Federal Ministry of Education Commonwealth Ph.D (Fellowship) Scholarship 2024 / 2025

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom (CSC) administers the UK government’s scholarship program, which is guided by international development objectives. It operates within the framework of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) and serves as a vivid example of the United Kingdom’s long-standing commitment to the Commonwealth.

Applications are being accepted from suitably qualified candidates for:

Title: Federal Ministry of Education Commonwealth Ph.D (Fellowship) Scholarship 2024 / 2025

Overview

• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are for applicants from least developed countries and vulnerable states, as classified by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), in the Commonwealth, for full-time doctoral study at a UK university.
• The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) provides the UK government scholarship scheme led by international development objectives.
• It operates within the framework of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) and offers a vivid demonstration of the UK’s enduring commitment to the Commonwealth.
• By attracting individuals with outstanding talent and identifiable potential from all backgrounds and supporting them to become leaders and innovators on returning to their home countries, the CSC’s work combines sustainable development with the UK national interest and provides opportunities for international partnerships and collaboration.

Purpose

• Commonwealth PhD scholarships, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), help Commonwealth countries meet their development needs by supporting research with a developmental impact.
• They also improve individual teaching and research capacity, resulting in increased institutional capacity in academic and other sectors in Commonwealth countries, and will benefit UK higher education and research by attracting high-calibre international applicants and encouraging links and collaboration, with a focus on those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.

Targeted recipients

• Commonwealth PhD scholarships are intended for high-achieving graduates with the potential to conduct world-class developmental research and become influential leaders, teachers, or researchers in their home countries.

Applicant Eligibility
To qualify for this scholarship, applicants must:

• Be a citizen or refugee of an eligible Commonwealth country, or a British Protected Person.
• Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
• Be available to start academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2025.
• By September 2025, 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)*.
• Not be registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, at a UK university or in their home country before September/October 2025.
• Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.
• *The CSC recognises that disabled people have often faced and overcome challenges or barriers in their education journey which have prevented them achieving the academic requirement for a Commonwealth Scholarship.
• Disabled applicants who can demonstrate their potential to contribute to international development but who do not hold a 2:1 Undergraduate degree may be considered for a contextualised nomination through the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum (CDPF) nominator. For more information, please contact CDPF directly using the details on our NGOs and charitable body nominators page.
• The CSC aims to identify talented individuals who have the potential to make change. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and non-discrimination and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants. For further information on the support available to scholars who share that they have a disability, see the CSC disability support statement.
• There is no age limit for CSC applications. Applicants are advised to confirm with their employers any age restrictions on leave entitlement they may have in place.

Selection Process and Criteria
Applications will be considered according to the following selection criteria:

• Academic merit
• Quality of research proposal
• Potential impact on the development of the candidate’s home country.

Tenure and Placement

• Scholarships are tenable at any approved UK university or higher education institution with which the CSC has a part-funding agreement for a specific programme of research for 36 months of full-time study only. For the full list, see here: cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/uk-universities
• Scholarships are to obtain one degree; funding will not be extended to enable candidates to complete a qualification in addition to or higher than that for which the selection was made.
• Scholarships are made in respect of full-time study only and no other course of study may be undertaken at the same time.
• The CSC does not support four-year PhDs. 
• The CSC does not provide new direct financial or promotional support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas, defined as the extraction, production, transportation, refining and marketing of crude oil, natural gas or thermal coal, as well as any fossil-fuel fired power plants.
• Applicants must make clear in the application which qualification they are applying for. This will enable the CSC to consider the application in the correct category. Applications which do not make this clear may be considered ineligible.
• Applicants are advised to list three universities and supervisors that they think are the most appropriate for their study, in order of preference, and to explain their reasons. This is important because the CSC will not change the university or supervisor (or the order of preference) of a provisionally selected candidate after the point of selection, unless exceptional information becomes available that could not have been foreseen at the time of application.
• The CSC will make the final decision on institution of study, and reserves the right to overrule any preferences indicated by the candidate.
• The CSC will consider the suitability of the course and its value for money when deciding on any overrule.
• Applicants must take the necessary steps to apply for admission to their preferred universities in advance of their scholarship application. Many courses have strict admission deadlines and candidates should check admission requirements carefully when applying.
• If an applicant is selected for a scholarship and has not applied and been accepted for a course, it may not be possible to proceed with the scholarship.
• Applicants must provide a supporting statement for a named supervisor from at least one of the UK universities to which they are applying. Details of what the supporting statement should include are outlined in the supporting documentation section.
• Applicants are strongly advised to provide a supporting statement from a supervisor at the first choice university. If not, the CSC reserves the right to select for placement at another university for whiech a statement is provided.

General Conditions

• A Commonwealth Scholarship covers fees, approved fares, and personal maintenance. Other scholarships, awards, or bursaries that cover the same costs may not be held concurrently.
• For the CSC to administer the application effectively and efficiently after submission, it will be necessary to create a record in the applicant’s name. If they apply for an award to the CSC, their details will be kept on file. Basic anonymised demographic data for all applicants will be kept for analytical research. The CSC is committed to protecting personal information and to being transparent about the information we are collecting about applicants and what we do with it. To find out more, see our privacy notice.
• Applicant’s personal information will be used to conduct necessary due diligence checks to CSC’s satisfaction, before CSC proceeds with any type of formal agreement or contractual relationship. In most cases, the due diligence checks will be straightforward, however further information may be requested, so we ask for full co-operation to speed up the process.
• If an applicant does not agree to personal data being used for the purpose of conducting due diligence, unfortunately CSC will not be able to proceed further with the application process.
• If an application is successful, the CSC will notify the applicant that they have been provisionally selected (selected for an award subject to the CSC agreeing terms of admission to the university) at which point they will be a provisional scholarship candidate.
• The CSC does not require any applicants to take an IELTS (English language) test.
• The CSC will not be able to offer a scholarship if it would contravene the terms and conditions of another scholarship previously held.
• When terms of admission to the university have been agreed, the CSC will provide a Notification of Award (formal offer of a scholarship).
• When all conditions of the Notification of Award have been met, the CSC will provide a formal Confirmation of Award.
• Candidates will be required to submit a Health and Disability Form before the Confirmation of Award can be issued.

