PhD Scholarships for Commonwealth countries 6736 views

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are for full-time doctoral study at a UK university for applicants from low and middle income Commonwealth countries. Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).

This PhD Scholarships enable motivated and talented candidates 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.

These scholarships are offered under 6 themes:

1. Science and technology for development
2. Promoting global prosperity
3. Strengthening resilience and response to crises
4. Strengthening health systems and capacity
5. Strengthening global peace, security and governance
6. Access, inclusion and opportunity

Information on other scholarships offered by the CSC

 Required Qualifications:

To apply for commonwealth PhD Scholarships, you must:

1. Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
2. Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
3. Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September/October 2019
4. By October 2019, 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)
5. NOT be registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, at a UK university before September/October 2019
6. Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship
7. NOT have commenced and be currently registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, in your home country or elsewhere

The commonwealth PhD Scholarships aims to identify talented individuals who have the potential to make change. We are committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity, and encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates.

For further information on the support available to candidates with a disability, see the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships disability support statement.

The Commonwealth PhD Scholarships is committed to administering and managing its scholarships and fellowships in a fair and transparent manner.

For further information, see the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships anti-fraud policy and the DFID guidance on reporting fraud.

 Who can apply:Eligible Commonwealth countries

Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bangladesh, Botswana, Cameroon, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Grenada,  India, Jamaica, Kiribati, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Montserrat, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nauru, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Helena, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia 

1. For full terms and conditions Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2019 terms and conditions
2. You should apply to study at a UK university, View a full list of UK universities with part funding agreements
3. You may propose to study at one university for a four-year PhD. You must research this option thoroughly (further details can be found on the websites of the individual UK research councils) and justify its added value compared with a three-year PhD.

The Commonwealth PhD Scholarships invites around three times more nominations than scholarships available – therefore, nominated applicants are not guaranteed to be awarded a scholarship.

There are no quotas for scholarships for any individual country.

Applicants nominated by national nominating agencies are in competition with those nominated by other nominating bodies, and the same standards will be applied to applications made through either channel.

Applications will be considered according to the following selection criteria:

1. Academic merit of the candidate
2. Potential impact of the work on the development of the candidate’s home country
3. Quality of the plan of study
4. For further details, Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2019 selection criteria

How to apply

Apply to one of the following nominating bodies in the first instance – the CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships:

1. National nominating agencies – this is the main route of application
2. Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies
3. Selected universities/university bodies, which can nominate their own academic staff

4. Applications must be made through one of these nominating bodies.
5. You must make your application using the CSC’s online application system, in addition to any other application that you are required to complete by your nominating body.
6. The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the online application system.
7. You are advised to complete and submit your application as soon as possible, as the online application system will be very busy in the days leading up to the application deadline.

Other documents

1. Proof of citizenship or refugee status – uploaded to the online application system
2. References from at least two individuals – submitted directly by the referees to the online application system (referees will be sent an email request)
3. Full transcripts detailing all your higher education qualifications (with certified translations if not in English) – uploaded to the online application system
4. Supporting statement from a proposed supervisor in the UK from at least one of the institutions named on your application form – submitted directly by your proposed supervisor to the online application system (supervisors will be sent an email request). 

The CSC will not accept supporting documentation submitted by nominating agencies or outside the online application system.

Apply here

Choosing a university/course

You may find the following resources useful when researching your choices of institution and course of study in the UK:

1. Study UK – British Council website, with guidance for international students and a course and institution search
2. Postgrad.com – information for postgraduate students, with a course search
3. Prospects – information on postgraduate study in the UK
4. UCAS Postgraduate – guidance on how to find and apply for a postgraduate course
5. Unistats – the official website for comparing UK higher education course data
6. UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) – advice for international students on choosing a course of study

The CSC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

For further questions?

1. General enquiries about applying for Commonwealth Scholarships or Fellowships sent to this email address will not be answered; please use the Contact us form instead.
2. If you have a technical queryregarding the online application system please contact: eas@cscuk.org.uk