Imperial College London President’s PhD Scholarships 2027–28: 50 Fully Funded PhD Opportunities

Imperial College London High-achieving students from around the world can apply for the President’s PhD Scholarships at Imperial College London for the 2027–28 academic year. The prestigious programme provides full tuition funding, an annual living stipend of £27,036 and research funding for students pursuing doctoral research at Imperial.

A total of 50 President’s PhD Scholarships are available, and there are no nationality restrictions, making the programme accessible to outstanding applicants from the UK and internationally.

About the President’s PhD Scholarships

The President’s PhD Scholarship is designed for exceptional undergraduate and Master’s students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and strong potential for doctoral research.

Successful candidates receive funding for a 3.5-year PhD at Imperial College London. Scholars can undertake a research project of their choosing under the supervision of an Imperial academic while participating in cohort-building opportunities with other President’s PhD Scholars.

Imperial College London President’s PhD Scholarships

What Does the Scholarship Cover?

This is a fully funded PhD scholarship. Each of the 50 available awards provides substantial financial support throughout the 3.5-year programme.

Imperial provides full funding for tuition fees, removing one of the largest costs associated with doctoral study.

Scholars also receive a £27,036 annual stipend at the 2027–28 rate to help cover living expenses.

In addition, recipients receive a £2,000-per-year consumables fund during the first three years of their research. Scholars participate in bespoke opportunities and events delivered through Imperial’s Early Career Researcher Institute.

Based on the stated annual stipend, the 3.5-year stipend would total approximately £94,626 if the 2027–28 annual rate remained unchanged throughout the entire period. This is a calculation rather than a funding total published by Imperial, since future stipend rates may change.

Who Can Apply?

One of the programme’s strongest features is its international eligibility.

Imperial accepts applications from talented candidates already associated with the university as well as applicants from elsewhere in the UK and around the world.

There are no general nationality restrictions for the President’s PhD Scholarship. However, Imperial notes that some individual departments may be unable to support international candidates.

The scholarship can support both full-time and part-time PhD study.

Academic Requirements

Competition for the President’s PhD Scholarships is particularly strong, and Imperial applies higher-than-usual academic eligibility standards.

Candidates should have received—or be expected to receive—a first-class degree or equivalent in an undergraduate or integrated Master’s programme.

Applicants who did not achieve a first-class undergraduate degree can still satisfy the academic criterion if they have received, or can demonstrate performance expected to result in, a distinction in a standalone Master’s qualification.

International applicants are advised to contact the appropriate Imperial Admissions team to establish whether their academic results meet the scholarship’s equivalency requirements.

Imperial also encourages candidates with non-traditional academic or career pathways who demonstrate strong research potential to apply.

Current PhD Students Are Not Eligible

The scholarship is intended for new PhD applications.

Students who are already registered as Imperial PhD candidates cannot be considered for a new President’s PhD Scholarship.

Applicants planning to begin a new doctoral programme should therefore apply through Imperial’s postgraduate doctoral admissions process.

Find a Supervisor Before Applying

An important step must be completed before submitting an application.

Applicants need to contact an academic supervisor in the relevant Imperial department and obtain their agreement to supervise the proposed research project.

This means prospective applicants should begin identifying potential supervisors well before the scholarship deadline.

Imperial also maintains information on supervisors who are unavailable for the President’s PhD Scholarship programme because supervisors are limited in how many President’s scholars they can supervise at one time.

How to Apply

There is no separate President’s PhD Scholarship application form.

Instead, candidates submit an application for PhD admission through Imperial College London’s online admissions system. The relevant academic department then considers eligible applicants and nominates candidates for the scholarship based on their academic merit and research potential.

Imperial Postgraduate Doctoral Application Process

Candidates must also select the President’s PhD Scholarship option in the funding section of the additional questions tab of their online application.

Application Documents

The scholarship has several important application requirements.

Applicants’ personal statement should be a two-page document. The first page should explain the candidate’s motivation for applying to Imperial and the scholarship, along with relevant supporting information.

The second page should contain the applicant’s research proposal.

Candidates must also provide details for two academic referees capable of supporting their application. The proposed PhD supervisor should not be one of these two referees.

Individual departments may request additional documents or a more detailed research proposal.

President’s PhD Scholarship Deadlines

Imperial considers scholarship applications at three points during the academic year, giving candidates several opportunities to enter the selection process.

Application deadline	Successful applicants notified
2 November 2026, 23:59 UK time	By 31 January 2027
11 January 2027, 23:59 UK time	By 15 April 2027
1 March 2027, 23:59 UK time	By 31 May 2027

These dates are specifically provided by Imperial for the current scholarship cycle.

For the 2027–28 academic year, funded places can begin as early as 1 August 2027, while the latest permitted start date is 1 November 2027.

How Candidates Are Selected

Competition is intense because only 50 scholarships are available.

Applications undergo a two-stage selection process. First, the department reviews candidates who meet or are predicted to meet the eligibility requirements and creates a shortlist.

Shortlisted candidates are then considered through the College-level selection process.

Selection focuses primarily on two areas: academic excellence and research potential.

Academic excellence is assessed using academic results, transcripts, class position, awards and distinctions.

Research potential is evaluated through previous research experience, interest in discovery, the proposed research plan and its potential contribution, as well as departmental assessment and interview performance.

Applicants who are unsuccessful in securing the President’s PhD Scholarship are automatically considered for a standard PhD place.

Quick Facts

Category	Details
University	Imperial College London
Scholarship	President’s PhD Scholarships
Academic Year	2027–28
Number Available	50
Study Level	PhD
Funding	Fully funded
Tuition Fees	Fully covered
Annual Stipend	£27,036 (2027–28 rate)
Research Consumables	£2,000/year for first 3 years
Funding Duration	3.5 years
Nationality	No general restriction
Study Mode	Full-time or part-time
Separate Scholarship Form	No
Earliest Deadline	2 November 2026
Final Scholarship Round	1 March 2027
Study Location	Imperial College London, UK

Final Thoughts

The Imperial College London President’s PhD Scholarships 2027–28 offer one of the strongest doctoral funding packages for high-performing students interested in pursuing research in the UK.

With 50 scholarships available, recipients receive full tuition funding, a £27,036 annual living stipend and £2,000 per year toward research consumables for the first three years.

International students can apply because the programme has no general nationality restriction, although departmental capacity for international applicants can vary.

Prospective candidates should begin early by identifying a suitable Imperial supervisor, developing a strong research proposal and preparing their PhD admission application ahead of one of the three selection deadlines.

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