Scholarships for international postgraduate students

British Chevening Scholarships

Funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and administered by the British Council, the British Chevening Scholarships are prestigious scholarships that enable young people from abroad to pursue postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom. These scholarships are offered by the British Government in more than 150 countries. They have a track record of attracting some of the best and brightest candidates looking for the opportunity to study at some of the world’s best universities, to become acquainted with the UK, and to gain new expertise for the benefit of their own countries. Bond-free, this award is presented to outstanding graduates to implement their new skills to contribute to Singapore's social and economic development.

Criteria for applicants:
• Scholarships are open to citizens of Singapore only. Citizens of other nations should contact the British Council in their home country.
• Normally hold at least an upper second class honours degree.
• Not have studied for a degree at a UK University before.
• Be willing to return to Singapore on completion of your studies.
• Have already embarked on your chosen career path.
• Be a leader, or potential future leader, in your particular areas of interest.

Scholarships applications for academic year 2012/13 are now closed.

To find out more about Chevening Scholarships, please refer to the Chevening Facebook page, the Chevening Conversations blog and  the Foreign and Commwealth Office website.

If you have enquiries on the scholarship, do send it to UKStudy@britishcouncil.org.sg

Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP)

The CSFP is aimed at Commonwealth citizens who can make a significant contribution to their home country after studying in the UK. If you are from a developing country in the Commonwealth, your chosen area of work is expected to contribute directly to development objectives. If you are from a developed Commonwealth country, you should have the potential to become a leader in your chosen profession.
 
CSFP Scholarships are usually for between one and three years. They cover the cost of travel to and from the UK, tuition fees and living expenses. In some cases an allowance is paid to help with the cost of maintaining your spouse and family in the UK.

Professional Fellowship awards are typically for three months. They provide opportunities for people working in developing Commonwealth countries to spend a short period of professional updating in the UK. Academic Staff Fellowships offer opportunities for a six-month period of postdoctoral research. These are available to Commonwealth citizens holding or returning to a teaching appointment in a university in the developing Commonwealth.

Information on these and other funding opportunities is available at the CSFP website.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship scheme assists students from developing Commonwealth countries who would benefit from higher education in the UK. If you are unable to study in the UK for financial reasons and are outside the scope of other British government support schemes, you may be eligible.

To apply for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship you should be:

• of high academic calibre

• intending to study subjects of developmental relevance to your home country

• under 35 years old at the time your course starts

• able to speak fluent English

• not employed by your government or an international organisation

• resident in a developing Commonwealth country.

You can find further information on the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship scheme at the CSFP website. 

Royal Society Fellowships

The Royal Society offers incoming fellowships for researchers from North America and Asia. The aim is to attract outstanding postdoctoral scientists to undertake high-quality research at a UK laboratory.

The fellowships are available for up to two years for postdoctoral researchers in the USA and Canada and up to one year if you are from Asia. The Asian countries included are:

• China

• India

• Japan

• South Korea

• Brunei

• Burma

• Cambodia

• Indonesia

• Laos

• Philippines

• Singapore

• Thailand

• Vietnam

The research undertaken must relate to a subject within the natural sciences. Awards are not granted in the areas of the social sciences or clinical medical research.

To find out more and apply for a fellowship visit the Royal Society website. 

Scotland's Saltire Scholarships

Under Scotland’s Saltire Scholarships scheme, 200 awards are available to postgraduate master’s students from Canada, China, India and the USA. This is part of the Scottish government's continuing support for the 'brightest and best' students to come and study in Scotland.

The Saltire Scholarship scheme highlights academic excellence in the Scottish university sector:

• Eighty six per cent of academic research in Scottish institutions has been judged to be internationally excellent, according to the latest independent and globally-regarded Research Assessment Exercise.

• Scotland has also increased its share of the UK’s world-class research.

• In a recent report commissioned by the British Council, 86% of university students surveyed would recommend the Scottish experience to others and 91% of international students think Scotland is a good place to be.

You can find out more and watch videos of international students talking about their experiences in Scotland and apply online at the British Council Scotland website.

You can also search for postgraduate and undergraduate scholarships in the scholarship finder.