Apply now for the 2023/24 Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships and take the opportunity to study at a different location within the Commonwealth!
Deadline: 2 March 2023
Category: Postgraduate (PhD)
Eligibility: Commonwealth Country
The Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships are funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and are intended to provide access to UK equipment and expertise for high-quality doctoral candidates from low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries. The scholarships offer a 12-month period of study at any approved UK university or higher education institution and is intended for those with a developmental focus in their proposed research, and who have the potential to become influential teachers or researchers in their home countries.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships in 2023/24, prospective scholars must meet the following criteria:
- 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 registered for a PhD at a university in an eligible Commonwealth country by the time the scholarship starts in September 2023
- Ensure that an institutional or departmental link exists between the home university and the proposed UK university, with supporting statements from both supervisors
- Be available to start academic studies in the UK in September 2023
- By September 2023, 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)
- Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship
Note: candidates are not required to take an IELTS English language test, but may be required to provide evidence of English language proficiency by the university.
Eligible countries for the Commonwealth split-site scholarships include:
- Bangladesh
- Belize
- Botswana
- Cameroon
- Dominica
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Gabon
- 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
- Togo
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Vanuatu
- Zambia
Benefits of the Commonwealth split-site scholarships
Each Scholarship provides:
- Approved airfare from home country to UK and return at the end of the award (exclusion: cost of fares for dependants and journeys made before award confirmation)
- Full tuition fees covered by agreement between CSC and UK university, no payment required from scholars
- Stipend (living allowance) at £1,236/month or £1,516/month for those at universities in London metropolitan area
- Warm clothing allowance (if applicable)
- Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within UK or overseas
- Child allowance of £529/month for first child and £131/month for second and third child under 16 (if accompanied by children and living at the same address in UK)
Selection process
Applications will be considered based on:
Applications will be considered based on:
- Academic merit of candidate
- Quality of plan of study
- Potential impact on development of candidate’s home country.
Supporting Documents
In order for an application to be considered, it must include all necessary supporting documentation. Candidates are required to gather references and supporting statements from referees and proposed supervisors in the UK, which must be on institution letterhead or an email that clearly displays the sender’s information. These references and statements should be uploaded to the application system in PDF format along with any other supporting documentation. This is different from previous years when referees and supervisors were sent separate emails requesting references and statements. All references and statements must be uploaded to the application system by the deadline and no other form of submission will be accepted.
List of Required Documents:
- Proof of citizenship or refugee status in an eligible Commonwealth country
- Transcripts detailing higher education qualifications
- References from at least two individuals on institutional letterhead
- Supporting statement on institutional letterhead from a proposed supervisor in the UK from at least one of the institutions named on the application form
- Supporting statement on institutional letterhead from the current supervisor at the home university
- University admissions letter (optional)
Note:If any of the required documentation is not provided by the closing date, the application will be considered ineligible.
The CSC will not accept any supporting documentation submitted by nominating agencies or outside the online application system.
The CSC does not charge candidates to apply for scholarships or fellowships, nor does it charge organizations to nominate candidates.
How to Apply
To apply, candidates must use the CSC’s online application system and apply to study at a UK university that has a partial funding agreement with the CSC.
A list of universities that have agreed to partially fund these scholarships can be found on the CSC website. It is recommended that candidates submit their applications as early as possible as the online application system may become very busy in the days leading up to the deadline.
