Warwick Chancellor’s International Scholarships

Overview

The Chancellor's International Scholarships are among the most generous fully funded PhD awards available at a UK university. Offered annually by the University of Warwick through its Warwick Doctoral College, the scholarships fund up to 42 outstanding international PhD researchers across all academic disciplines — with over £5 million allocated each year.

Nepal is eligible with no specific nationality restrictions. Nepali students with strong academic records and clear research proposals in any discipline — from engineering and computer science to social sciences, humanities, or life sciences — can apply.

The scholarship is purely merit-based, awarded to the strongest PhD applicants as assessed by Warwick's departments. There are no quotas by country or discipline, which means competition is genuinely global but also means a strong Nepali applicant with the right supervisor and research fit has a real chance.

Warwick is ranked in the top 100 universities globally (QS World Rankings) and is particularly strong in mathematics, computer science, economics, and engineering — areas with high interest among Nepali researchers.

Eligibility

• Applying for a PhD, MPhil/PhD, EngD, or entering the PhD stage of an MRes+PhD at the University of Warwick, starting in October of the scholarship year
• Classified as an 'overseas' student for fees purposes — Nepali students qualify
• No other nationality restrictions — open to all international students
• From any academic discipline at Warwick
• Not a current Postgraduate Research student unless applying within the first year of PhD or MPhil/PhD registration

First-Year PhD Students

Students already enrolled in the first year of a PhD or MPhil/PhD at Warwick may also apply, provided they are within the first 12 months of enrolment in October of the application year. Note that the funding duration will be adjusted accordingly — it will not cover a full 3.5 years if you have already completed part of your first year.

Important Restrictions

• Scholarships cannot be deferred to the next academic year under any circumstances
• You must be starting or enrolled in October — scholarships are not available for January or other intake months

How to Apply

The application has two separate components — a course application and a scholarship application — with closely spaced deadlines in December.

1. Find a supervisor and confirm research fit — contact potential PhD supervisors in your chosen department at Warwick before applying. A confirmed or supportive supervisor significantly strengthens your application. This step should ideally be completed well before the December deadline.
2. Submit your PhD course application — apply for your PhD programme through Warwick's online postgraduate application portal. The course application deadline is typically around 8–9 December (23:59 GMT).
3. Submit your scholarship application — submit a separate scholarship application online through the Warwick Doctoral College portal. The scholarship deadline is typically 11–12 December (23:59 GMT) — two to three days after the course application deadline.
4. Upload supporting documents — academic transcripts, research proposal, references, and English language proficiency evidence must be uploaded by early January (typically around 7 January). This deadline is slightly later than the scholarship application itself.
5. Departmental ranking — departments assess and rank their scholarship applicants based on academic excellence and research potential. Rankings are submitted to the Warwick Doctoral College for final allocation.
6. Notification — successful candidates are notified in early spring, in time for an October start.

For 2027-28 entry, deadlines are expected to follow the same December pattern. Check the official Warwick Chancellor's International Scholarship page from October onwards when applications open.