Imperial College London Global Development Fellowship 2025/ 2026 For PhD Students
- Omran Aburayya
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
If you’re a doctoral student from a Least Developed Country (LDC) or Lower-Middle Income Country (LMIC) (as per the OECD ODA list) and looking for a high-impact, short-term research opportunity — the Imperial College London Global Development Fellowship 2025/ 2026 is a great chance to spend time at one of the world’s top universities. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the fellowship, structured to help you understand what it offers, who is eligible, how to apply, and tips for making a strong application.
🎓 Fellowship Summary
Location: United Kingdom
Host: Imperial College London (Global Development Lab / Global Development Hub)
Level: Doctoral (PhD) – short-term placement (2 to 4 months)
Target Group: PhD students who are passport holders and permanent residents of an LDC or LMIC, and doing their PhD in a university in such countries
Fields of Focus: Open research disciplines, particularly those aligned with global development, development-relevant research, global challenges (e.g., health, environment, policy)
Value / Coverage:
Monthly stipend: £1,900
One-off arrival payment: £200
Return economy-class travel to the UK
Visa application fee and Biometric Residence Permit covered
Financial support for travel to visa application centres
Duration: 2 to 4 months; must start in March 2026 and be completed by 31 July 2026
Application Deadline: Friday, 28 November 2025 (23:59)
📚 Fellowship Overview
The Imperial Global Development Fellowship is managed by the Imperial Global Development Lab / Hub, and aims to support high-impact placements for PhD students from low-income settings.
The idea is to enable these students to come to Imperial College London for a few months, work closely with a host supervisor, and leverage Imperial’s research facilities, networks, and expertise to advance their own PhD projects — especially in areas that can contribute to development in their home countries.
The placement is structured around dual supervision: you need support both from your PhD supervisor at home, and from a host academic at Imperial.
💲 Benefits
Here are the key benefits the fellowship provides:
Financial Support
A generous stipend (£1,900/month) to cover living costs in London for the duration of stay.
A one-off payment upon arrival (£200) to help with settling costs.
Travel & Visa
Round-trip economy class airfare to travel to and from the UK.
Visa costs covered (standard visa application + Biometric Residence Permit).
Travel support for going to visa application centers in your home country.
Fee Waiver
No bench / tuition fees during the placement — host departments at Imperial waive those fees.
Support & Network
Opportunities to collaborate with leading Imperial researchers.
Exposure to Imperial’s research environment, seminars, labs, and broader academic network.
A chance to strengthen your PhD project, possibly gain new skills, and build international professional relationships.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
To apply, you must:
Be a current doctoral (PhD) student.
Be a passport holder and permanent resident of a Least Developed Country (LDC) or Lower-Middle Income Country (LMIC), per OECD ODA list.
Be pursuing your PhD at an institution in an LDC / LMIC (i.e., your PhD institution must be in a qualifying country)
Be at least 12 months into your PhD by the time the placement starts (i.e., have completed at least one year)
Have a Letter of Support from an Imperial host supervisor, signed by the Head of Department.
Have a Letter of Recommendation from your home PhD supervisor, confirming your suitability, skills, and a sufficient level of English.
Possess proficient English (formal test is not mandatory, but the Imperial supervisor must be satisfied you can engage with your work in English).
Ineligible if:
You hold dual British citizenship.
You are a permanent resident of a country not classified as LDC or LMIC.
You are doing your PhD in a country that is not an LDC / LMIC.
📝 How to Apply
Here is a step-by-step guide to applying:
Prepare Your Supervisors
Talk to your PhD supervisor at home and make sure they are willing to provide a recommendation letter.
Identify a potential host supervisor at Imperial who aligns with your research — browse Imperial’s departments / research groups, then reach out. Imperial provides a template letter for contacting potential supervisors.
Ask the host supervisor to write you a Letter of Support, signed by their Head of Department.
Fill in the Application Form
Provide background information to show you meet the eligibility criteria.
Answer the required short-essay questions:
A layperson summary of your PhD (200 words)
What you plan to do during the placement, and how it will benefit your PhD (500 words)
How the placement will help you grow professionally and personally, and build networks (250 words)
Submit Supporting Documents
Letter of Recommendation from your home supervisor.
Letter of Support from the Imperial supervisor (signed by Head of Department).
Email the letters to gdhfellowsfund@imperial.ac.uk as specified.
Timing
The deadline is 28 November 2025, 23:59 (GMT)
The placement must start in March 2026 and finish by 31 July 2026.
Other Considerations
Some students may need an ATAS certificate, depending on their research area. Because ATAS approval can take a while, they recommend applying early.
You are responsible for organising your accommodation in London; the fellowship does not provide accommodation.
✨ Review Process
Applications will be reviewed by the Global Development Fellowship Committee, along with relevant academic faculty.
The selection process aims to ensure fair geographical representation — meaning they may take into account distribution across countries / regions.
Decisions are expected to be announced (via email) in early December.
👌🏻 Eligibility Tips and Advice
Start early: Reach out to potential Imperial supervisors well before the deadline; writing a good letter of support and coordinating can take time.
Clarify your PhD timeline: Since you need to be at least 12 months into your PhD, make sure you’ll meet that by March 2026.
Work on the narrative: In your essays, clearly articulate how the placement will add value to your PhD, and also how working at Imperial will enhance your skills and networks in development.
Budget realistically: While the stipend is generous, living in London is not cheap. Plan for accommodation, transport, and “extra” costs.
Visa planning: Start visa application as soon as possible — you’ll need to deal with the UK visa centre, biometrics, potentially ATAS, etc.
ATAS: If required, check whether your research area needs ATAS clearance and apply as soon as possible: this could delay your start if not arranged.
Geographical equity: In your application, you might highlight how your research helps your home country, which could strengthen your case.
🚀 Why This Fellowship Matters
High impact: This is not just a visit — it’s designed to foster development-relevant research. For PhD students in LDCs / LMICs, this can be a transformative opportunity to bring rigorous academic work into context that really matters for sustainable development.
Institutional exposure: Being at Imperial — with its world-class facilities, academic network, and research culture — can open doors, both for your PhD and future collaborations.
Network building: The fellowship encourages building relationships with leading researchers, which can lead to co-authorship, joint projects, or future funding.
Capacity building: You’ll not only work on your own research, but you’ll learn new methods, approaches, and ways to frame development-focused research.
📞 Contact Information
Imperial Global Development Hub: You can explore their website for more details, past cohorts, and department links.