Deadline: April 25, 2025

The King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme PhD Fellowships, inspired by His Majesty King Charles III, offer a unique opportunity for fellows from Small Island Developing States to undertake a PhD in their home country alongside work. At the same time, they’ll be connected with expert supervisors from top universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom. This setup builds intense local research while offering global learning experiences.

The fellowship is designed to build long-term solutions for SIDS communities. With research funding, international training, and professional development, this program gives fellows the tools to grow academically, support their countries, and become leaders of change. If you have a Master’s degree (or similar experience), are passionate about solving real issues in your community, and want to earn a PhD while working, this opportunity might be the perfect fit.

Fellowship Programs

• Climate change/environment
• Education
• Engineering
• Health

Benefits

If you are selected for the King Commonwealth PhD Fellowship, you will get many types of support during your 6-year PhD journey. Here’s what’s included:

• GBP 30,000 total funding over six years (that’s GBP 5,000 each year) to help with your research work and visits to your partner university in countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the UK.
• If your partner university usually charges international tuition fees during your visit, these fees will be waived, so you don’t have to pay them.
• Access to helpful resources, like the partner university’s library and online research databases, when available.
• An extra GBP 12,000 research grant over six years (GBP 2,000 per year) to support your project needs.
• Your current employer will receive a salary contribution equal to 20% of your salary, which helps you stay employed while doing your PhD.
• You will be guided by two supervisors — one from your home university and one from the partner university — throughout your entire PhD.
• You will also become part of the King’s Fellows group, where you’ll get training in important skills like public speaking, working with policymakers, communication, entrepreneurship, and applying for research grants.

Eligibility

• You must have a Master’s degree or have experience that is equal to a Master’s level.
• You should be starting or already enrolled in a PhD program at an approved university in a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) for the 2025/2026 academic year.
• Your PhD topic must be related to one of these four fields:
  • Climate Change/Environment
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Health
• You must be a citizen or have refugee status in one of the eligible Commonwealth SIDS countries listed below:
  • Africa: Mauritius, Seychelles
  • Asia: The Maldives
  • Caribbean and Americas: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago
  • Pacific: Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Application

• Visit the Official Website.
• Before you begin, take some time to go through the application guidelines and FAQs. This will help you avoid mistakes and understand exactly what’s required.
• Complete the Online Application Form: The form is divided into the following sections.
• Eligibility: Confirm that you meet all the basic criteria, like education, nationality, PhD subject, and university enrollment.
• Personal and Contact Details: Fill in your name, address, and contact info, and upload a scanned copy of your passport or national ID.
• Academic & Employment Record: Add details about your last 3 degrees and jobs, and upload your certificates, transcripts, and CV or resume.
• SIDS Home University Details: Provide your PhD university info, supervisor contact, and upload a signed letter from your department confirming your enrollment and support.
• PhD Project and Impact: Share your research title, theme, and preferred partner universities, and write short statements about your research, motivation, and how it will help your country

For more information, visit

To apply, click here