Imperial College London President’s PhD Scholarships — Fully Funded PhD Opportunity
- Omran Aburayya
- Sep 17
- 5 min read
If you’re a high-performing undergraduate or master’s student dreaming of doing a PhD at a world-class research institution, the President’s PhD Scholarships at Imperial College London are now open (or will be, depending on cycle) — this is an outstanding chance to get full funding, a generous stipend, and full support for 3.5 years. Below is all the key info you need to know.
🎓 Scholarship Summary
Location: London, United Kingdom
Host Institution: Imperial College London
Study Level: Doctoral / PhD level (3.5 years)
Target Group: Prospective new PhD students (not current PhD students at Imperial) from the UK and worldwide.
Fields of Focus: All eligible Imperial departments offering PhD programmes. These include a very wide range: e.g. Aeronautics; Bioengineering; Brain Sciences; Business; Chemical, Civil, Materials, Mechanical Engineering; Computing; Chemistry; Physics; Life Sciences; Public Health; Surgery & Cancer; etc.
Value & Coverage:
Full tuition fees (home or overseas) covered.
Annual stipend to assist living costs: around £25,980 for the 2025-26 cycle.
Consumables fund: £2,000 per annum for the first 3 years of study.
Support via cohort events / bespoke opportunities through Imperial’s research-oriented institutes (Early Career Researcher Institute or Graduate School events) plus access to full postgraduate support services.
Duration: 3.5 years of PhD study. Consumables funding is for the first 3 years.
Application Deadlines / Rounds:
(For the 2025-26 academic year)
Round 1: Apply by 3 November 2025, notification by 31 January 2026.
Round 2: Apply by 12 January 2026, notified by 31 March 2026.
Round 3: Apply by 2 March 2026, notified by 31 May 2026.
Eligible To: Applicants from any nationality, new PhD applicants
📚 Scholarship Overview
The President’s PhD Scholarships scheme is designed to support about 50 outstanding students each year. You choose your own research project (in a department of your choice) with the supervision of a faculty member. Alongside doing your PhD, scholars join a cohort of peers under this scheme, benefiting from additional training events, networking, and development via the Early Career Researcher Institute (or Graduate School structure). It’s not only about your proposed research, but also about building research readiness, professional skills, and being part of a high-achieving postgraduate community.
The selection is competitive and works like this:
You apply for a PhD programme at Imperial via the normal admissions route (online application).
Before applying: you should have secured agreement from a supervisor in a department at Imperial who is willing to supervise your proposed project. Supervisors are limited: each supervisor may supervise only one President’s PhD Scholar at a time.
In your application, you indicate that you want to be considered for the President’s PhD Scholarship (there is a funding section in the admission application where you select this).
Departments will shortlist candidates, then a College-level Selection Panel (including Vice-Provost for Research, Directors of Graduate School / Early Career Research etc.) makes final decisions. There is also an "Alternate Pathways" / “special case” process for applicants who may not meet the standard eligibility but have extenuating circumstances.
🎁 Scholarship Benefits
Fees Covered: Full tuition fees for home and overseas students.
Stipend / Living Costs: Generous stipend (~£25,980 for 2025-26) to cover living expenses.
Consumables Fund: £2,000 per year (first 3 years) to cover research-related consumables etc.
Professional Development / Cohort Support: Access to bespoke events, training through Early Career Researcher Institute or Graduate School, full postgraduate support (which includes international student support, disabled student services, learning & development etc.).
✅ Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible, you must:
Be a new PhD applicant to Imperial (i.e. not already registered as a PhD student there).
Hold, or expect to hold, one of the following:
A first class or equivalent undergraduate degree, or an integrated Master’s degree.
Or, if your undergraduate degree is not first class, then a distinction in a standalone Master’s qualification.
Meet any departmental requirements or supervisor agreement. Supervisors must agree to supervise your project, and some supervisors may be unavailable (if already supervising a President’s Scholar).
Non-UK / international applicants are eligible (no nationality restriction), though you may need to check that your grades are regarded as equivalent by the admissions department.
Be willing to start in the specified intake window (e.g. 1 August to 1 November) for the relevant year.
💡 There is also “Alternate Pathways” consideration: if your academic record has some weaknesses but you have strong research potential, or extenuating circumstances, departments may make a special case.
📝 Application Procedure
Here is how to apply and what you need:
Procedure:
Identify a department in Imperial offering a PhD in your area of interest. Engage with a potential supervisor there, and obtain agreement to supervise your project under the President’s PhD Scholarships scheme.
Prepare your application for admission to the PhD programme via Imperial’s online admissions system. In that application, select the option to be considered for the President’s PhD Scholarships.
Include required supporting documents (see below), ensuring your application (and all documents) are submitted before the relevant deadline round.
Department reviews applications, shortlists, forwards to College panel; final decisions are communicated by the deadlines. If you are not selected for the scholarship, you will still be considered for a standard PhD offer.
📂 Documents Required
Academic transcripts (undergraduate, Master’s if applicable) showing grades.
Evidence of degree(s) awarded, or in progress, and predicted grades if not yet completed.
Personal statement (approx 2 pages): first page motivations for applying to Imperial & for the scholarship; second page your proposed research project (research proposal).
Two academic references (not the proposed PhD supervisor). Choose referees who know your academic and research potential.
Any departmental or subject-specific supplemental documents or forms (as required by chosen department).
📆 When You’ll Hear / Key Dates
There are three rounds of applications each cycle. Deadlines and notification timelines are:
Round Application Deadline Notification Date Round 1 ~3 November (or early Nov) End of January Round 2 ~12 January End of March Round 3 ~2 March End of May
Offers are conditional on you achieving predicted qualifications (if you haven’t yet completed your degree).
ℹ️ Extra Useful Information
Supervisor availability matters: even if you meet all requirements, if the supervisor you want is already supervising a President’s Scholar, you may not be eligible under that supervisor. Always check the “Unavailable Supervisors” listing.
Start date window: you must be ready to begin within the specified intake period (usually August-November of the relevant year) when your PhD is funded under this scheme. Delays outside this window may disqualify or cause deferral issues.
No separate application form for the scholarship beyond the PhD admission application; but you must select the option to be considered for it.
Alternate Pathways / Special Cases: Applicants who do not strictly meet grade thresholds but have demonstrated research excellence or other extenuating circumstances may still be considered if nominated by their department.
