 The same year he went to Cambridge where he became a fellow of Gonville and Caius College and lecturer in cartography.In 1920, with the help of surplus funds raised by public donations in response to the tragedy, Debenham co-founded the Scott Polar Research Institute (Cambridge University) with Raymond Priestley, as a repository of polar information and a centre from which future expeditions could draw on support and experience.Debenham had developed the idea of such a learning centre in 1912 while in Antarctica.