Welcome to our guide on PhD scholarships in the Department of Materials - our PhD Scholarship Hub!

This page is a valuable resource for applicants and prospective supervisors on the various scholarship opportunities available for PhD studies.

This page outlines scholarships supported by the Department of Materials and Imperial College London, ensuring many possibilities for aspiring researchers.

We continuously update this page to provide you with the latest information. You can also use the College Scholarship Search Tool to explore more options.

More details on the general PhD application processing:

  • When we have finalised the details, all PhD offers will require approval from our PGR Admission Tutor, Stefano Angioletti-Uberti, and formal processing by our PGR Coordinator, Annalisa Neri.

  • Academics must then fill out the cover sheet after the applicant's interview.

  • Please be aware that these guidelines specifically relate to regular PhDs. For CDT scholarships, we recommend contacting the respective centre managers for more information:

We are excited to support your path to earning a PhD in the Department of Materials.

PhD Scholarship Calls

President's Scholarship
  • Award: The following support is offered to President's scholars during the 3.5 years of study:

    • Full funding for tuition fees (OS or Home)
    • A stipend of £25,224 (2024-25 rate) per annum to assist with living costs 
    • A consumables fund of £2,000 per annum for the first 3 years of study
    • A programme of bespoke opportunities and events delivered by the Graduate School

  • Deadlines:

  • Eligibility:

    • Candidates must be in receipt of, or due to receive, a first-class or equivalent in an undergraduate or integrated Masters degree.
    • Candidates must be in receipt of (or where this has yet to be received be able to provide evidence of high performance that will lead to) a distinction in a standalone Master’s qualification.
    • Candidates with only a single undergraduate degree or integrated Master’s must still be in receipt of, or due to receive, a first-class or equivalent.
    • Applications are accepted from talented candidates from Imperial College London, the UK and worldwide. There are no restrictions on nationality.
    • The scheme is only open to new PhD applications. Currently, registered Imperial PhD students are not eligible to be considered for a President's PhD Scholarship.
  • Eligible supervisors: a list of unavailable supervisors (already supervising a President's scholar) are listed on our website.

  • How to apply: The prospective supervisor should put forward your applicant(s) by notifying our PGR Admission Tutor, Dr Stefano Angioletti-Uberti and PGR Coordinator, Dr Annalisa Neri, forwarding the complete front sheet for candidate - 2025 cycle.

    • For the 2025–26 academic year, the earliest start date for funded places is 1 August 2025, and the latest start date is 1 November 2025.

    • When prompted for a personal statement the applicant must include a 2-page document:

      • The first page should be a personal statement (motivations for applying to Imperial and the scholarship, and any other supporting information not included elsewhere on the form that you feel will enhance your application)
      • The second page should be the research proposal. The applicant may submit updated versions of this statement if required following application submission if shortlisted by the department. The applicant is encouraged to write in the first person. 

    • When prompted for the names of two academic referees, these should be people who can provide an academic reference in support of the application (e.g. a personal tutor or a thesis supervisor). The proposed PhD supervisor cannot be a referee.

    • To be considered for the President's PhD Scholarship scheme, the applicant must select this option in the funding section of the additional questions tab within the online application form.

  • Please visit the following web pages for more details:
Sir Keith & Lady Rita O'Nions PhD Scholarship

Unfortunately this scheme has not been confirmed for 2025-26

Departmental Scholarships and DTPs*

*note that DTP (Doctoral Training Partnership) will become DLA (Doctoral Landscape Award)

  • Award: Financial support for up to 42 months/3.5 years:
    • Full funding for home tuition fees (UK, Irish citizens and EU citizens with settled status qualify as home students)
    • A few overseas departmental scholarships (no DTPs) are available each year, please get in touch with us.
    • A stipend aligned with the UKRI London rate (this will be reviewed annually and may be increased in line with inflation, currently £21,237 per year).
    • A consumables fund of £1,000 per annum for the first three years.
  • Deadlines: Refer to the dates for the President’s scholarship

  • Eligible candidates: You must meet the Imperial College entry requirements.

