Commonwealth PhD Scholarships for Least Developed Countries and Vulnerable States

About the opportunity

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and contribute to the development needs of Commonwealth countries by supporting research that will have a developmental impact. They enhance individual teaching and research capacity, leading to increased institutional capacity in academic and other sectors. These scholarships are aimed at 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, and who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.

Funding and benefits

• Approved airfare from the Scholar's home country to the UK and return at the end of the award
• Approved full tuition fees covered by agreement between the CSC and the UK university
• 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
• Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas
• Provision towards the cost of fieldwork undertaken overseas, including one economy class return airfare
• Paid mid-term visit airfare to the Scholar's home country, under specific conditions
• Family allowances where applicable, including spouse and child allowances
• Additional financial support assessment for scholars who share that they have a disability

Who can apply?

• 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
• 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), or be considered via contextualised nomination if disabled
• Not be registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, at a UK university or in the 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
• Be a national/resident of an eligible country: Bangladesh, The Gambia, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, or Zambia

Required documents

• Proof of citizenship or 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 courses currently being studied, with certified translations if not in English
• 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 named institution

When to apply

• Applications for the 2027/28 academic year open on Tuesday 8 September 2026
• The closing date for applications to be received is 16.00 BST on Tuesday 20 October 2026
• Participating nominators may set their own closing dates and will nominate candidates to the CSC in December 2026
• Applicants can expect to hear the outcome of their applications by July 2027

How to apply

• Apply to a participating nominator (such as a national nominating agency or selected non-governmental organisation/charitable body), as the CSC does not accept direct applications
• Apply for admission to preferred UK universities in advance of the scholarship application
• Submit the application using the online application system, CSC Central
• Upload all required supporting documentation, references, and UK supervisor supporting statements in PDF format via CSC Central by the deadline

Additional information

• Applicants must list three universities and supervisors in order of preference and explain their reasons
• All Commonwealth Scholars commit to returning home following the end of their scholarships to contribute to the development of their home countries
• The scholarship tenure is for 36 months of full-time study only and does not support four-year PhDs