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University of Leeds

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Commonwealth PhD Scholarships

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships for Least Developed Countries and Vulnerable States University of Leeds in United Kingdom

Degree Level

PhD

Field of study

Education

Funding

Full academic fees, maintenance stipend, return airfare, and other allowances. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.

Deadline

Oct 20, 2026

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Country

United Kingdom

University

University of Leeds

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Keywords

Education
Entrepreneurship
Political Science
International Relations
Public Policy
Business
International Development
Salud Pública
Inclusion
Resiliency
Study Research

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About this position

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships for Least Developed Countries and Vulnerable States at the University of Leeds support high-quality graduates from eligible Commonwealth countries to pursue doctoral research with developmental impact.

This is a fully funded PhD scholarship covering full academic fees, maintenance, return airfare, and other allowances. It is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.

Eligible applicants must be from one of the listed countries: Bangladesh, Gambia, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, or Zambia. By September 2027, applicants should normally hold a first degree at least at upper second-class (2:1) honours level, or a lower second-class degree plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, usually a master's degree. The university also requires applicants to meet its academic entry requirements for the chosen research programme.

English language requirements are stated as IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component, or equivalent, though some schools and faculties may require higher scores. Disabled applicants who do not meet the 2:1 threshold may still be considered through a contextualised nomination route if they can demonstrate strong potential to contribute to international development.

The scholarship is aligned with six CSC Development themes: science and technology for development; improving population health, health systems and capacity; promoting innovation and entrepreneurship; strengthening peace, security and governance; strengthening resilience and response to crises; and access, inclusion and opportunity.

How to apply: first apply for a research place of study using the university study application form. Once you receive your 9-digit Student Application ID, complete the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission application process on the CSC website. Applicants should apply well in advance because their home-country nominator may have an earlier internal deadline.

Deadline: Tuesday 20 October 2026 at 16:00 BST.

Funding details

Full academic fees, maintenance stipend, return airfare, and other allowances. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.

What's required

Applicants must be from one of the listed eligible least developed countries or vulnerable states and hold by September 2027 a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard, or a lower second-class degree plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, usually a master's degree. Applicants must also meet the University of Leeds academic entry requirements for the chosen programme. Disabled applicants who do not hold a 2:1 may be considered through the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum nominator if they can demonstrate potential to contribute to international development. English language requirement is IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component or equivalent, with some schools/faculties requiring higher.

How to apply

First apply for a research place of study using the university study application form. After receiving your 9-digit Student Application ID, complete the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission application process through the CSC website. Apply well in advance because home-country nominator deadlines may be earlier.

More information can be found here

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