Commonwealth PhD Scholarships Low and Middle Incomes Countries 2019
Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are for candidates from low and middle income Commonwealth countries, for full-time doctoral study at a UK university. Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Commonwealth PhD Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development, and are aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.
Purpose: To enhance individual teaching and research capacity leading to increased institutional capacity in academic and other sectors in Commonwealth countries, and to contribute to UK higher education and research by attracting high-calibre international candidates and encouraging links and collaboration.
Intended beneficiaries: High-quality graduates who have the potential to become influential leaders, teachers, or researchers in their home countries, and whose proposed research topic has been described to the satisfaction of the selection committee as having a developmental and leadership focus.
ELIGIBILITY
To apply for these scholarships, you 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 your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September/October 2019
By October 2019, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) honours standard, or a 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 before September/October 2019
NOT have commenced and be currently registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, in your home country or elsewhere
Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship
The CSC aims to identify talented individuals who have the potential to make change. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and non-discrimination, and encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates. For further information on the support available to candidates with a disability, see the CSC disability support statement at
http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/csc-disability-support-statement
ELIGIBLE COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES
Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, The Gambia, 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, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia
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 (rates quoted at 2018-2019 levels)
Warm clothing allowance, where applicable
Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas
Provision towards the cost of fieldwork undertaken overseas (usually the cost of one economy class return airfare to your fieldwork location), where approved
Paid mid-term visit (airfare) to your home country (unless you have claimed (or intend to claim) spouse and/or child allowances during your scholarship, or have received a return airfare to your home country for fieldwork)
Family allowances, as follows (rates quoted at 2018-2019 levels):
- If you are accompanied by your spouse but no children: spouse allowance of £233 per month for a maximum period of nine months, if you and your spouse are living together at the same address in the UK (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 £233 per month and child allowance of £233 per month for the first child, and £114 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 (unless your spouse is also in receipt of a scholarship; other conditions also apply)
- If you are accompanied by your children but no spouse: 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 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.
For more information, see the current Handbook for Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows, available at http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/award-holders/handbook-forms
Please note that the conditions outlined in the Handbook are subject to change.
HOW TO APPLY
You should apply to study at a UK university which has a part funding agreement with the CSC. Part funding agreements are at the discretion of individual universities. For a list of universities that have agreed to part fund Commonwealth Scholarships, visit http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/uk-universities/part-funding/
You must apply to one of the following nominating bodies in the first instance - the CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships:
National nominating agencies - this is the main route of application. For a full list including contact details, visit http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/national-nominating-agencies
Selected universities/university bodies, which can nominate their own academic staff. For a full list, visit http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/phd-scholarships-low-middle-income-countries/nominating-universities
Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies. For a full list, visit http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/phd-scholarships-low-middle-income-countries/nominating-ngos
All applications must be made through one of the listed nominating bodies. Each nominating body is responsible for its own selection process and may have additional eligibility criteria. You must check with your nominating body for their specific advice and rules for applying, and for their own closing date for applications.
You must make your application using the CSC's online application system, in addition to any other application that you are required to complete by your nominating body. The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the online application system. Information on how to use the online application system, is available at http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/phd-scholarships-low-middle-income-countries
All applications must be submitted by 16:00 (GMT) on 19 December 2018 at the latest.
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.
Your application must include the following supporting documentation by 16:00 (GMT) on 4 January 2019 in order for your application to be eligible for consideration:
Proof of citizenship or refugee status - 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
References from at least two individuals - submitted directly by the referees to the online application system (referees will be sent an email request)
Supporting statement from a proposed supervisor in the UK from at least one of the institutions named on your application form - submitted directly by your proposed supervisor to the online application system (supervisors will be sent an email request).
The CSC will not accept supporting documentation submitted by nominating agencies or outside the online application system.
Supporting documentation uploaded to the online application system must be uploaded as files which are no more than 5 MB in size and must be in one of the following formats: PDF, .doc, .docx, .odt, .jpg, .jpeg. Files submitted in any other format (including Zip files and PDF Portfolios) will NOT be accepted.
Awards offered by the CSC are subject to the ongoing endorsement of the nominating body. The CSC cannot accept nominations for these scholarships from other organisations or applications directly from individuals; such applications will not be acknowledged.
SELECTION PROCESS
Each year, the CSC invites each nominating body to submit a specific number of nominations. The deadline for nominating bodies to submit nominations to the CSC is
25 January 2019.
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
For further details, see the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2019 selection criteria at
http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/phd-scholarships-low-middle-income-countries