Last updated: 31 Aug 2026
Imperial College London’s President’s PhD Scholarship funds 50 fully funded PhD places per year open to applicants of any nationality. It is one of the most competitive doctoral funding schemes globally; and the most common reason applications fail is not academics, it is not securing a supervisor’s support first.
Imperial College London’s President’s PhD
- Host institution: Imperial College London
- Number of awards: 50
- Stipend: £26,500/year (2026-27 rate), tax-free
- Consumables fund: £2,000/year for the first 3 years
- Programme duration: 3.5 years
- Nationality: Open to all (no restrictions)
Step One: Contact a Supervisor Before Anything Else
You cannot apply without a supervisor’s agreement to support your application. Don’t mass-email professors.
- Use the Imperial Research Directory to find faculty whose work matches your research interests, and check the Unavailable Supervisors page : supervisors can only support one scholar at a time
- Attach a 2-page research summary and your CV
- Ask specifically whether they are willing to support your application for the President’s Scholarship; not just “supervise a PhD” generally
Our scholarship email templates guide has a template for exactly this kind of supervisor outreach.
What It Covers
- Full tuition fees for the 3.5-year programme
- £26,500/year tax-free stipend
- £2,000/year consumables fund, for the first 3 years
- A dedicated programme of events and development opportunities through Imperial’s Early Career Researcher Institute
- Access to full postgraduate support services, including tailored support for disabled and international students
Eligibility
- A first-class (or equivalent) undergraduate or integrated master’s degree; or a distinction in a standalone master’s if you didn’t achieve a first at undergraduate level
- Open to applicants from Imperial, the UK, and worldwide. No nationality restrictions, though some departments may have limited capacity to support international candidates
- Only new PhD applicants are eligible: current registered Imperial PhD students cannot apply
- Alternate Pathways route: candidates with non-traditional academic or career backgrounds who show strong research potential are explicitly encouraged to apply, even without meeting the standard grade criteria
- Department Special Case route: if extenuating circumstances affected your grades but you’re otherwise a strong candidate, contact your proposed department directly before applying to be considered under this route
How to Apply
There is no separate scholarship application form: you apply for standard PhD admission and opt into the scholarship within that process:
- Secure a supervisor’s agreement first (see above). This is a prerequisite, not optional
- Submit your application through Imperial’s online admissions system
- Under “Supporting documents,” submit a 2-page personal statement: page one covering your motivations for applying, page two your research proposal, written in the first person
- Provide two academic referees: these must be people other than your proposed PhD supervisor (e.g., a personal tutor or your master’s thesis supervisor)
- In the funding section of the additional questions tab, explicitly select the President’s PhD Scholarship option. This step is required for your application to be considered for the scholarship at all
- Your department will put you forward for the scholarship based on academic merit and potential
Selection Process
- Your department reviews your application and shortlists candidates to present to the College Selection Panel
- The Selection Panel (Vice-Provost for Research, Director of the Graduate School, and Faculty Vice-Deans) makes the final decision
- Assessment considers academic excellence (past results, transcripts, class ranking, distinctions) and research potential (prior research experience, the strength of your proposal, and interview performance where applicable)
- If you’re not selected for the scholarship, you’re automatically considered for a standard (non-scholarship) PhD place instead
Application Deadlines and Notification Dates
| Apply by (23:59 UK time) | Notified by |
| 3 November 2025 | 31 January 2026 |
| 12 January 2026 | 31 March 2026 |
| 2 March 2026 | 31 May 2026 |
Confirm these dates have not shifted for future cycles directly on Imperial’s page before relying on them.
FAQs
Can international students apply?
Yes: there are no nationality restrictions, though check with your specific department, since some may have limited capacity to fund international candidates.
Do I need a master’s degree to apply?
Not necessarily: a first-class undergraduate or integrated master’s is sufficient. A standalone master’s with distinction is an alternative route if you didn’t achieve a first at undergraduate level.
Can my proposed supervisor also be one of my academic referees?
No: your two referees must be different people, such as a personal tutor or previous thesis supervisor.
What if I do not get selected for the scholarship?
You are automatically considered for a standard PhD place instead, so applying doesn’t risk your admission chances.
Related Reading
For another UK-based PhD funding route, see the SENSS PhD studentships if your research is in the social sciences, note that programme has a capped international quota, unlike Imperial’s open-nationality policy here.
Apply directly: Imperial College London – President’s PhD Scholarships
Questions about the scholarship: student.funding@imperial.ac.uk
Kukual verifies scholarship details against official sponsor pages at the time of publication and on each update. Confirm current deadlines and rates directly on Imperial’s official page before applying.
