How to Apply for Commonwealth Professional Fellowship in UK | Step-by-Step Application Process

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in the UK, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, oversees the UK government's scholarship scheme, which aligns with international development goals.

The Commonwealth Professional Fellowship program targets mid-career professionals from low and middle-income countries, offering them the opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge by spending time with a UK organization related to their field. This fellowship, lasting between six weeks and three months, is set to commence in February 2025.

The CSC seeks to identify outstanding individuals with the potential to drive change. The fellowship is available to citizens of Commonwealth countries; individuals granted refugee status in eligible Commonwealth countries, or British-protected persons. Fellows will receive airfare, visa fees, a monthly stipend, and an arrival allowance.

Please check the eligibility criteria for the scholarship. If you are a perfect candidate according to the eligibility criteria, please follow the step-by-step process to apply for this scholarship.

Eligibility

• An applicant must be a citizen of an eligible country listed below. 
• Have at least five years of full-time or equivalent part-time, relevant work experience.
• Be in employment at the time of application.
• Provide at least two references.

Benefits

• An approved return airfare from a fellow home country to the UK.
• Standard visa application fee reimbursement.
• Stipend (Living Allowance) of £2,057 per month, or £2,553 per month for those at organizations in the London metropolitan area.
• Arrival allowance of up to £1,156.60
• A maximum of £3,000 per fellow can be agreed upon by host organizations for short courses/conferences as well as travel to visit other UK organizations.

Step-by-Step Application Process

Step - 1: First, you will need to visit the official website of Commonwealth Scholarships. 

Step - 2: Then, you will need to click on the "How to Apply" section. 

Step - 3: Then, you will need to click on the "Apply for a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship here" link. 

Step - 4: Next, you will need to click on the "New User" button. 

Step - 5: Here, you will need to provide your email address and set a password. Then, you will need to click on the "Submit" button. 

Step - 6: Here, you will need to select your home country. Then, you will need to click on the "Next" button. 

Step - 7: Here, you will need to choose your preferred programme for fellowship confirm whether your provided email ID is correct or not. You can check the details of the programme, by clicking on the link. Then, you will need to click on the "Next" button. 

Step - 8: Here, you will need to provide details  like name, title, address, country, nationality, gender, and date of birth. After providing all the details, you will need to click on the "Next" button. 

Step - 9: Here, you will need to provide some personal data. Special category data is sensitive personal data, such as information about your health, race, or ethnic origin. The condition for processing the special category data you provide when applying for a Commonwealth Scholarship is for research and statistical purposes. The data will be anonymized when selections are complete. After providing all the details, you will need to click on the "Next" button. 

Step - 10: Here, you will need to provide your academic qualification details. You will need to provide details of the country of the institution, name of the institution, dates attended within the institution, subject, name of the qualification, class of award, and date of award. After providing all the details, you will need to click on the "Next" button. 

Step - 11: Here, you will need to list up to 10 of your publications, including titles of any theses submitted. You should rank them with the first in the list as the publication that you think is most important. For journal articles, list the names and initials of all authors, followed by the year of publication, article title, journal title, volume number, and first and last page numbers. For books, list the names and initials of any editors, place of publication, publisher, and year. If the publication is available online, include the digital object identifier (doi). After providing all the details, you will need to click on the "Next" button. 

Step - 12: Here, you will need to complete full details of your employment history, starting with your current role. You should explain how each job is relevant to the programme that you wish to undertake in the UK. To be eligible, candidates must have at least five years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, relevant work experience in a profession related to the subject of the fellowships programme, by the proposed start of the fellowship – voluntary work experience will not be counted towards this minimum. You can list up to five jobs.

Name and full contact details of your current employer (including the title of the executive head of the organization). Note that this is the person who should provide your first reference and the person whom the commission will contact to complete the follow-up questionnaire after the Fellowship. After providing all the details, you will need to click on the "Next" button. 

Step - 13: The next section is about reference. You are not required to submit references to the CSC at this time. If you are nominated for a professional fellowship, you will be contacted to provide two references at a later date.

One reference will need to be from your current employer. The host organization you are applying to might contact you to request a reference when considering your application.

You will need to click on the "Next" button. 

Step - 14: Here, you will need to select up to three sustainable development goals that relate to your future development impact, starting with the most relevant one.

Step - 15: Commonwealth Scholarships in the UK are funded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). An important selection criterion is the potential contribution that you will make to international development if you are awarded a fellowship. Please provide a development impact statement in 4 parts. In the first part, you should explain the following: 

After providing all the details, you will need to click on the "Next" button.

Step - 16: Here, you will need to give details of your objectives for the fellowship. After providing all the details, you will need to click on the "Next" button. 

Step - 17: Here, you will need to type your personal statement and about your voluntary & leadership experience. After providing all the details, you will need to click on the "Next" button. 

Step - 18: Here, you will need to attach a scan of the page of your passport or national identity card, which has a photograph, by clicking on the "Choose File" button. After attaching, click on the "Next" button. 

Step - 19: Here, you will need to answer some additional questions and provide your confirmation. After providing all the details, you will need to click on the "Next" button. 

Step - 20: If you are confident regarding your provided details and document, then by clicking on the "Next" button, your application will be submitted. 

Conclusion

The Commonwealth Professional Fellowship program by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in the UK offers mid-career professionals from low and middle-income Commonwealth countries an opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge through a six-week to three-month fellowship with a UK organization. To be eligible, applicants must be citizens of eligible countries, have at least five years of relevant work experience, be employed at the time of application, and provide at least two references. Benefits include return airfare, visa fee reimbursement, a monthly stipend, and an arrival allowance. Interested candidates should follow the application process, and successful applicants will be notified by email. For further queries, applicants can contact the authorities via email.