Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2021 in UK (Fully Funded)

Opportunities Circle is bringing another great opportunity Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2021

Applications are open for  for Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2021 in the UK. Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are for candidates from Least Developed Countries and Fragile Commonwealth States to pursue full-time PhD studies at a UK university.

The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is one of the largest and most prestigious international scholarship schemes in the world. Since it was established in 1959, more than 30,000 people have had a Commonwealth scholarship or fellowship; 28,500 of these were funded by the UK government, through the UK Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC).

Here are more details about the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are for candidates from Least Developed Countries and Fragile Commonwealth States to pursue full-time PhD studies at a UK university. Its objective is to contribute to the development needs of Commonwealth countries by supporting research that will have an impact on development. These awards will also enhance individual teaching and research capacity, leading to increased institutional capacity in academic and other sectors in Commonwealth countries and contributing to UK higher education and research by attracting international candidates. high-level and fostering links and collaboration.

Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Commonwealth PhD Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills necessary for sustainable development, and are aimed at those who otherwise they could not afford to study in the UK. These scholarships are offered in six development themes:

• Science and technology for development
• Strengthening health systems and capacity
• Promoting global prosperity
• Strengthening world peace, security and governance
• Building resilience and responding to crises
• Access, inclusion and opportunity

Deadline is January 18, 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Financial coverage: Fully Funded

Eligible Regions: Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Tuvalu, Uganda, Zambia, Bangladesh, Cameroon, The Gambia, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho

Deadline: January 18, 2021

Eligibility Criteria :

To apply for these scholarships, the applicant must:

• Be a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country or have received refugee status or be a British protected person
• Be a permanent resident of an eligible Commonwealth country
• Be available to start academic studies in the UK at the start of the UK academic year in September / October 2021
• By September 2021, have a first degree of at least the upper second-class honors standard (2: 1) or a second-class degree (2: 2) and a relevant postgraduate qualification (a master’s degree)
• NOT be registered for a PhD or MPhil leading to a PhD at a UK university before September 2021
• NOT have started and are currently registered for a PhD, or MPhil leading to a PhD, in the applicant’s home country or elsewhere
• Have the support of a potential supervisor from at least one UK university listed on the application form.
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.
• Not being able to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship

Benefits :

Each scholarship provides:

• Approved airfare from the applicant’s home country to the UK and return at the end of his award (the CSC will not reimburse the cost of fares for dependents, nor the cost of journeys made before the award is confirmed)
• Approved tuition fees
• Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,116 per month, or £1,369 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2020-2021 levels)
• Warm clothing allowance, where applicable
• Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas
• Provision towards the cost of fieldwork undertaken overseas (the cost of one economy class return airfare to fieldwork location), where approved
• Paid mid-term visit (airfare) to home country (unless applicant have claimed (or intend to claim) spouse and/or child allowances during his scholarship, or have received a return airfare to home country for fieldwork)

Family allowances, as follows (rates quoted at 2020-2021 levels):

• If you are accompanied by your spouse but no children: spouse allowance of £240 per month for a maximum period of nine months, if you and your spouse are living together at the same address in the UK (unless your spouse is also in receipt of a scholarship; other conditions also apply)
• If you are accompanied by your spouse and children: spouse allowance of £240 per month and child allowance of £240 per month for the first child, and £118 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if your spouse and children are living with you at the same address in the UK (unless your spouse is also in receipt of a scholarship; other conditions also apply)
• If you are accompanied by your children but no spouse: child allowance of £480 per month for the first child, and £118 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if your children are living with you at the same address in the UK
• If you declare a disability, a full assessment of your needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC.

Application Process:

• You must apply to one of the following nominating bodies in the first instance; The CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships:
• National nominating agencies: this is the main application route
• Selected universities / university bodies, which can nominate their own academic staff
• Non-governmental organizations and selected charities
• All applications must be made through one of these nominating bodies. Each nominating body is responsible for its own selection process and may have additional eligibility criteria. You should check with your nominating body for their specific application advice and rules, your own eligibility criteria, and your own application closing date.
• You must apply using the CSC online application system, in addition to any other applications to be completed by your nominating body. The CSC will not accept applications that are not submitted through the online application system.
• All applications must be submitted with all required fields completed no later than 16:00 (GMT) on January 18, 2021.
• It is recommended that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible as the online application system will be very busy in the days leading up to the application deadline.
• Your application must include all required supporting documentation, before 16:00 (GMT) on February 1, 2021 for your application to be eligible for consideration.
• You should refer to the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2021 terms and conditions for a full list of supporting documentation that must be submitted for your application to be eligible.
• Proof that you are a citizen or have refugee status from an eligible Commonwealth country: a copy of your valid passport (or national identification card) showing your photograph, date of birth and country of citizenship, uploaded into the system of online application
• Complete transcripts detailing all of your higher education qualifications, including updated transcripts for any qualifications you are currently studying (with certified translations if not in English), uploaded to the online application system
• References from at least two people – submitted directly by arbitrators to the online application system (arbitrators will receive an email request to submit online)
• Supporting statement from a proposed UK supervisor from at least one of the institutions named on your application form – submitted directly by your proposed supervisor to the online application system (supervisors will receive an email request to submit online ).
• The CSC will not accept supporting documentation submitted by nominating agencies or outside of the online application system.
• Supporting documentation uploaded to the online application system must be uploaded as files that are no more than 5MB in size and must be in one of the following formats: PDF, .doc, .docx, .odt, .jpg,. jpeg. Files sent in any other format (including Zip files and PDF wallets) will NOT be accepted.