The UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office aims to support sustainable development through facilitating access to UK higher education and research opportunities. It focuses on assisting individuals from low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries to gain knowledge and skills for development, prioritizing candidates who are financially unable to study in the UK on their own.
The Commonwealth PhD Scholarships target applicants from least developed countries and fragile states within the Commonwealth, for full-time doctoral studies at UK universities. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the scholarships aim to support the developmental needs of Commonwealth countries by backing research with a developmental impact. They seek to enhance teaching and research capacity, increase institutional capacity in Commonwealth nations across academic and other sectors, and bolster UK higher education and research by drawing in high-quality international students. The scholarships encourage links and collaborations, offering opportunities for those who otherwise could not afford UK studies. The intended beneficiaries are high-quality graduates with the potential to conduct world-class developmental research, aspiring to be influential leaders, teachers, or researchers in their home countries.