Commonwealth Ph.D. Scholarships are for candidates from least developed countries and fragile states in the Commonwealth, for full-time doctoral study at a UK university. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Commonwealth Ph.D. 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.

The scholarship program aims to contribute to the development needs of Commonwealth countries by supporting research that will have a developmental impact. These awards will also enhance individual teaching and research capacity leading to increase institutional capacity in academic and other sectors in Commonwealth countries and will contribute to UK higher education and research by attracting high-caliber international candidates and encouraging links and collaboration.

Applicants should be aware of the fact that the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission (CSC) does not charge candidates to apply for any of its scholarships or fellowships through its online application system, and it does not charge organizations to nominate candidates. This post is only for doctoral degree program applicants. If you wish to apply for a master’s degree program, please click on the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships.

Program Details

• Host Institution: Universities in the United Kingdom.
• Fields of Study: Scholarships are offered under six development themes (Science and technology for development; Strengthening health systems and capacity; Promoting global prosperity; Strengthening global peace, security and governance; Strengthening resilience and response to crises; Access, inclusion and opportunity).
• Number of awards: Not specified.
• Duration: Three to four years.
• Target group: Open to citizens or persons with refugee status of Bangladesh, Cameroon, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia.

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships Benefits

This Commonwealth PhD Scholarship to study in Europe provides successful applicants with:

• 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 dependents, nor the cost of journeys made before your award is confirmed)
• Approved tuition fees: full fees are covered by agreement between the CSC and the UK university, and Scholars are not liable to pay for any part of the tuition fee
• Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £ 1 347 per month, or £ 1 652 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at current 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 (rates quoted at current levels):
  • If you are accompanied by your spouse but no children: spouse allowance of £290 per month for a maximum period of nine months, 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)
  • If you are accompanied by your spouse and children: spouse allowance of £290 per month and child allowance of £290 per month for the first child, and £143 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if your spouse and children are living with you at the same address in the UK (unless your spouse is also in receipt of a scholarship; other conditions also apply)
  • If you are accompanied by your children but no spouse: child allowance of £576.61 per month for the first child, and £143 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if your children are living with you at the same address in the UK
• If you declare a disability, a full assessment of your needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC.

Participating Universities in the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships

Below is the list of universities that have part funding agreements with the CSC for Commonwealth Scholarships for candidates from low- and middle-income countries:

1. Aberystwyth University
2. Aston University
3. Bangor University
4. Bath Spa University
5. Birkbeck, University of London
6. Birmingham City University
7. Brunel University London
8. Cardiff University
9. City, University of London
10. Coventry University
11. Cranfield University
12. Durham University
13. Glasgow Caledonian University
14. Goldsmiths, University of London
15. Harper Adams University
16. Heriot-Watt University
17. Imperial College London
18. Keele University
19. King’s College London
20. Kingston University
21. Lancaster University
22. Leeds Beckett University
23. Liverpool Hope University
24. Liverpool John Moores University
25. Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
26. London School of Economics and Political Science
27. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
28. London South Bank University
29. Loughborough University
30. Manchester Metropolitan University
31. Newcastle University
32. Northumbria University
33. Nottingham Trent University
34. Open University
35. Oxford Brookes University
36. Plymouth University
37. Queen Mary, University of London
38. Queen’s University Belfast
39. Robert Gordon University
40. Royal Agricultural University
41. Royal Holloway, University of London
42. Royal Veterinary College
43. Sheffield Hallam University
44. SOAS, University of London
45. St George’s, University of London
46. Swansea University
47. Teesside University
48. Ulster University
49. University College London
50. University of Aberdeen
51. University of Bath
52. University of Birmingham
53. University of Bradford
54. University of Bristol
55. University of Cambridge
56. University of Central Lancashire
57. University of Chester
58. University of Dundee
59. University of East Anglia
60. University of East London
61. University of Edinburgh
62. University of Essex
63. University of Exeter
64. University of Glasgow
65. University of Greenwich
66. University of Huddersfield
67. University of Hull
68. University of Kent
69. University of Leeds
70. University of Leicester
71. University of Lincoln
72. University of Liverpool
73. University of Manchester
74. University of Northampton
75. University of Nottingham
76. University of Oxford
77. University of Portsmouth
78. University of Reading
79. University of Roehampton
80. University of St Andrews
81. University of Salford
82. University of Sheffield
83. University of Southampton
84. University of Stirling
85. University of Strathclyde
86. University of Surrey
87. University of Sussex
88. University of the West of England
89. University of Warwick
90. University of Westminster
91. University of West London
92. University of Wolverhampton
93. University of Worcester
94. University of York

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships Eligibility

To qualify for a PhD Scholarship, Applicants must be:

• a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
• permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
• available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2024
• by September 2024, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) honors standard, or a lower 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 or in your home country before September/October 2024
• unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship
• be able to provide all supporting documentation in the required format.

Selection Criteria

Candidates for the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships will be selected using the following criteria:

• Academic merit of the candidate
• Quality of the plan of study
• Potential impact on the development of the candidate’s home country

Similar opportunities

1. Mohamed Bin Zayed University Scholarship in Artificial Intelligence;
2. University of Toronto Admission Scholarships for International Students;
3. NTUST International Student Scholarship.

How to Apply for the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships?

To submit your application to this government scholarship, you must apply to one of the following nominating bodies in the first instance. CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships:

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

All applications must be made through one of these nominating bodies. Each nominating body is responsible for its own selection process and may have additional eligibility criteria. You must check with your nominating body for their specific advice and rules for applying, their own eligibility criteria, and their own closing date for applications.

You must make your application using the CSC’s online application system (Click on the Apply button below), in addition to any other application that you are required to complete by your nominating body. The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the online application system. All applications must be submitted by the deadline. References and supporting statements must also be submitted by the deadline.

You should apply to study at a UK universities with part funding agreements. 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. Your application must include the following supporting documentation for it to be eligible for consideration.

1. Proof that you are a citizen or have refugee status of an eligible Commonwealth country: a copy of your valid passport (or national ID card) showing your photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship– uploaded to the online application system
2. Full transcripts detailing all your higher education qualifications including to-date transcripts for any qualifications you are currently studying (with certified translations if not in English) – uploaded to the online application system
3. References from at least two individuals – submitted directly by the referees to the online application system (referees will be sent an email request to submit online)
4. Supporting statement from a proposed supervisor in the UK from at least one of the institutions named on your application form and submitted directly by your proposed supervisor to the online application system (supervisors will be sent an email request to submit online).

If any of the required documentation is not provided by the dates specified above, your application will be considered ineligible.

Note: It is your responsibility to ensure that your referees are able to complete the references by the deadline and that they receive the reference requests. The CSC will not accept supporting documentation submitted by nominating agencies or outside the online application system.

The deadline to submit applications is October 17, 2023. Please visit the official page to know more about the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.