Spotlight On: Commonwealth PhD Scholarships

The UK offers some great international research opportunities, but finding funding for them can be a little trickier. As someone who spends a lot of time talking to overseas students as part of the funding advice service at our PhD study events, I hear first-hand how difficult things can be.

But that doesn't mean that international PhD funding is impossible to find. In fact, one of the UK's most generous (and prestigious) awards is accepting applications right now.

The Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are awarded by the UK Department for International Development specifically for international students who want to make a difference in their home country.

You'll need to apply soon if you're looking to enter this year's competition (the deadline is 19 December) but this blog is here to help with that. I've summarised the main details for the scholarships below and also put together a few tips for your application.

The Commonwealth Scholarships provide full funding for your PhD. They pay the tuition fees for your project or programme, plus:

• A living allowance of £1,084 per month (£1,330 in London)
• Airfare to and from the UK at the beginning and end of your PhD as well as once during your project
• Funding for research fieldwork required for your PhD, including necessary international travel

Money is also be available to help you purchase warm clothes (the weather here in the UK is famously unpredictable!).

Once you graduate you'll be part of the Commonwealth Scholars alumni network, with opportunities to join local associations and share in their reputation and connections.

The scholarships are open to applicants from 42 different Commonwealth countries.

You must be resident in your home country when you apply (not the UK) and you must not already be able to afford to come to the UK and study a PhD through your own means.

You must also be applying to begin a new PhD (you can't already have begun a PhD in the UK or your home country).

Academic requirements

The Commonwealth Scholarships are intended to support the most promising international students. To prove you're one of them, you'll need to have a strong academic record and a promising PhD plan:

• You'll need to hold a Bachelors degree with a 2.1 or higher (or the equivalent in your home country). Your application may also be strengthened by a relevant Masters degree.
• You'll also need to have a clear plan and research proposal for your PhD, ideally showing how your work will benefit the development of your home country.

The Commonwealth PhD Scholarships I'm covering in this blog are only for students who want to study in the UK (other support may be available if you want to study within your home country).

This means you'll need to be beginning a UK PhD degree in September / October 2019. Your PhD must also be a full-time programme, lasting up to three years. An exception may apply if you will be studying within a Doctoral Training Centre or Centre for Doctoral Training, in which case your PhD can last for four years.

Only universities that participate in the Commonwealth Scholarship scheme can host Commonwealth PhD Scholars.

The scholarships are organised by the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission (CSC). But you don't actually apply directly to the CSC or your university for funding. Instead you apply to a nominating agency in your home country. Normally this will be your own Ministry of Education (or similar).

Once you've been nominated by your agency you should make your own application online. You'll need to do this by 19 December 2018 for scholarships in 2019 so it's a good idea to start soon if you haven't already. Applications for 2020 scholarships will open next year (we'll tell you when they do).

You can nominate up to three universities and / or supervisors for your PhD, but you will need to give an order of preference for your choices and explain your reasons for them.

Supporting materials

Your application will need some supporting materials, but you have a little bit longer to put these together. You'll need to provide the following by 4 January 2019 if you're applying for the current round of scholarships:

• Proof of citizenship (demonstrating that you are a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country, or have refugee status there)
• Academic transcripts for your previous degree/s (these will need to be translated into English)
• Two references (your referees will need to upload these themselves, so make sure you give them plenty of time)
• A supporting statement from a supervisor at at least one of the potential universities you have selected for your PhD (read our advice for contacting PhD supervisors)

This is just a quick summary of the main application process. I'd suggest you also read the full details on the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission website.

Next steps

The CSC will review all eligible applications and shortlist for interviews in 2019.

It won't surprise you to learn that the Commonwealth Scholarships are competitively awarded, but that shouldn't put you off. Like other parts of your PhD application, this is under your control and you're ready for the challenge. There are also some simple things you can do to increase your chances of success:

#1 Understand what this funding is for

The Commonwealth Scholarships aren't just about you and your PhD. Sure, they'll provide generous funding and you'll (hopefully!) have a UK doctorate at the end of the scholarship. But one of the most important things (as far as the CSC is concerned) is what comes next.

The scholarships are there to help with the development of your home country. There are six themes for this and it's worth thinking about them before you apply:

1. Science and technology for development
2. Strengthening health systems and capacity
3. Promoting global prosperity
4. Strengthening global peace, security and governance
5. Strengthening resilience and response to crisis
6. Access, inclusion and opportunity

Which of these does your PhD project fit into, and how? If you can demonstrate the potential impact of your research in a way that matters to the CSC, your application will be much stronger.

#2 Get help from your supervisor

You'll need at least one prospective supervisor to support your scholarship application. They'll provide a separate statement about your research, but they may also be able to help with your own part of the application.

Perhaps they can see a way to emphasise the value of your research to the CSC's themes, above? Or maybe they have time to give your research proposal a quick read over and suggest improvements? It's worth asking.

#3 Be clear about eligibility

You can only apply for a Commonwealth PhD Scholarship as a citizen of certain countries, looking to study at certain universities. Both categories are actually quite broad, but it's worth double-checking them (you can use the lists above). An application that isn't eligible isn't going to be successful.

#4 Look at alumni

Want to know what a winning Commonwealth Scholarship application looks like? Take a look at some previous Commonwealth Scholars. The topics they've studied and the careers they've gone on to will help you decide what to focus on and emphasise.

Most alumni associations have their own websites and networks.

#5 Think carefully about your choice of universities

You can nominate up to three universities for your scholarship application. This gives you some flexibility, but it's still important to make your choice carefully. If you successfully make it to the interview stage for your application, you could be asked why you've chosen specific universities or why you've placed them in a certain order. It's a good idea to be able to answer that.

#6 Don't use unofficial application services

The CSC won't charge any fees to process your application and there's no need to go through any third-party websites. In fact, you should be wary of any service offering to provide paid coaching or application support. Chances are it isn't official and you probably don't need it.

#7 Be realistic about your chances

You're probably used to competitive applications by now and I'm afraid the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are no different. The CSC processes around three times as many applications as it can award scholarships, which means your chances of success are roughly one-in-three.

Still, that's not actually a bad chance when compared to some other funding options. There's also a lot you can do to tailor your application to the CSC's goals.

So, don't rely on the Commonwealth Scholarship as your only option for international PhD funding. But don't be put off applying just because success isn't guaranteed.

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