Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2027/28:
(Deadline 20 August 2026)
Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are for
applicants from least developed countries and vulnerable states, as classified
by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), in the Commonwealth, for
full-time doctoral study at a UK university.
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in
the UK (CSC) provides the UK government scholarship scheme led by international
development objectives. It operates within the framework of the Commonwealth
Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) and offers a vivid demonstration of the
UK’s enduring commitment to the Commonwealth. By attracting individuals with
outstanding talent and identifiable potential from all backgrounds and
supporting them to become leaders and innovators on returning to their home
countries, the CSC’s work combines sustainable development with the UK national
interest and provides opportunities for international partnerships and
collaboration.
Purpose: Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO),
Commonwealth PhD scholarships contribute to the development needs of
Commonwealth countries by supporting research that will have a developmental
impact. They 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-calibre international applicants and encouraging links and
collaboration, and are aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study
in the UK.
Intended beneficiaries: Commonwealth PhD scholarships are for high-quality graduates who
have the potential to undertake world-class research of a developmental nature
and to become influential leaders, teachers, or researchers in their home
countries.
These scholarships are offered under the
six CSC
Development themes.
Applications for Commonwealth PhD
scholarships for the 2027/28 academic year will open on Tuesday 8
September.
The closing date for applications to
be received is 16.00 BST on Tuesday 20 October. The
scholarships are for study in the UK beginning in September/October 2027.
PhD Scholarship
Application Deadline 20 Oct 2026 Country
to study United Kingdom Type
PhD Sponsor Commonwealth Gender Men and Women
Aim and Benefits of PhD Scholarship
Each scholarship provides:
- Approved airfare from the Scholar’s home country to the UK and
return at the end of the award (the CSC will not reimburse the cost of
fares for dependants, nor the cost of journeys made before the 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 £1,712 per month, or
£2,000 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area
(rates quoted at current levels).
- Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel
within the UK or overseas.
- Provision towards the cost of fieldwork undertaken overseas
(the cost of one economy class return airfare to the fieldwork location),
where approved.
- Paid mid-term visit (airfare) to the Scholar’s home country,
unless they have claimed or intend to claim spouse and/or child allowances
during their scholarship or have received a return airfare to their home
country for fieldwork.
- Family allowances, as follows (rates quoted at current levels):
- If a Scholar is accompanied by their spouse but no children:
spouse allowance of £313 per month for a maximum period of nine months,
if they and their spouse are living together at the same address in the
UK (unless the spouse is also in receipt of a scholarship; other
conditions also apply).
- If a Scholar is accompanied by their spouse and children:
spouse allowance of £313 per month and child allowance of £313 per month
for the first child, and £154 per month for the second and third child
under the age of 16, if their spouse and children are living with them at
the same address in the UK (unless their spouse is also in receipt of a
scholarship; other conditions also apply).
- If a Scholar has children and is widowed, divorced, or a
single parent, child allowance of child allowance of £622 per month for
the first child, and £154 per month for the second and third child under
the age of 16, if their children are living with them at the same address
in the UK.
If a Scholar shares that they have a
disability, a full assessment of their needs and eligibility for additional
financial support will be offered by the CSC.
The CSC’s family allowances are intended
to be only a contribution towards the cost of maintaining a Scholar’s family in
the UK. The true costs are likely to be
considerably higher, and Scholars must be able to supplement these allowances
to support any family members who accompany them to the UK.
For more information, see the current Handbook for
Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows.
Requirements for PhD Scholarship
Qualification
Please note that only candidates from the
eligible countries listed below can apply for Commonwealth PhD Scholarships.
- Bangladesh
- The Gambia
- Kiribati
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Rwanda
- Sierra Leone
- Solomon Islands
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Zambia
To apply for this scholarship, applicants
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 academic studies in the UK by the start
of the UK academic year in September 2027.
- By September 2027, hold a first degree of at least upper
second-class (2:1) honours 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 their home country before September/October 2026.
- Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this
scholarship.
- Have provided all supporting documentation in the required
format.
*The CSC recognises that disabled people
have often faced and overcome challenges or barriers in their education journey
which have prevented them achieving the academic requirement for a Commonwealth
Scholarship. Disabled applicants who can demonstrate their potential to
contribute to international development but who do not hold a 2:1 Undergraduate
degree may be considered for a contextualised nomination through the
Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum (CDPF) nominator. For more information,
please contact CDPF directly using the details on Commonwealth's NGOs
and charitable body nominators page.
Interview date, Process and Venue for
PhD Scholarship
Applications will be considered according
to the following selection criteria:
- Candidate merit (including academic experience)
- Quality of research proposal
- Potential impact on the development of the candidate’s come
country
For further details, please refer to
the Commonwealth Scholarships selection criteria.
Applicants should note the criteria
carefully and link their answers in the application form to each point listed.
Documents Required for Application
Applications must include supporting
documentation to be eligible.
Please note that applicants are required to
collect references and supporting statements, either on institution letterhead
or an email clearly showing the sender’s details, from referees and proposed
supervisors in the UK, and then upload them in PDF format to the application
system with their other supporting documentation.
The references and supporting statements
must be uploaded to the application system by the deadline for applications and
we are unable to accept references and supporting statements any other way or
after this date.
Applicants must upload the following
documents with the application:
- Proof that they are a citizen or have refugee status in an
eligible Commonwealth country: a copy of a valid passport (or national ID
card) showing a photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship.
- Full transcripts detailing all higher
education qualifications, including to-date transcripts for any courses
currently being studied, with certified translations if not in English.
Where any transcripts are missing or do not include all pages, the
application will be considered ineligible. If to-date transcripts are
not available, the application must include an explanation why this is the
case.
- References from at least two individuals, in PDF format, signed
and on institutional letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s
details.
- A supporting statement, in PDF format, signed and either on
institutional letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details,
from a proposed supervisor in the UK from at least one of the institutions
named on the application form.
Applications will be considered ineligible
if any of the required documentation is not included by the closing date.
The CSC will not accept supporting
documentation submitted outside the online application system.
References must clearly by written by the
referee in their own words. When completing the references, referees
should be asked to comment as fully as possible on the applicant, keeping in
mind the following points for inclusion, as appropriate:
- How long, and in what capacity, the referee has known the
applicant.
- The referee’s views on the applicant’s suitability for the
proposed Scholarship and the need for the particular subject of study in
the UK.
- Information on how, and to what extent, the applicant has shown
ability in terms of:
- capability to grasp concepts and reason analytically;
- capacity for original thought;
- and motivation and perseverance in achieving objectives.
- Assessment of the applicant’s particular strengths and
weaknesses.
- The applicant’s potential to impact development in their home
country.
- Any other general qualities which the referee considers would
make the applicant a good recipient of a Scholarship.
Please note that the CSC does not charge
apply for any of its scholarships or fellowships through its online application
system.
Supporting statements must clearly by
written by the proposed supervisor in their own words. When completing
supporting statements, proposed supervisors should be asked to confirm that
they are, in principle, prepared to have the applicant working with them and
that they have the facilities to undertake the research. They should also be
asked how the applicant’s plan of study fits with the expertise of their
department and to indicate how much of the applicant’s plan of study, if any,
they wrote, and to confirm that the study programme can be completed within the
proposed 36 month tenure. Any additional comments they make will be appreciated
by the Commission.
Application Deadline
October 20, 2026
How to Apply
Applications for Commonwealth PhD
scholarships for the 2027/28 academic year will open on Tuesday 8
September. The closing date for applications to be
received is 16.00 BST on Tuesday 20 October. The scholarships
are for study in the UK beginning in September/October 2027.
CLICK
HERE TO READ MORE AND APPLY
Post a Comment