The Commonwealth of Nations, often simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is an international association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire from which it developed. The chief institutions of the organization are the Commonwealth Secretariat, which focuses on intergovernmental aspects, and the Commonwealth Foundation, which focuses on non-governmental relations among member states. Numerous organizations are associated with and operate within the Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships are for candidates from low and middle-income countries as classified by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), in the Commonwealth, to conduct research at a university in the UK for 12 months.
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) provides the UK government scholarship scheme led by international development objectives. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), 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 upon 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: To widen access to UK equipment and expertise for quality doctoral candidates from Commonwealth countries, and to contribute to UK and Commonwealth higher education and research through collaboration and partnerships.
Intended beneficiaries: High-quality graduates from Least Developed and middle-income countries (including fragile and conflict-affected states) who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK but who have the potential to become influential leaders, teachers, or researchers in their home countries, and whose proposed research has a developmental and leadership focus.
Award duration: 12 months, which can be taken as a single 12-month period or separated into two six-month periods.
Benefits
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 an 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.
- If a Scholar is widowed, divorced, or a single parent, a 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 their children are living with them at the same address in the UK.
Eligibilities
To apply for this scholarship, applicants must:
- Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country.
- Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
- Be registered for a PhD at a university in an eligible Commonwealth country by the time the scholarship starts in September 2024.
- Ensure that an institutional or departmental link exists between the home university and the proposed UK university. This link must be greater than simply a collaboration between individuals – see the section on ‘Tenure and placement’ below for further details. Both supervisors must provide a supporting statement with further details of the link to ensure the application is eligible.
- Be available to start academic study in the UK 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).
- Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
- Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format
Application Process
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.
- 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 on institutional letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details, from a proposed supervisor in the UK from the institution named on the application form.
- A supporting statement, in PDF format, signed and on institutional letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details, from the current supervisor at the home university.
Application Deadline: December 5, 2023
Application ClosedOfficial link
