From 2026/27, the CSC has launched a new ‘Commonwealth Fellowship Programme’ featuring two strands: the current Professional Fellowships alongside a new strand of Academic Fellowships. 

Commonwealth Professional Fellowships are for mid-career professionals from eligible Commonwealth countries (other than the UK) to undertake a programme of professional development at a UK host organization working in their sector.   

Commonwealth Academic Fellowships are for academic staff who hold a PhD and are employed at a university in an eligible Commonwealth country (other than the UK) to undertake a programme of academic skills update, knowledge exchange, and networking, with a view to establishing future collaboration at a UK university.

ELIGIBILITY:

Both strands are open to candidates from  ALL Commonwealth countries. 

To be eligible for these fellowships, prospective fellows must:

Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person.

Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country. Prospective Fellows should not have indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Professional Fellows: have at least five years’ full-time, or equivalent part-time, relevant work experience in a profession related to the subject of the fellowship program by the proposed start of the fellowship—voluntary work experience will not be counted towards this minimum. 

Academic Fellows: Hold a PhD and be employed by a university in a Commonwealth country other than the UK.  

Be in employment at the time of application at an organization that they will return to upon completion of the fellowship.

Provide at least two references, one of which must be from their current employer. Any applications for which references are not received will be considered ineligible.

Not have undertaken a Commonwealth Fellowship within the last five years (at the time of taking up the award).

Be available to undertake their fellowship from the prescribed start date.

In addition to the above, prospective Fellows must ensure they meet any eligibility criteria set out by each individual host organization.

The CSC aims to identify talented individuals who have the potential to make change. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and non-discrimination and encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates. For further information on the support available to Fellows with a disability, see the CSC disability support statement.

Please note that personal information will be used to conduct necessary due diligence checks by the CSC. These checks will be carried out before proceeding with any type of formal agreement or contractual relationship. In most cases, the due diligence checks will be straightforward, but further information may be requested, so we ask for full cooperation from candidates to speed up the process. 

If candidates do not agree to their personal data being used for the purpose of conducting due diligence, the CSC will not be able to proceed further with the selection process. 

BENEFIT:

Each fellowship provides: 

Approved return airfare from the Fellow’s home country to the UK.  

Reimbursement of the standard visa application fee.  

A stipend (living allowance) is payable monthly (or pro rata) for the duration of the award at the rate of £2,218 per month, or £2,753 per month for those at organizations in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2025/26 levels).  

If a Fellow declares a disability, a full assessment of needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC. See the CSC disability support statement for more information.  

Arrival allowance of up to £1,247.09 (rates quoted at 2025/26 levels), including an element for warm clothing.  Additional fees can be agreed for costs associated with  Fellows attend short courses/conferences as well as travel to visit other UK organizations where this forms an integral part of the programme.  Programmes from six weeks to two months can claim up to £1,000, and programmes of two months to three months can claim up to £2,000.   See further guidance below.   These costs will be paid directly to the host organization.