Commonwealth SPLIT-SITE PhD Scholarships

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Funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Commonwealth Split-site 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. They offer PhD scholars studying at eligible universities across the Commonwealth the opportunity to conduct research at an institute in the UK for 12 months.

Candidate eligibility

To apply for the Commonwealth SPLIT-SITE PhD scholarships, prospective Scholars 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 registered for a PhD at a university in an eligible Commonwealth country by the time your Scholarship starts (September 2023).
• Ensure that an institutional or departmental link exists between your home university and your proposed UK university. This link must be greater than simply a collaboration between individuals – see section on ‘Tenure and placement’ for further details. Both supervisors must provide a supporting statement which provides further details of the link to ensure your application is eligible.
• Be available to start your 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.

Eligible countries for the Commonwealth SPLIT-SITE PhD scholarships

Please note that only candidates from the eligible countries listed below can apply for Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships in 2023/24 :  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.

Financial assistance

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 dependents, nor the cost of journeys made before your award is confirmed)
• Approved tuition fees: full fees are covered by 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 £1,236 per month, or £1,516 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 you are widowed, divorced, or a single parent, child allowance of £529 per month for the first child, and £131 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if you are accompanied by your children and they are living with you at the same address in the UK

Eligible Universities

The following universities currently have partial funding agreements with the Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme:

How to apply?

Applications for the Commonwealth SPLIT-SITE PhD scholarships must be made using the CSC’s online application system.

Candidates must apply to study at a UK university which has a part funding agreement with the CSC.

Candidates must upload the following documents with their application:

• Proof that the applicant is a citizen or has 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
• 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

The closing date for applications, including all supporting documentation, is 2 March 2023 at 16:00 GMT.

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