Application Deadline: February 22nd 2018
Applications for the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2018/2019 for study in the United Kingdom are now being accepted
The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is one of the largest and most prestigious international scholarship schemes in the world. Since it was established in 1959, 35,000 individuals have held a Commonwealth Scholarship or Fellowship – 27,000 of them were funded by the UK government, through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom (CSC).
Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are for candidates from low and middle income Commonwealth countries, for full-time doctoral study at a UK university.
Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Commonwealth PhD Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development, and are aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.
Purpose:
- To enhance individual teaching and research capacity leading to increased institutional capacity in academic and other sectors in Commonwealth countries, and to contribute to UK higher education and research by attracting high-calibre international candidates and encouraging links and collaboration.
Intended beneficiaries:
- High-quality graduates who have the potential to become influential leaders, teachers, or researchers in their home countries, and whose proposed research topic has been described to the satisfaction of the selection committee as having a developmental and leadership focus
ELIGIBILITY
To apply for these scholarships, you must:
- Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
- Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
- Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September/October 2018
- By October 2018, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) honours standard, or a second class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree)
- NOT be registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, at a UK university before September/October 2018
- Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship
ELIGIBLE COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES
Antigua and Barbuda
Bangladesh
Belize
Botswana
Cameroon
Dominica
Fiji
Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
India
Jamaica
Kenya
Kiribati
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Mauritius
Montserrat
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Pitcairn Islands
Rwanda
St Helena
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Swaziland
Tanzania
Tonga
Tuvalu
Uganda
Vanuatu
Zambia
Scholarship Worth:
Each scholarship provides:
- Approved airfare from your home country to the UK and return at the end of your award (the CSC will not reimburse the cost of fares for dependants, nor usually the cost of journeys made before your award is finally confirmed)
- Approved tuition fees
- Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,065 per month, or £1,306 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2017-2018 levels)
- Warm clothing allowance, where applicable
- Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas
- Provision towards the cost of fieldwork undertaken overseas (usually the cost of one economy class return airfare to your fieldwork location), where approved
- Paid mid-term visit (airfare) to your home country (unless you have claimed (or intend to claim) spouse and/or child allowances during your scholarship, or have received a return airfare to your home country for fieldwork)
- Family allowances, as follows:
- Spouse allowance of £229 per month if you and your spouse are living together at the same address in the UK (unless your spouse is also in receipt of a scholarship; other conditions also apply)
- Child allowance of £229 per month for the first child, and £112 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if you are accompanied by your spouse and children and they are living with you at the same address in the UK
- If you are widowed, divorced, or a single parent, child allowance of £458 per month for the first child, and £112 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if you are accompanied by your children and they are living with you at the same address in the UK
HOW TO APPLY
- You should apply to study at a UK university which has a part funding agreement with the CSC. Part funding agreements are at the discretion of individual universities. For a list of universities that have agreed to part fund Commonwealth Scholarships, visit http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/uk-universities/part-funding
- You must apply to one of the following nominating bodies in the first instance – the CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships:
- National nominating agencies – this is the main route of application. For a full list including contact details, visit http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/national-nominating-agencies
- Selected universities/university bodies, which can nominate their own academic staff. For a full list, visit http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/phd-scholarships-low-middle-income-countries/nominating-universities
- Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies. For a full list, visit http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/phd-scholarships-low-middle-income-countries/nominating-ngos
- All applications must be made through one of these nominating bodies. Each nominating body is responsible for its own selection process.
- You must check with your nominating body for their specific advice and rules for applying, and for their own closing date for applications.
- The CSC does not impose any age limit on applicants, but nominating bodies may do so in line with their own priorities.
- You must make your application using the CSC’s Electronic Application System (EAS), in addition to any other application that you are required to complete by your nominating body. Information on how to use the EAS, including detailed guides, is available at http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/phd-scholarships-low-middle-income-countries
- Your application must be submitted to and endorsed by one of the approved nominating bodies listed above. The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the EAS.
- All applications, including full transcripts detailing all your higher education qualifications, must be submitted by 23.59 (GMT) on 22 February 2018 at the latest.
- You are advised to complete and submit your application as soon as possible, as the EAS will be very busy in the days leading up to the application deadline.
- You must provide the following supporting documentation, which must be received by the CSC by 23.59 (GMT) on 22 March 2018 in order for your application to be eligible for consideration:
- References from at least two individuals
- Supporting statement from a proposed supervisor in the UK from at least one of the institutions named on your application form
- Awards made by the CSC are subject to the ongoing endorsement of the nominating body. The CSC cannot accept nominations for these scholarships from other organisations or applications directly from individuals; such applications will not be acknowledged.
- Universities or other organisations that wish to be invited to nominate candidates for these scholarships should write to the Executive Secretary, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK, Woburn House, 20-24 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HF, UK.
Download
Application Guideline for the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2018/2019
Please note that the CSC does not charge candidates to apply for any of its scholarships or fellowships through its Electronic Application System (EAS), and it does not charge organisations to nominate candidates.
Choosing a university/course
You may find the following resources useful when researching your choices of institution and course of study in the UK:
- Study UK – British Council website, with guidance for international students and a course and institution search
- Postgrad.com – information for postgraduate students, with a course search
- Prospects – information on postgraduate study in the UK
- Research Excellent Framework 2014 results – results of a system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions
- UCAS Postgraduate – guidance on how to find and apply for a postgraduate course
- Unistats – the official website for comparing UK higher education course data
- UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) – advice for international students on choosing a course of study
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2018/2019