The Fully Funded Commonwealth Split-site PhD Scholarships in UK are open to all internationals who want to pursue a Ph.D. degree. It enables talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development. It is aimed at those who could not 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. The purpose of this scholarship is to widen access to UK equipment and expertise for high-quality doctoral candidates from low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries and to contribute to UK and Commonwealth higher education and research through collaboration and partnerships.

The benefits of the Fully Funded Commonwealth Split-site PhD Scholarships in UK are:

1. 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)

2. 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

3. 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)

4. Warm clothing allowance, where applicable

5. Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas

6. If you are widowed, divorced, or a single parent, a 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 your children accompany you, and they are living with you at the same address in the UK.

The eligibility criteria for the Fully Funded Commonwealth Split-site PhD Scholarships in UK are stated below:

1. Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country or be a British Protected Person

2. Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country

3. Be registered for a PhD at a university in an eligible Commonwealth country by the time your Scholarship starts (September 2023)

4. Ensure 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 the section on ‘Tenure and placement’ for further details. Both supervisors must provide a supporting statement with further link details to ensure your application is eligible.

5. Be available to start your academic studies in the UK in September 2023

6. By September 2023, 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)

7. Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship