If you are interested and a suitably qualified candidate, you can apply for the Commonwealth Split-site PhD Scholarships to study in the UK. The Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships are for PhD candidates from low and middle-income Commonwealth countries, to spend up to 12 months at a UK university as part of their doctoral studies in their home country.
Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development. They are aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.
These scholarships are offered under six 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
Scholarship Value
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 the cost of journeys made before your award is confirmed)
- Approved tuition fees
- Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,084 per month, or £1,330 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area.
- Warm clothing allowance, where applicable
- Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas
- If you are widowed, divorced, or a single parent, a child allowance of £465 per month for the first child, and £114 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16 if your children accompany you and they are living with you at the same address in the UK
The CSC’s family allowances are intended to be only a contribution towards the cost of maintaining your family in the UK. The true costs are likely to be considerably higher, and you must be able to supplement these allowances in order to support any family members who come to the UK with you.
Commonwealth Split-Site PhD Scholarships Eligibility
These scholarships are for:
- Applicants who are citizens of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
- 12 months of study at a UK university as part of an applicant’s doctoral studies in their home country, starting in October 2019
- Applicants who are registered (or will be registered by September 2019) for a PhD at a university in an eligible Commonwealth country
- Study at a UK university with which your home university has an established institutional or departmental link.
- Study at a UK university which has a part funding agreement with the CSC
Eligible Commonwealth Countries
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bangladesh
- Belize
- Botswana
- Cameroon
- Dominica
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guyana
- India
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Mauritius
- Montserrat
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- St Helena
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- Sierra Leone
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- The Gambia
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Vanuatu
- Zambia
Selection Criteria
Just like the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships, Eligible applications will be considered firstly by an academic adviser with expertise in the subject area concerned, and then by the CSC selection committee in competition with other candidates.
Applications will be considered according to the following selection criteria:
- Academic merit of the candidate
- Quality of the research proposal
- Potential impact of the work on the development of the candidate’s home country
How To Apply For Commonwealth Split-Site PhD Scholarships
- You must make your application directly to the CSC using the CSC’s online application system. The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the online application system. You are not required to apply via a nominating body for these scholarships.
- Only one application per applicant for these scholarships will be accepted.
- 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.
- 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
- Full transcripts detailing all your higher education qualifications (with certified translations if not in English) – uploaded to the online application system
- Supporting statement from your supervisor at your home country university, highlighting current institutional links submitted directly by your supervisor to the online application system (supervisors will be sent an email request).
- Supporting statement from your proposed supervisor at a UK university, highlighting current institutional links submitted directly by your supervisor to the online application system (supervisors will be sent an email request).
- Reference from at least one other individual – submitted directly by the referee to the online application system (referees will be sent an email request)
The CSC will not accept supporting documentation submitted outside the online application system.
For more information, visit the Commonwealth Split-site Website.