  • Eligible supervisors: 

    • Regular Scholarships: Each academic can nominate one PhD student for a DTP or departmental scholarship through the rota system, with exceptions possible for outstanding candidates.
    • Collaborative Schemes: If you collaborate with another academic in the department, you can receive a 0.5 scholarship allocation for a jointly supported PhD applicant. This allows two students to benefit from one scholarship and encourages internal collaborations.
    • Supervising a departmental-supported PhD student does not make an academic ineligible for the other schemes listed on this page

  • How to apply: 

    The prospective supervisor should put forward your applicant(s) by notifying our PGR Admission Tutor, Dr Stefano Angioletti-Uberti and PGR Coordinator, Dr Annalisa Neri. 
    Applicants should submit their application for admission to study at Materials through our online application system and we will evaluate the application based on academic merit and potential. There is no specific scholarship application form.  
    When prompted for a research proposal the student must ensure that it consists of approximately 1,000 words (maximum 2 pages) and outlines their academic and research achievements to date, briefly explaining their planned research project.
    You can keep the same statement if you are applying also for the DTP/President’s scholarship. 

    Please visit our DTP and Departmental Scholarships webpage for more details.
Departmental PhD Scholarship for our current MSc students
  • Award: Same as departmental scholarship (covers overseas tuition fees)
  • Deadlines:
  • Eligibility:
    • Eligible candidates: You must meet the Imperial College entry requirements, and be currently enrolled for an MSc programme in the Department of Materials.
    • Eligible supervisor: You must not currently supervise a PhD student holding the PhD scholarship for MSc students.
  • How to apply:
    Applicants will need to send to our MSc Deputy Course Director, Dr Ann Huang and our PGR Coordinator, Dr Annalisa Neri the following:
    • CV and personal statement
    • Academic transcripts and 1-page research proposal; 
    • Support statement from proposed supervisor; (The supervisor should send this document to Annalisa Neri)

Shortlisted candidates will have to submit a PowerPoint presentation on their research experience and proposed project by 22 January

DTP CASE conversions
  • Award: Same as DTP and Department scholarships, above. Only open to home or Ireland tuition fees.

  • Deadlines: 

    • Department deadline (for academics to put a candidate forward)  – TBC
  • Eligible candidates: Must meet the Imperial College entry requirements.

  • Eligible supervisors:

    Application from the following academics is encouraged:
    • that are sponsored by SMEs; and/or
    • where the supervisor is an early career academic (up to 10 years from the award of their PhD).

  • How to apply: The prospective supervisor should put forward your applicant(s) by notifying our PGR Admission Tutor, Dr Stefano Angioletti-Uberti and PGR Coordinator, Dr Annalisa Neri, by submitting the nomination form. 

    Applicants should submit their application for admission to study at Materials through our online application system and we will evaluate the application based on academic merit and potential. There is no specific scholarship application form.  
    When prompted for a research proposal the student must ensure that it consists of approximately 1,000 words (maximum 2 pages) and outlines their academic and research achievements to date, briefly explaining their planned research project.

    You can keep the same statement if you are applying also for the DTP/President’s scholarship.
Amelia and John Kentfield PhD Scholarship
  • Award: 
    • Full funding for Overseas tuition fees. 
    • A stipend of £25,150 per year for 42 months (2025/26 rate tbc)
    • A consumables budget (£2,000 in the first three years)

  • Deadlines: 
  • Eligibility: 
    • The candidate’s proposed project must align with sustainability, advances in AI and its applications, and Space-related research areas.
    • To be eligible, candidates must be:
      • Female; and/or
      • Of an underrepresented minority ethnicity; and/or
      • Have a disability as defined in section 6 UK Equality Act 2010.
    • The scholarship is available to students on full-time and part-time courses.
    • Academic criteria
      • Candidates should hold or achieve a Master's degree, in addition to a Bachelor's degree at UK Upper Second Class Honours Level or more.
      • Candidates with degrees from overseas institutions should refer to the College Graduate entry requirements pages or check with the relevant Admissions team if their scores/grades are equivalent to the scholarship entry criteria.
      • Candidates for whom English is not their first language must already have met the English Language criteria at the time of application or have made arrangements to sit an English Language test. 
      • The scholarships are only open to new PhD applications. Current registered Imperial PhD students are not eligible to be considered for this scholarship.

