Imperial President’s PhD Scholarships 2027–28 Open (New Application Method)

If you want to begin a fully funded scholarship based PhD at Imperial College London in 2027, the President’s PhD Scholarship could cover your complete tuition fees, provide a £27,036 annual living stipend and contribute towards your research expenses.

However, this is not a scholarship you should approach with a generic proposal and a last-minute application. Before applying, you must identify an Imperial academic who is willing to supervise your research. Your department—not you—then puts your application forward for scholarship consideration.

Here is how to determine whether you are competitive and what you need to do next.

President’s PhD Scholarship 2027–28 Quick Information

What Will Imperial Pay If You Win?

The President’s PhD Scholarship is a genuinely fully funded doctoral award because it addresses both tuition fees and living costs.

If selected, you will receive:

• Full payment of your PhD tuition fees for 3.5 years;
• A living-cost stipend of £27,036 per year at the published 2027–28 rate;
• a consumables fund of £2,000 per year during the first three years;
• Access to research-development activities, events and cohort-building opportunities delivered through Imperial’s Early Career Researcher Institute; and
• Imperial’s wider academic, disability and international-student support services.

The consumables allowance may help with eligible research-related costs, but you should not assume that it is a personal travel allowance or unrestricted cash payment. Discuss the likely research expenses with your proposed department.

Can You Apply From Outside the United Kingdom?

Yes. Imperial accepts President’s PhD Scholarship applications from the UK and every other country, with no general nationality restriction.

You can also apply whether your previous degree was completed at Imperial or another university. The important issue is not where you studied—it is whether your grades, research background and proposed project meet Imperial’s unusually competitive standard.

There is one caution for international candidates: Imperial states that some departments may be unable to support international applicants under this scheme. Contact your proposed department before investing substantial time in the application.

Are Your Academic Results Competitive Enough?

You should normally apply if you have, or are expected to receive, a first-class undergraduate or integrated master’s degree—or its international equivalent.

If your bachelor’s result is below first-class level, you may still qualify when you have achieved, or are on course to achieve, a distinction in a separate standalone master’s degree.

This creates three practical applicant situations:

• First-class bachelor’s or integrated master’s: You may satisfy the normal academic threshold.
• Lower undergraduate result plus a distinction-level standalone master’s: You may still be eligible.
• Lower undergraduate result without a distinction-level master’s: You would not normally satisfy the advertised criteria.

Imperial may also consider department-supported special cases involving extenuating circumstances or non-traditional academic and professional pathways. This is not a general relaxation of the grade requirement. You would need convincing evidence of research potential, such as exceptional research-project results, placements, publications or other relevant achievements.

Current registered Imperial PhD students cannot apply because the scholarship is reserved for new doctoral applications.

Do You Need IELTS to Apply for Imperial College Scholarship?

You may need English-language evidence, but the exact level depends on the requirement attached to your chosen PhD course. Imperial uses Standard and Higher English levels. The most commonly used minimum scores are:

Imperial also accepts additional qualifications and may exempt certain applicants based on their educational background. Do not select a test solely from this summary: first open your intended doctoral course and then check Imperial’s current English-language requirements.

You generally do not need to hold the final English result before submitting the PhD application. If you receive a conditional offer, meeting the English requirement may become one of its conditions.

The Supervisor Comes Before the Scholarship Application!

Before submitting your application, you must contact an academic in the relevant Imperial department and obtain their agreement to supervise your proposed research. This is where many otherwise strong applicants lose time. Sending the same email and research proposal to several unrelated academics is unlikely to demonstrate serious research alignment.

Instead:

1. Search Imperial’s departments, research groups and doctoral courses.
2. Identify academics whose recent work genuinely connects with your proposed topic.
3. Read several of their recent publications or project descriptions.
4. Prepare a concise research idea that explains the problem, proposed method and potential contribution.
5. Send a personalised enquiry asking whether the academic is accepting new PhD researchers and would consider supervising the project.
6. Obtain supervisory agreement before submitting the formal application.

Imperial also maintains a list of supervisors unavailable for this scholarship. Check it before contacting anyone because supervisors are restricted in the number of President’s PhD scholars they may supervise at one time.

How Do You Apply for the President’s PhD Scholarship?

There is no separate scholarship application. You apply for PhD admission through Imperial’s online system, and your department decides whether to nominate you for the President’s Scholarship.

Follow these steps:

1. Choose your doctoral research area. Search Imperial’s doctoral courses and review the department-specific entry requirements.
2. Secure a willing supervisor. Contact a suitable Imperial academic and discuss the proposed research before applying.
3. Prepare the required documents. These normally include transcripts, qualification evidence, a personal statement, research proposal and details of two academic referees. Your department may request additional material.
4. Create the required two-page statement. Page one should explain your motivation for applying to Imperial and the President’s Scholarship. Page two should present your research proposal. Write in the first person and show what you intend to investigate, why it matters and how you could undertake it.
5. Add a detailed proposal if required. If your department asks for a longer research document, upload it under the separate research-proposal option.
6. Nominate two academic referees. Suitable choices may include your thesis supervisor, research-project adviser or personal tutor. Do not use your proposed Imperial PhD supervisor as either referee.
7. Select the President’s PhD Scholarship. In the funding section of the additional-questions tab, choose the President’s PhD Scholarship option. Missing this selection may prevent consideration.
8. Submit through the Imperial application system. Complete the doctoral application process before the scholarship round you want to enter.

Your department will first assess your academic record, research experience, proposal and suitability. Shortlisted applicants are then presented to the College Selection Panel. You do not nominate yourself directly to that panel.

How Will Imperial Select the 50 Scholars?

Imperial is looking for more than applicants with high grades. The selection process considers two broad areas: academic excellence and research potential.

Academic excellence may be demonstrated through your transcripts, class position, distinctions, prizes and previous results. Research potential is assessed through your experience, intellectual curiosity, proposed research contribution, departmental recommendation and interview performance.

This means your proposal should not simply describe an interesting topic. It should identify a credible research problem, explain why it matters, show awareness of existing work and present a realistic method for investigating it.

If you are not selected for the President’s Scholarship, Imperial can still consider you for standard PhD admission. That does not automatically provide funding, so check the financial conditions of any admission offer carefully.

Application Deadlines for the 2027–28 Scholarship

Imperial will assess applications in three rounds. Applicants who submit by November 2, 2026, at 23:59 UK time should receive scholarship decisions by January 31, 2027. Those applying by January 11, 2027, at 23:59 UK time should receive decisions by April 15, 2027. Applicants entering the final round must apply by March 1, 2027, at 23:59 UK time, with successful candidates expected to hear by May 31, 2027.

The final date to apply for the Imperial College London President’s PhD Scholarships 2027–28 is March 1, 2027. However, you should target an earlier round because identifying a supervisor, refining the proposal and obtaining two academic references can take several weeks.