Candidates who meet the requirements and are interested in the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2023/24 are encouraged to submit an application. Candidates pursuing PhD study at a university in the United Kingdom who are citizens of Commonwealth nations that are considered to be among the least developed or fragile are eligible for Commonwealth scholarships.
Commonwealth PhD scholarships are provided by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and they contribute to the development requirements of Commonwealth countries by sponsoring research that will have an impact on development.
Sponsor(s) of this Scholarship: United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO)
Type of Scholarship: Funding Provided in Full
Host Institution(s): Universities in the United Kingdom
Scholarship Value: Please See the Benefits of Applying for Scholarships (below)
The number of awards has been quite a few.
The level of study is postgraduate (PhD)
Countries of the Commonwealth are People’s Nationalities
Scholarships for Doctoral Studies Offered by the Commonwealth 2023–2024 | Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must demonstrate that they meet each of the following criteria in order to be considered for the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2023/24:
Applicants must either be citizens of one of the eligible Commonwealth countries, have been awarded refugee status by one of those countries, or be British protected persons.
Be a citizen or permanent resident of a Commonwealth nation that is eligible for membership.
You must be ready to begin your academic studies in the United Kingdom no later than September 2023, the beginning of the UK academic year.
Be in possession of a first degree with an honors level of at least upper second class (2:1) by September 2023, or be in possession of a second class degree (2:2) plus a suitable postgraduate certificate (often a Master’s degree).
NOT be enrolled in a PhD or an MPhil program that leads to a PhD at an institution in the United Kingdom (UK) or in your native country prior to September or October of 2023.
Without this scholarship, you would not be able to afford the cost of studying in the UK.
Have delivered all of the necessary supporting documentation in the format that was requested
Rewards for Scholarship Attendance
Flights from your home nation to the United Kingdom and back to your home country at the conclusion of your award (the CSC will not reimburse the cost of fares for dependants, nor the cost of journeys made before your award is confirmed).
Approved tuition fees: all fees are paid for as a result of an agreement reached between the CSC and the UK university. Scholars are not responsible for paying any portion of the tuition charge.
A stipend (sometimes known as a living allowance) at the rate of £1,236 per month, or £1,516 per month for those attending universities in the London metropolitan region (rates quoted at current levels).
Allowance for the use of warm clothing in instances where it is applicable.
A grant to assist with the financial burden of study-related travel inside the United Kingdom or anywhere else in the world.
When authorized, a contribution will be made toward the cost of fieldwork that is carried out in a foreign country (the cost of one round-trip ticket in economy class to your fieldwork location).
Unless you have claimed or intend to claim spouse and/or child allowances during your scholarship, or unless you have received a return ticket to your home country for fieldwork, you are eligible to receive a paid mid-term visit (airfare) to your home country.
Allowances given to families, broken down as follows (rates cited at current levels):
You are eligible for a spouse allowance of £266 per month for a maximum length of nine months if you and your spouse are living together at the same address in the UK. This is the case if you are accompanied by your spouse but do not have any children (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 £266 per month and child allowance of £266 per month for the first child, and £131 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: spouse allowance of £266 per month and child allowance of £266 per month for the first child, and if your spouse and children are living with you at the same address in the UK: child allowance of £131 per (unless your spouse is also in receipt of a scholarship; other conditions also apply).
You are eligible for a child allowance of £529 per month for the first child, and £131 per month for the second and third children under the age of 16, if your children are living with you at the same address in the UK. If you are accompanied by your children but do not have a spouse, you are eligible for this allowance.
Procedures for Making Applications
Instructions for Applying: Those who are interested in applying for the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2023/24 are required to submit an online application through the online application mechanism provided by the CSC. Candidates are required to submit their applications to both the Commission on the Status of Women and one of the nominating agencies listed below. After that, applicants will be put forward to the CSC by the nominating agencies.
The most common way to submit an application is through national nominating agencies.
Certain universities and university organisations, each of which may put up nominations for members of their own academic faculty
select philanthropic organizations and non-governmental organizations.
Every nominating organization is in charge of its own selection procedure and may implement extra qualifying requirements. Candidates are required to verify with the agency that is doing the nomination for their specific guidance and application regulations, as well as their own eligibility requirements. It is up to the nominating agencies to determine when they will stop accepting applications.
Documentation to Back It Up:
Documentation demonstrating that the applicant is a citizen of, or has refugee status in, a Commonwealth nation meeting the eligibility requirements: a photocopy of a current passport (or other government-issued photo identification) that includes the bearer’s photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship
Full transcripts that detail all higher education degrees, including up-to-date transcripts for any courses that are presently being studied, and certified translations if the documents are not in English are required.
References from at least two different people, printed on letterhead from the institution
Statement of support written on the letterhead of the institution from a potential supervisor in the UK, which must come from at least one of the universities listed on the application form.
The application deadline is on October 18 at 16:00 Global Standard Time in 2022.