  • How to apply and selection process:  The prospective supervisor should put forward your applicant(s) by notifying our PGR Admission Tutor, Dr Stefano Angioletti-Uberti and PGR Coordinator, Dr Annalisa Neri, forwarding the complete front sheet for candidate - 2025 cycle.
    • For the 2025–26 academic year, the earliest start date for funded places is 1 August 2025, and the latest start date is 1 November 2025.
    • When prompted for a personal statement you must include a 2-page document.  In the statement, please specify in the subject line that you intend to apply for the ‘FoE Amelia and John Kentfield Scholarships 2025/26 intake’. The statement should include:
      • your motivations for applying to Imperial College and the scholarship,
      • your research proposal
      • and any other supporting information not included elsewhere on the application form that you feel will enhance your application and you should outline.
      • you are encouraged to write in first person. 
    • When prompted for the names of two academic referees, these should be people who can provide an academic reference in support of the application (e.g. a personal tutor or a thesis supervisor). The proposed PhD supervisor cannot be a referee.
    • To be considered for the President's PhD Scholarship scheme, the applicant must select this option in the funding section of the additional questions tab within the online application form.
    • Each Department can only nominate one candidate

  • Successful candidates will receive written confirmation of their scholarship in early-mid March 2025. Any offer of a scholarship will be conditional on the candidate receiving the predicted qualifications

    Contacts: For general queries, please contact, Yangna Li, Research Strategy and Development Team, Faculty of Engineering.

CSC - Imperial Scholarship (Chinese Nationals Only)
  • Award: 
    • Full funding for Overseas tuition fees. 
    • A stipend aligned with the UKRI London rate (this will be reviewed annually and may be increased in line with inflation, currently £21,237 per year).
    • For new applicants, each scholarship be either 3 or 4 years duration as follows:
      • A successful applicant for the degree of PhD will be awarded a scholarship of three (3) years duration
      • A successful applicant who is required to undertake a one-year postgraduate research degree before starting a PhD will be awarded a scholarship of one (1) year's duration in the first instance and will be awarded a further scholarship of three (3) years' duration subject to admission to study for the degree of PhD.
  • Deadlines: 
  • Eligibility: 
    • Chinese students with a strong academic background.
    • Students must hold a PR Chinese passport (applicants from Hong Kong or Taiwan are not eligible). Applicants can either be residents in China (domestic applicants) at the time of application or Chinese applicants studying overseas.
    • Students with prior experience of studying overseas (including in the UK) are eligible to apply. Chinese Imperial graduates/Masters students are therefore eligible for the scheme. 
    • Applicants can be either a new applicant or in their first year of PhD study at Imperial 
    • Full eligibility criteria are available HERE
    • There are no ineligibility criteria for supervisors

  • How to apply and selection process: 

    The prospective supervisor should put forward your applicant(s)by notifying our PGR Admission Tutor, Dr Stefano Angioletti-Uberti and PGR Coordinator, Dr Annalisa Neri and sending a complete CSC - Imperial Nomination form (only complete the student details, PhD details and supervisor support statement).
      • Applicants must have a formal offer of admission by the time the department submits the Nomination Form. 
      • Applicants must have also met the English language condition of the offer by 5 Mar 2025.   The CSC will consider applicants holding a conditional offer letter, providing the only ‘condition’ is the completion of a Masters qualification (and not English Language Test results).  Students can check our 'English language requirements page' for details on our language requirements.
      • Departments can nominate a maximum of three candidates per department. If departments nominate more than one student, they will need to be ranked and the Head of Department (HoD) has to provide justification in the statement. Departments are required to fully fund and administer the student’s stipend (at the minimum UK Research and Innovation - UKRI stipend level) so HoDs/Institute Directors should only sign off the number of applications that they are willing to financially support.
      • The CSC Imperial Scholarship Panel will then consider all the nomination forms and will produce a list of students to be recommended for a CSC Imperial Scholarship in early March.
      • Those recommended for a CSC Imperial Scholarship will be asked to complete the CSC application form (this will be early/mid-March) on the CSC website.  The CSC application usually opens between 10 March - 31 March  (The CSC application window will be confirmed in early 2025).
      • Students will be informed of the progress of their scholarship application and whether they have been selected as a potential scholarship recipient on/around 12 March 2025. Between April and June 2025, CSC will review and approve the scholarships. After this, students will be informed of the final outcome of their application and issued a formal CSC Imperial Scholarship letter.
  • Please visit our website for more details: 
The Lee Family Scholarship
  • Award: 
    • Full funding for Overseas tuition fees for 3.5 years.
    • A stipend of £25,980 per year (this will be reviewed annually and may be increased in line with inflation), for 3.5 years.
    • A consumables budget (£2,000 in the first three years and £1,000 in the final year) 
  • Deadlines: 
  • Eligibility: 
    • Ordinarily reside in mainland China or Hong Kong (excluding Taiwan).
    • Submit a PhD application to the Faculty of Engineering by 13 January 2025.  Prospective PhD students must approach the respective Departments and supervisors with details of their proposed projects well before the PhD application deadline of 13 January 2025. 
    • be a new PhD applicant. Current registered Imperial PhD students are not eligible for the Lee Family Scholarship.
    • have been classified as Overseas for fee status.
    • Applicants must have met the English language condition of the offer by 30 June 2025.   Please see our 'English language requirements page' for details on our language requirements and ensure you meet the English requirements by 30 June 2025.
    • There are no ineligibility criteria for supervisors
  • How to apply and selection process: 
    The prospective supervisor should put forward your applicant(s)by notifying our PGR Admission Tutor, Dr Stefano Angioletti-Uberti and PGR Coordinator, Dr Annalisa Neri and sending a complete Lee Family Scholarship Nomination form (Please download the form, don't fill it online and only complete the student details, PhD details and supervisor support statement). 

