Imperial College London President's Phd Scholarships 2027-28 In The Uk: Fully Funded Phd Study — 50 Awards, £27,036 Stipend — Deadline 11 January 2027

Imperial College London President's PhD Scholarships 2027-28 in the UK: Fully Funded PhD Study — 50 Awards, £27,036 Stipend — Deadline 11 January 2027

If you are dreaming of a PhD at one of the world's top research universities, the Imperial College London President's PhD Scholarships 2027-28 are about as good as doctoral funding gets: full tuition fees, a generous annual stipend, and a research consumables fund for three and a half years. Applications are open now, and the next deadline is Monday 11 January 2027.

Key deadline: apply by Monday 11 January 2027 at 23:59 UK time to be considered in the second of three review rounds — successful applicants in this round will be notified by 15 April 2027. The first round closed on 2 November 2026, so if you missed it, January is your next chance, with a final round on 1 March 2027. One thing to sort out early: you must have a supervisor at Imperial who has already agreed to supervise your research before your application can be properly considered, so start that conversation now rather than in January.

What the scholarship offers

According to Imperial College London's official scholarship page, each of the 50 President's PhD Scholarships provides the following support during 3.5 years of study:

• Full funding for tuition fees — home or overseas fees
• A stipend of £27,036 per year (the 2027-28 rate) to assist with living costs
• A consumables fund of £2,000 per year for the first three years of study
• A programme of bespoke opportunities and events delivered by the Early Career Researcher Institute (ECRI)
• Access to the full range of postgraduate support at Imperial, including tailored support for disabled and international students

This is a fully funded PhD award: tuition and living costs are both covered. The scholarship is available for full-time and part-time study, and funded places for 2027-28 start between 1 August 2027 and 1 November 2027.

Who is eligible?

The scheme is open to talented candidates from Imperial, the UK and worldwide — there are no restrictions on nationality. The key eligibility rules are:

• Study level: You must be applying to start a PhD programme at Imperial College London — the scheme is only open to new PhD applications, and current registered Imperial PhD students are not eligible
• Academic standard: You must be in receipt of, or due to receive, a first class or equivalent in an undergraduate or integrated Master's degree; or, if you did not achieve that, a distinction in a standalone Master's qualification
• Supervisor first: You must have made contact with a supervisor in an academic department at Imperial who has agreed to supervise your research project — supervisors are limited to one scholar at a time, so check the unavailable-supervisors list on Imperial's website
• Any research area: You can undertake a research project of your choosing in any of Imperial's faculties and the Business School, with the support of your supervisor
• Non-traditional pathways welcome: Imperial encourages applications from candidates with non-traditional academic or career pathways who show strong research potential, and departments can select candidates as a special case where extenuating circumstances affected grades

Key dates for 2027-28 entry

• Round 1 deadline: Monday 2 November 2026 at 23:59 UK time — now closed; successful applicants notified by 31 January 2027
• Round 2 deadline: Monday 11 January 2027 at 23:59 UK time — successful applicants notified by 15 April 2027
• Round 3 deadline: Monday 1 March 2027 at 23:59 UK time — successful applicants notified by 31 May 2027
• Funded start dates: Earliest start 1 August 2027; latest start 1 November 2027

Note that the deadline refers to the submission of your PhD admission application through Imperial's online admissions system — there is no separate scholarship deadline after that.

How to apply

1. Find and contact a supervisor in your chosen Imperial department and secure their agreement to supervise your research project. Do this well before the deadline — you should not wait until the final round to make contact.
2. Submit your PhD admission application through Imperial's online admissions system. There is no separate scholarship application form — your department will put you forward for the scholarship based on academic merit and potential.
3. Prepare a two-page personal statement in the supporting documents section: page one is your personal statement (your motivations for applying to Imperial and the scholarship), and page two is your research proposal. You may submit updated versions if your department shortlists you.
4. Select the President's PhD Scholarship option in the funding section of the additional questions tab within the online application form, and provide the names of two academic referees — not your proposed PhD supervisor.
5. Meet any additional requirements of your chosen department, including a more detailed research proposal if the department asks for one.

Applications are reviewed in two stages: departments shortlist candidates to present to the College Selection Panel, which makes the final decisions. Candidates are assessed on academic excellence (results, transcripts, class position, awards and distinctions) and research potential (research experience, interest in discovery, and the research plan). If you are not selected for the scholarship, you will automatically be considered for a standard PhD place.

Why this one is worth noting

Imperial is one of the world's leading STEMB universities, and this is its flagship doctoral award — just 50 places across the whole College, open to every nationality and every discipline, with full fees plus a stipend of more than £27,000 a year. The real difference from many other scholarships is the freedom it gives you: you choose your own research project, rather than joining a pre-defined one. The catch is the competition and the supervisor rule — this is a scheme for genuinely outstanding students, and without a supervisor who has agreed to take you on, your application cannot be properly considered. If Imperial is on your list, the single most important step is contacting a potential supervisor now, well ahead of the 11 January 2027 deadline.

Official links

• Imperial College London — President's PhD Scholarships (official page)

Details verified against Imperial College London's official President's PhD Scholarships page on 5 November 2026. Award values, deadlines and requirements can change, so always confirm them on the official page before you apply. Questions about the scholarship can be sent to the Student Financial Support team at [email protected].