Research Scholarships - Overseas
Scholarship information for international postgraduate research students.
This page is currently being updated - information for the academic year 2024/25 will soon be announced.
Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarship (EDCS)
The scheme is highly competitive and applicants must be of outstanding academic merit and research potential. Candidates are selected and ranked at School level, based on the strength and quality of their PhD application, research proposal, references and scholarship application.
Candidates apply to the Scholarships Office, via the online scholarship application form which is located in EUCLID and can be accessed via the MyEd portal. Online applications for the academic year 2023/4 are now open.
Deadline for EDCS applications for entry in the academic sessions 2023/4: 13 February 2023
In order to gain access to the scholarship application system, applicants must first apply for admission to the University of Edinburgh via EUCLID. Once you have submitted your EUCLID PhD application, you will receive an email confirming your Universal User Name (UUN). You will need your UUN number to then submit a scholarship application via the online scholarship application form. Please note that this number is generated automatically by the EUCLID application system and may take up to ten days to receive. It is advisable, therefore, to submit your application in advance of the formal deadline.
For more information please check the link below:
Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarships - International students
The British Council
The British Council is a good source of information for non-UK student funding opportunities.
Funding from National Governments
National funding competitions are an excellent source of funding for non-UK students, and you are very strongly encouraged to apply to any such schemes for which you are eligible. (Research Council scholarships are the main corresponding scheme for UK students.) Often the success rate is greater than for any source of funding we can provide, and in some cases stipend levels are more generous.
Commonwealth Scholarships
These are full scholarships for Commonwealth citizens. Selection takes place in the candidate's home country, and procedures and deadlines vary. Candidates nominate several host universities when they apply.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Scholarships
Open to US citizens only, this scheme provides opportunities for the most promising postgraduate students to undertake international, collaborative four-year PhD training based in both a UK/Republic of Ireland (RoI) academic institution and a US academic institution.
Alan Turing Institute Scholarships
This scheme provides opportunities for the most promising postgraduate students to undertake collaborative 3.5-year PhD training based in both the Alan Turing Institute, and in one of the UK academic partners in Turing, of which Edinburgh is one. Candidates need to note their interest in this scholarship in their application, and highlight this in conversations with their potential supervisor. More information is available below.
Student Loans
US applicants may apply to the Federal Family Education Loan Program. Canadian applicants may apply to the Canada Student Loans Program.
IBM PhD Fellowships (for 2nd year students)
IBM runs an international competition for these fellowships. Students must already be enrolled for PhD study to be eligible.
Successful candidates receive a stipend plus fees for one year, renewable for up to two further years. They are also encouraged to spend time at an IBM research or development lab as a paid intern.
Candidates are selected on the basis of their potential for research excellence, the degree to which their technical interests align with those of IBM, and their academic progress to-date.
Microsoft Research European PhD scholarships
Microsoft Research runs an international competition for these scholarships. Awards are made to a supervisor for a specific research topic, whereupon the supervisor has up to a year to find a suitable student. Topics are restricted to a specific set of research areas and students cannot apply directly to Microsoft.
Google European Doctoral Fellowships (for 2nd year students)
Applicants for these fellowships are nominated from among students already undertaking a PhD in Informatics in mid-January; students cannot apply directly to Google.
Google Europe Anita Borg Memorial scholarships (female students only)
This scholarship scheme, run by Google, offers a 5000 euro scholarship for a single academic year. Only females are eligible.