    Suitable candidates can be nominated for both the Lee Family Scholarship and the CSC Imperial Scholarship for the academic year 2025-26 for consideration.

      • Prospective PhD students must approach individual Imperial Departments and supervisors with details of their proposed projects well before the PhD application deadline of 13 January 2025. (*Important: Some departments may have earlier deadlines for this scholarship so please check with your department). Students must make contact with departments/supervisors before submitting a PhD application. Guidance on finding a supervisor can be found on the 'Finding a supervisor' page.
      • There is not a specific scholarship application form. Students submit a complete PhD application by Monday, 13 January 2025.  You can apply online through My Imperial at the 'Application process' webpage.  Please note: It can take 6-8 weeks for PhD applications to be processed.
      • Departments will nominate candidates for this scholarship. Candidates will be assessed on academic merit and potential using their admissions application. Applicants nominated by the Department for this award will be notified by the PGR coordinator. 
      • The College Selection Panel will then consider all 'Lee Family Scholarship - Nomination Forms' and make the final decision on award holders. 
      •  Successful and unsuccessful candidates will be notified by 31 March 2025.
  • Please visit our website for more details: 
SSCP (Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet) DTP - interested academics will be contacted directly

The SSCP DTP will award 17 fully funded NERC studentships in 2024-25.

 Applicants can choose from projects which have been proposed by various Imperial academics and researchers from our partner institutions. This is not managed by the Department of Materials. Christiane Morgan will contact academics who applied for the scheme directly. 

  • Eligibility:
    • Candidates must meet the Imperial College entry requirements.
    • Must qualify for home tuition fees i. e. UK, Irish citizens and EU citizens with settled status - limited opportunities for overseas students. Speak with the lead supervisor of the project regarding funding options if you qualify for overseas fees.

  • Deadlines: 
    • Student submission on the application portal – TBC
    • Academics submitting their candidate - TBC
    • Decision – TBC

  • Award: Same as DTP and Department scholarships, above. Open to overseas student (with a cap of the 30% of the cohort), only covers home tuition fees.

  • How to apply: 

    • Information for students on how to apply, along with scoring criteria, can be found on the SSCP DTP website. We strongly advise you to read the ‘Application process’ section carefully. Please note that all interested applicants must complete a pre-application form. Completion of this form will provide the student with a Unique Identifier, which students must provide you with. If you are a PI-based at NHM, there will be a different form for those applying solely at NHM.

    • Academics who applied to this scheme will receive an email with the details from Christiane Morgan by the end of October.

      • Academics will need to send their candidates to Christiane Morgan, for every candidate nominated there ought to be at least 3 interviews recorded from the department.
      • Christiane will provide more details in due course.

While we still need our PGR Admission Tutor, Dr Stefano Angioletti-Uberti to approve a PhD offer for this scheme, there is no departmental shortlisting process for it. Therefore supervisors can liaise directly with Christiane Morgan and inform the PGR admissions tutor and our PGR Coordinator, Dr Annalisa Neri if the candidate gets the scholarship awarded.

Other centrally funded scholarships and external scholarships

Also, check out this webpage for more funding opportunities:

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have questions? Read our frequently asked questions to see how we can help you.

Read our FAQ

Contacts for enquiries

Dr Annalisa Neri

Postgraduate Research Coordinator
Send an email
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 2053

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