Fully-Funded Commonwealth Professional Fellowships, UK for 2023

Applications are now open for the Commonwealth Professional Fellowships. Interested candidates are to send in their applications before the deadline.

About the Fellowship

Mid-career professionals are encouraged to apply for Commonwealth Professional Fellowships, which will allow them the chance to further their knowledge and expertise in their particular industry and make a positive impact on their workplaces.

The Commonwealth Professional Fellowships enables mid-career professionals from low- and middle-income nations to spend time in a UK host company working in their field as part of a professional development program.

The Commonwealth Professional Fellowships cycle for 2023–24 is solely dedicated to sustainable energy, clean air, and clean oceans. The objective is to give professionals the possibility to advance their understanding and proficiency in their specialized fields and to have a catalytic effect on their workplaces.

The intended beneficiaries are mid-career professionals (with five years of relevant work experience) working for development-related organizations in Commonwealth countries with low and moderate incomes.

Details about Commonwealth Professional Fellowships:

Fellowship Sponsor: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, UK

Fellowship Value: Fully-funded

Number of Awards: Several

Study Level: Mid-career professionals

Host Institution(s): UK host organisation

Eligibility Criteria for Commonwealth Professional Fellowships

Applicants are advised to meet the following conditions to be eligible for the Commonwealth Professional Fellowships:

• Candidates must be citizens of or have received refugee status from, a Commonwealth nation that is eligible, or they must be British Protected Persons.
• Becoming a permanent resident of a Commonwealth nation
• Have at least five years of relevant work experience, either full-time or comparable part-time, in a field linked to the fellowship program before the anticipated start date; volunteer work experience does not count toward this requirement.
• Be employed at the time of application at a company where they will resume their career after completing the fellowship
•  A minimum of two references must be given, one of which must come from the applicant’s employment.
• At the time the award was accepted, the recipient had not completed a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship in the previous five years.
• Not aiming to carry out a research or study program at the university. Academics may apply for the program, but only to engage in academic management programs; they are not permitted to enroll in courses that are relevant to their research fields or to apply for research funds in those areas.
• Being able to begin and finish their fellowship within the specified timeframes.

Eligible Countries

Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, Botswana, Cameroon, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Belize, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, St Helena, St Lucia, St Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa.

Application Process for Commonwealth Professional Fellowships

Interested candidates for the Commonwealth Professional Fellowships are to fill out an online application form and provide all the needed information by the application deadline.

Starting in February 2024, fellowships will be valid for a period of time between six and three months. Please take notice that all Commonwealth Professional Fellowships offered in the 2023–24 cycle fall under authorized thematic umbrellas. All candidates must be professionals engaged in connected employment.

The following questions will be asked of potential fellows on the application form:

1. Please include any undergraduate and graduate degrees you have earned, if any.
2. Up to ten publications and awards, if any, should be included.
3. Give a brief description of your previous career and explain, in no more than 100 words per position, how each position relates to the program you want to pursue in the UK.
4. In no more than 300 words, explain how your prior job experience relates to the fellowship that has been suggested.
5. Please include the names and positions of up to three references who may comment on your abilities to benefit from your proposed fellowship in the UK as well as your capability to have a lasting influence on development afterward. Your present employer must be one of your referees.
6. Give a four-part Development Impact statement.

You should briefly (no more than 200 words) describe how the proposed Fellowship connects to:

• Reducing the use of fossil fuels, reducing air pollution, and supporting marine conservation is in line with SDGs 7, 13, and 14 and the objectives of COP 26.
• Global, national, and local concerns relating to development
• Climate change and the broader industry have development-related challenges.

You can also visit the official website for further details.

The Submission Deadline: 16 August 2023

Not interested in this particular scholarship? See other UK scholarships here.