China Scholarships Council/University of Edinburgh Scholarships

Scholarships for PhD study to candidates who are citizens and permanent residents of the People's Republic of China at the time of applying.

For successful applicants, the applicable School will provide scholarships to cover tuition fees and additional programme costs, top up of living costs,  and CSC will consider their application for a living allowance as prescribed from time to time by the Chinese Government (which includes Student Health cover), a return airfare from China to the UK by the most economical route, and visa application fees. 


The scholarships will be awarded to citizens and permanent residents of the People's Republic of China who at the time of application have received an offer of a PhD place from the University of Edinburgh.

Candidates should not be currently working outside China at the time of application, and successful candidates must agree to return to China upon completion of their research degree at the University of Edinburgh. Candidates currently studying outside China are eligible to apply, but not those who have already commenced a PhD programme of study prior to the 2026-2027 academic year.

Candidates nominated by the University to be considered for a scholarship should satisfy the selection criteria set out by CSC by completing the CSC Application Form and the CSC Employer Reference Form which can be found on the CSC website ensuring that the correct Scholarship scheme has been selected - personal channel, as there are several different schemes.

Candidates should have met English language requirements and have received an offer of admission from the University of Edinburgh to study on a full-time PhD degree programme at the time of nomination.

For information, the following schools are participating in the scheme for 2026-2027:

College of Science & Engineering:

  • Chemistry
  • Mathematics
  • Physics and Astronomy

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

  • Royal (Dick|) School of Veterinary Studies
  • School of Regeneration and Repair
  • School of Neurological and Cardiovascular Sciences
  • School of Population Health Sciences

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences:

  • The School of Economics

The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of academic merit with candidates requiring the equivalent of a first-class honours degree from a Chinese university.


To be considered for this scholarship applicants should complete the China Scholarship Council/University of Edinburgh Scholarship application form with should be submitted to the relevant College/School to the email address listed below by the 16th February 2026.  We encourage applicants who wish to apply for this scholarship to make contact with their academic school regarding any admission deadlines.

Please note that applicants should apply online for PhD admission to the University of Edinburgh by the 30th January 2026 and all English Language requirements must be met by the end of February 2026.

Applicants should first check their School/subject area is participating in the scheme before completing and submitting an application.  Contact details for each participating area are below

 


Participating Schools:

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

College of Science & Engineering

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science


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