If you are a high performing graduate planning a research doctorate, one of the strongest funding offers in the world is closing its first round tomorrow. Imperial College London is offering 50 President’s PhD Scholarships for the 2027 to 2028 academic year, and applications are open to talented candidates from anywhere in the world.
Each scholarship provides full funding for tuition fees for 3.5 years, a stipend of £27,036 per year at the 2027 to 2028 rate to assist with living costs, and a consumables fund of £2,000 per year for the first 3 years of study. Scholars also join a programme of cohort building opportunities and events delivered by Imperial’s Early Career Researcher Institute. There are no restrictions on nationality, and the scheme covers both full time and part time study.
The academic bar is high. Candidates must hold, or be due to receive, a first class or equivalent result in an undergraduate or integrated master’s degree, or a distinction in a standalone master’s qualification. The scheme is open only to new PhD applicants: current Imperial PhD students are not eligible. Funded places start between 1 August 2027 and 1 November 2027.
The most important rule comes before the application itself. You must have made contact with a supervisor in an academic department at Imperial who has agreed to supervise your research project. Supervisors are limited to supervising one President’s PhD Scholar at a time, and Imperial publishes a list of unavailable supervisors, so check that list early. There is no separate scholarship application form: you apply for PhD admission through Imperial’s online admissions system, prepare a two page personal statement whose second page is your research proposal, name two academic referees who are not your proposed supervisor, and select the President’s PhD Scholarship option in the funding section of the additional questions tab.
Applications are considered in three rounds. Round 1 closes on 2 November 2026 at 23:59 UK time, with decisions by 31 January 2027. Round 2 closes on 11 January 2027 and Round 3 on 1 March 2027. If your supervisor agreement is not ready for Round 1, prepare properly for Round 2 rather than submitting a rushed application.
Read the full official guidance and apply here: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/fees-and-funding/postgraduate-doctoral/grants-scholarships/presidents-phd/
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