King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme (KCFP) PhD Scholarships

Cardiff University is proud to be a partner in the King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme (KCFP), an initiative launched by His Majesty the King to strengthen the resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The scheme is administered by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU).

The KCFP PhD Scholarships aim to upskill academic staff from a participating SIDS universities, by supporting them to undertake a part-time, in-country PhD while benefiting from joint supervision and research opportunities with a partner university.

There are 20 scholarships available, aligned to four themes: climate resilience, health, education, and engineering.

Cardiff University has committed to support one scholar.

Scholarships

The successful scholar will:

• receive dedicated joint PhD supervision from their home university and Cardiff University for the full six-year duration
• have the opportunity and funding (up to £30,000) to spend up to six months at Cardiff University, either in one visit or across multiple visits, depending on the needs of their research
• benefit from a research grant of £12,000 to support their academic work (£2,000 per year)
• be supported with a 20% salary contribution to their home institution to facilitate their participation
• gain access to training opportunities in science communication, policy engagement, and professional development
• be part of the King’s Fellows cohort, gaining skills in public speaking, research funding applications, and engaging with policymakers

Application process and deadline

Application deadline: 13:00 (UTC) on 25 April 2025

The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) will be managing the application process. The application must be made by the staff-PhD candidate from the SIDS university. As part of the application process, the applicant will set out the research plan and name their preferred co-supervising universities.

A guidance document and FAQ are available on the ACU website for further details. For more information on the application process, eligibility criteria, and funding, please visit the ACU website.

You can find out more about our research areas and supervisors on our postgraduate research pages.

For more information about Cardiff University’s involvement in the programme please contact the Doctoral Academy.