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Applications are now open for the Commonwealth Split-site (PhD) Scholarships 2025 – 2026, designed for candidates from low and middle-income countries in the Commonwealth.
These scholarships support 12 months of research at a UK university, either as a single period or split into two six-month blocks.
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Purpose of the Scholarship
The Commonwealth Split-site Scholarship aims to:
- Provide access to UK research facilities and expertise for high-quality doctoral candidates from Commonwealth countries.
- Strengthen collaboration and partnerships between UK and Commonwealth institutions.
- Support individuals with the potential to become influential leaders, researchers, or educators in their home countries, with a focus on development and leadership.
Award Duration
- 12 months, taken either as a single period or two six-month periods.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
Citizenship/Residency:
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- Be a citizen of, or granted refugee status by, an eligible Commonwealth country.
- Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
PhD Registration:
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- Be registered for a PhD at a university in an eligible Commonwealth country by the start of the scholarship in September 2025.
Institutional Link:
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- There must be an existing institutional or departmental partnership between the applicant’s home university and the proposed UK university. This must go beyond individual collaborations. Both supervisors (home and UK) must submit supporting statements detailing this link.
Academic Start Date:
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- Be available to begin academic study in the UK in September 2025.
Academic Qualifications:
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- Hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honors, or a lower second-class degree (2:2) with a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree) by September 2025.
Financial Need:
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- Demonstrate the inability to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
Supporting Documentation:
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- Submit all required documents in the prescribed format.
Scholarship Benefits
Recipients of the Commonwealth Split-site Scholarship will receive:
- Airfare: Approved round-trip flights from the Scholar’s home country to the UK.
- Tuition Fees: Full tuition fees are covered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC).
- Stipend:
- £1,378 per month for general living expenses.
- £1,690 per month for Scholars studying at London universities.
- Warm Clothing Allowance: Provided where applicable.
- Study Travel Grant: Support for study-related travel within the UK or overseas.
- Child Allowance:
- £590 per month for the first child.
- £146 per month for the second and third child under 16, for single parents or widowed/divorced Scholars living with their children in the UK.
Application Process
- Applications must be submitted through the CSC Central online application system.
- Deadline: Applications close at 16:00 GMT on Monday, 16 December 2024.
- Ensure all necessary documentation is submitted before the deadline.
Application Deadline: 16 December, 2024.
