PhD funding
Most people who join the group are funded through one of the routes below. The first two are the main ones and are worth understanding properly, because they run on different timetables and you can pursue both at once.
In every case you need a supervisor who has agreed to support your application before you apply. Contact us first.
Enquiries: tian.chen@imperial.ac.uk, subject line "PhD enquiry". What to send is set out under How to apply on the Join us page.
The two main routes
| Scheme | Deadline | Description |
|---|---|---|
| President's PhD Scholarship | Three rounds a year, closing in early November, mid-January, and early March. Decisions follow at the end of January, in mid-April, and at the end of May | 50 awards a year across the whole College. Full tuition fees, a stipend above the UKRI minimum (about £27,000 a year), and a consumables budget of £2,000 a year for the first three years and £1,000 in the final year, over 3.5 years. Open to all nationalities. You apply for PhD admission and select the President's Scholarship option; the department then shortlists and puts your application forward. Funded start dates run from 1 August to 1 November. |
| Aeronautics departmental studentships | Projects are published in early November each year, with applications closing in early January | The Department funds around ten studentships a year, covering full tuition fees and a tax-free stipend, open to Home, EU and International students, over 3.5 years. Applications are two-stage: first a two-page CV, transcripts and a 300-word motivation statement through the Supervisor Review Form, then a formal application for long-listed candidates. New projects are launched each November, so check the page annually. |
Apply to both if you are eligible. The President's Scholarship carries a higher stipend and is decided centrally; the departmental studentships are decided within Aeronautics and are tied to specific advertised projects. They are separate competitions on different timetables.
Imperial international scholarship collaborations
| Scheme | Deadline | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CSC–Imperial Scholarship | Imperial's deadline falls in mid-January; the China Scholarship Council application follows in March or April | For Chinese nationals. 15 awards a year covering international tuition fees, a maintenance allowance at Imperial's minimum stipend rate, and one return flight, over three years. |
| Commonwealth PhD Scholarships | Set by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, usually in autumn | For citizens of eligible Commonwealth countries who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK. Covers airfares, tuition fees, a living stipend, and study travel. Requires at least a 2:1, or a 2:2 with a master's degree. |
| Imperial Marshall Scholarships | Set by the Marshall Commission, usually September | For US citizens with a first degree from a US institution and a grade point average of at least 3.7 who have not previously studied at a UK university. Covers fees, living expenses, and research and travel allowances. |
Other UK funding
| Scheme | Deadline | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1851 Industrial Fellowship | Mid-February, with online interviews in late March, for fellowships starting in October | Three years, for candidates employed by or holding an offer of employment from a UK company, or nominated candidates in the first or second year of an industry-coupled doctoral programme. Covers half the fellow's salary up to £30,000 a year, tuition fees at UK levels, and a £3,500 annual travel allowance. Around eight awards a year. Part-time study is accepted, over up to five years. |
| Postgraduate Doctoral Loan | Rolling | For UK students: up to £31,122, paid directly to the student in equal yearly instalments. Not available alongside research council funding. |
| Imperial scholarships search | Varies | All College and departmental scholarships, filterable by level, department, and fee status. The College also indexes funded PhD vacancies by faculty. |
| External scholarships and charitable grants and trusts | Varies | The College's own indexes of funding from outside Imperial. Worth searching before assuming a route does not exist. |
National government scholarships
Many countries fund their own citizens to study for a doctorate abroad. These place no burden on the department and are often the most practical route for international applicants. If you hold or intend to apply for one of these, say so in your first message and name the scheme.
Examples include the China Scholarship Council, Indonesia's LPDP, the Royal Thai Government scholarships, Turkey's YLSY programme, Mexico's national council for science and technology, Brazil's CAPES and CNPq, Chile's ANID, Colombia's Colfuturo, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Education, Pakistan's Higher Education Commission, Nigeria's Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Singapore's A*STAR National Science Scholarship, Taiwan's Ministry of Education, Norway's Aker Scholarship, and Greece's Onassis Foundation.
Supplementary and top-up awards
These do not usually fund a doctorate on their own, but they can supplement an existing award or cover specific costs.
- Amelia Earhart Fellowship - for women pursuing doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences
- Royal Aeronautical Society Centennial Scholarship Fund
- Institution of Mechanical Engineers postgraduate awards
- Armourers and Brasiers' Company awards in materials science
- Livery company and charitable trust awards, indexed on the College's charities and trusts page
Timing
Work backwards from the deadline. Identifying a supervisor, agreeing a project, writing a proposal, and obtaining references takes several weeks, and the strongest candidates begin the conversation in the summer before they apply. For an October start, that means making contact during the preceding summer and targeting the November and January rounds.
For questions about the application process itself rather than the research, the Department's PhD Administrator for admissions is Lisa Kelly, l.kelly@imperial.ac.uk.