Commonwealth
Professional Fellowships provide an opportunity for mid-career
professionals from developing Commonwealth
countries. Fellowships support mid-career professionals to spend a period of
time with a UK host organization working in their field for a program of
professional development.
Fellowship
purpose is to provide professionals with the opportunity to enhance knowledge
and skills in their given sector, and to have catalytic effects on their workplaces.
These
fellowships are funded by the UK Department for International Development
(DFID), with the aim of contributing to the UK’s international development aims
and wider overseas interests, supporting excellence in UK higher education, and
sustaining the principles of the Commonwealth.
Applicants
must have normally at least five years’ relevant work experience in a
profession related to the subject of the application, by the proposed start of
the fellowship.
Course Level: Fellowships support mid-career professionals to spend a
period of time with a UK host organization working in their field for a
program of professional development.
Study Subject(s): The CSC is keen to encourage creative and flexible
applications from a wide range of sectors – professional, charitable, public,
and private. Priority will be given to applications with practical relevance in
the following broadly defined areas: Agriculture / fisheries / forestry,
Economic growth, Education, Engineering / science / technology, Environment
and Governance
Scholarship Award: Each fellowship provides:
-Approved return airfare from the Fellow’s home country to the UK
-Stipend (living allowance) payable monthly (or pro rata) for the duration of
the award at the rate of £1,580 per month, or £1,959 per month for those at
organisations in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2015- 2016
levels). Exceptionally, depending on the programme arranged, a peripatetic
living allowance may be payable. Further details if applicable will be given at
the time of offer
-Arrival allowance of up to £887.83 at current rates, including an element for
warm clothing and reimbursement of the visa application fee
-Fixed grant for excess baggage for return travel only, dependent on the
airport destination. The Fellow will be advised of the amount close to the date
of departure
-Flat rate contribution of £800 to the costs of the host/nominating
organisation relating to the administration and support of the Fellow, setting
up of appropriate meetings, any materials required, and incidental travel for
the Fellow during the award
-Reasonable fees up to a maximum of £3,000 will be agreed in the context of the
length of the programme, but full justification must be given for the amount
being claimed. Such claims can cover:
-Fees for any conferences or short courses attended during the fellowship,
provided that these are approved as part of the original application ? Cost of
travel for visits to other organisations in the UK, where these form an
integral part of the programme
-Other fees, for which the CSC will consider requests on a case-by-case basis
Scholarship can be taken at: UK
Eligibility:
To be eligible for these fellowships, applicants must:
-Be a citizen of a developing Commonwealth country, refugee, or British protected
person
-Be permanently resident in a developing Commonwealth country
-Have normally at least five years’ relevant work experience in a profession
related to the subject of the application, by the proposed start of the
fellowship
-Be available to start their fellowship within prescribed dates as stated on
the CSC website
-Not have undertaken a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship in the last five
years
-Not be seeking to undertake an academic programme of research or study in the
UK. Academics are eligible to apply for the scheme, but only to undertake
programmes of academic management, not research or courses relevant to their
research subject
-The CSC promotes equal opportunity, gender equity, and cultural exchange.
Applications are encouraged from a diverse range of candidates.
Nationality: Fellows must be from eligible Commonwealth
countries:
List of Countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland
Islands, Fiji, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya,
Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn
Islands, Rwanda, St Helena, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and The
Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri
Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos,
Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Virgin Islands (British), Zambia and Zimbabwe
College Admission Requirement
Entrance Requirement: Applicants must have normally at least
five years’ relevant work experience in a profession related to the subject of
the application, by the proposed start of the fellowship.
Test Requirement: No
English Language Requirements: Applicants from outside the home
country will often need to meet specific English language/other language
requirements in order to be able to study there.
Supporting Material: If applicant’s application does not
include two references – one from their current employer – it will be
considered ineligible. Applicants must check with their referees that they have
submitted their references via the EAS – further information for referees on
how to submit a reference.
How to Apply: If applicants are nominated by a UK
organisation for a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship, applicants will be
asked to complete an application using the CSC’s Electronic Application System
(EAS).
Application Deadline: The deadline for applications for
2016 (Round 1) Commonwealth Professional Fellowships is 23:59 (BST) on 17 May
2016. Applicants must liaise with their host/nominating organisation well in
advance of this date to agree a deadline to complete the EAS, so that the
organisation can submit the full application by the official deadline
