sir David was passionate about science and education, and was a distinguished leader in his chosen field of Chemical Engineering – and encouraged gifted science students to keep an open mind about their speciality and enjoy the flexibility of the Natural Sciences tripos. This is a philosophy that we continue to promote today, and which the resources provided by the Sir David Harrison Fund will underpin.
It’s impressive to note that the Royal Society and the Royal Institution are currently led by Selwyn alumni (Sir Adrian Smith, SE 1965 and Katherine Mathieson, SE 1993) and the Institution of Chemical Engineers was recently led by Nigel Hirst (SE 1974), products of the unique Cambridge supervision system and a thriving scientific community.
Each year, the college welcomes between 20 and 25 new NatSci undergraduates, alongside a growing group of postgraduate researchers. They are supported by a wide range of teaching fellows, with expertise covering all the major subject areas.
How to make your gift
You can make your gift online via credit or debit card and further information about other ways to give (cheque, bank transfer etc.) can be found here.
All donations from UK taxpayers will normally qualify for Gift Aid, and there are tax-efficient ways to donate from outside the UK. Donations may be spread over a number of years and organised via Direct Debit.
The Sir David Harrison Fund received a foundation gift in the form of a generous legacy from David himself. We would be pleased to discuss ways in which your legacy might also support science at Selwyn in the future. Please contact Sam Davis, major gifts and legacies manager at sjdd2@cam.ac.uk or +44 (0) 1223 767845.
If you would like to discuss naming a fellowship at Selwyn or any other matter relating to the Sir David Harrison Fund, please contact Mike Nicholson, development director, at mgn24@cam.ac.uk or +44 (0) 1223 330403.