• Candidates are expected to start the award on the date stated in the Notification of Award.
• If a candidate requires a Student visa to come to the UK to study, they must meet all relevant immigration requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration. They should check the GOV.UK website for updated information.
• All UK immigration regulations are set by UK Visas and Immigration and are subject to change. The CSC has no control over these regulations.
• Candidates will be selected for an award based on the plan of study outlined on the application form, which is not expected to change significantly during the award. Any such changes must be agreed by the CSC.
• Throughout their award, Scholars are expected to reside in the UK, and must seek approval from the CSC in advance of any overseas travel.
• Scholars must not undertake paid employment during the award without approval from the CSC in advance.
• Collaboration is a feature of doctoral research. The CSC expects that participants in collaborative projects will develop a collaborative agreement to clarify the contributions and rights of each partner. The CSC will not get involved in negotiating an exploitation agreement but will need to be assured that an arrangement acceptable to all parties exists. Arrangements should be made to identify, protect, and value any arising intellectual property and to secure a suitable return to the institution and the investigators through exploitation. The CSC considers the intellectual property ownership to lie initially with the student; however, many universities have their own locally applicable policy. In many cases, it is in the best interest of a student for ownership to be vested with the university, which will have greater negotiating powers and will be likely to be able to seek the best returns in any exploitation agreement. Award holders are expected to notify the CSC when CSC-funded intellectual property is exploited.
• The CSC will consider a request to extend a Scholar’s leave to remain in the UK after their award only if they wish to move from Master’s to PhD study. Strict conditions will apply.
• The CSC cannot provide a letter of support or permission for Scholars to remain in or return to the UK after the award to enable them to work or undertake postdoctoral study.
• The following are not eligible to apply for a Commonwealth Scholarship or Fellowship; an employee, a former employee, or relative of an employee of the Government of the United Kingdom; or a staff member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities or the British Council; or a Commonwealth Scholarship Commissioner, former Commonwealth Scholarship Commissioner or a relative of a Commonwealth Scholarship Commissioner. Former employees of the organisations listed above are eligible to apply three years after ceasing their employment with them.
• In line with the UK Bribery Act 2010, any applicant convicted of bribery will be banned from reapplying for a Commonwealth Scholarship or Fellowship for a period of up to five years.
• Applicants are expected to adhere to the CSC’s Code of Conduct for award holders and the Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.
• An award may be terminated at any time for reasons of unsatisfactory conduct, progress, or attendance, or if registration is suspended or terminated by the university for any reason.
• The CSC is committed to administering and managing its scholarships and fellowships in a fair and transparent manner. For more information, see the CSC Anti-Fraud Policy and Procedure at and the FCDO guidance on reporting fraud.
• The CSC is committed proactively to safeguard and promote the welfare of our beneficiaries, and to protect its staff, Commissioners, beneficiaries and all those with whom the CSC comes into contact. The CSC requires staff, members of the Commission, applicants for and recipients of CSC awards and suppliers to act consistently with its requirements for safeguarding. Applicants should note the CSC Safeguarding Policy which sets out the obligation for staff, members of the Commission, applicants for and recipients of CSC awards and suppliers to act consistently with its requirements for safeguarding. Any safeguarding concerns should be reported to the Commission at: csc.safeguarding@cscuk.org.uk
• All conditions of award are subject to UK local law and practices and are subject to change by the CSC.
• For more information, see the current Handbook for Commonwealth Scholars. Please note that the conditions outlined in the Handbook are subject to change.
• Application Closing Date
• 15th October, 2024 (15:00 GMT).
• Method of Application
• Interested and qualified candidates should:
• Click here to start your application
• Application Instructions
• Applications to the CSC must be made using the CSC’s online application system.
• The CSC is unable to accept any applications or documentation not submitted via the online application system.
• Applicants are advised to complete and submit applications as early as possible, as the online application system will be very busy in the days leading up to the application deadline.
• As well as applying to the CSC, applicants must apply to a nominator.
• There are two types of nominator invited to participate in the Master’s scholarship programme:
  • National nominating agencies – this is the main route of application.
  • Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies.
• Participating nominators put forward an agreed number of candidates to the CSC for consideration. The CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships. 
• Each nominator oversees its own selection process and may have additional eligibility criteria. Applicants must check with the nominator for their specific advice and rules for applying, and their own eligibility criteria.  
• Nominators may set their own closing dates for applications. They will nominate candidates to the CSC by December 2024.
• Selections are made from the pool of nominations. Candidates are asked to note that a nomination is no guarantee of selection.  
• Applicants can expect to hear the outcome of their applications by July 2025. We will contact all applicants by email and they should ensure all folders of their email accounts are monitored, including junk mail and spam folders.
• A scholarship offer may be withdrawn if a candidate is emailed but does not respond within a specified time.
• ….Note
• For more information, contact the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria via: fsb@education.gov.ng