This is to announce to all members of the University community that applications are now open for the 2023 Commonwealth Scholarships tenable in the United Kingdom.

The University has been allotted TWO slots to nominate for the 2023 call. Deans and Directors of Academic Centres are therefore called to nominate one candidate each with minimum of Second- Class Upper Degree and good publication records. The nomination should reach the office of the Director, Directorate of Research, Innovations and Partnerships not later than Friday 6th October, 2023.

Please take note of the following important information with respect to the call:

1. Applications open on 5th September 2023.
2. All nominated candidates must apply to the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission (CSC)’s online application system by 17th October 2023 at 16:00 (GMT). Any nominated candidate who has not submitted an application by this date and time cannot be considered for a scholarship.
3. The CSC has set the deadline of 17th October at 16:00 (GMT) for receipt of all required supporting documentation
   • proof of citizenship or refugee status in an eligible Commonwealth country
   • all university academic transcripts
   • at least two references
   • PhD candidates only: one supporting statement from a supervisor at a UK institution.
   Only supporting documentation submitted directly to the CSC’s online application system in the correct format will be accepted and candidates whose applications do not include these documents by the deadline will not be eligible for further consideration for a Commonwealth Scholarship.
4. No hard copy documentation will be accepted by the CSC
5. After the online submission of the application, nominated candidates must provide a copy of their submitted CSC application form to their Dean or Director who shall forward same to DRIP for further processing.

Selection Criteria

The CSC will make the final selection of candidates. We seek candidates of the highest academic quality who demonstrate a real capacity to make a difference to their home country on completion of their award. The CSC’s selection committee will grade applications on the following criteria:

1. Academic merit of the candidate
2. Quality of the study plan
3. Potential impact of the work on the development of the candidate’s home country.

It is CSC policy to consider personal circumstances in all applications to ensure that, all other things being equal, candidates from disadvantaged or marginalised backgrounds are selected.

The CSC invites around three times more nominations than scholarships available – therefore, nominated candidates are not guaranteed to be awarded a scholarship, and should not be contacted regarding their nomination until CSC has acknowledged their nomination.

Please draw the selection criteria to the attention of candidates, and take these into account when making your nominations, along with the following:

1. All candidates must demonstrate in their application the direct and applied relevance of their study to development in their home country. Candidates should make any such links explicit in their applications.
2. Commonwealth Scholarships are aimed at individuals who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK. Every candidate will be required to sign a declaration that they do not have access to sufficient funds to study in the UK and no candidate with the independent means to study in the UK should be nominated to the CSC.
3. Candidates will be asked to supply a personal statement within their application which will provide the selection panel with more information about their background and give an additional context to their application. It will be considered by the selection panel but will not be graded