The Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships for commonwealth countries is now out for 2023, and applicants who are interested can now apply.
In this article we would be looking at Commonwealth Split-site PhD Scholarships 2023.
Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships, funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), enable outstanding and motivated students to achieve the knowledge and skills essential for sustainable development and are aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.
They provide PhD scholars from Commonwealth universities with the opportunity to research at a UK institute for 12 months. Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships are offered under six CSC Development themes.
The closing date for applications, including all supporting documentation, is 2 March 2023 at 16:00 GMT.
Commonwealth Split-Site Scholarships Theme
These scholarships are offered under six themes:
- Science and technology for development
- Strengthening health systems and capacity
- Promoting global prosperity
- Strengthening global peace, security and governance
- Strengthening resilience and response to crises
- Access, inclusion and opportunity
Commonwealth Split-Site Scholarships Eligibility
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 prthats 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 Commonwealth countries:
- Banglades
- Beliz
- 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
Commonwealth Split-Site Scholarships Value
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 dependants, 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 them
Commonwealth Split-Site Scholarships Selection Criteria
Applications will be considered according to the following selection criteria:
- Academic merit of the candidate
- Quality of the research proposal
- Potential impact on the development of the candidate’s home country
How to Apply for Commonwealth Split-Site PhD Scholarships
In the application form (click here for the form), candidates are asked to:
List all undergraduate and postgraduate university qualifications obtained
List up to 10 publications and prizes
Provide details of employment history and explain how each job is relevant to the programme to be undertaken in the UK
Provide a statement on how previous work experience is relevant to the proposed Scholarship
List names and positions of three referees who are qualified to comment on both the candidate’s capacity to benefit from the proposed Scholarship in the UK and the candidate’s ability to deliver development impact afterwards. One of your referees must be a current employer (if applicable)
Provide a Development Impact statement in 4 parts.
I hope you find this article helpful as well as interesting.
