Road and red-brick university buildings on the University of Manchester campus.

United Kingdom 2026 entry: applications closed 28 February 2026 — 2027 round expected to close end Feb 2027

Edinburgh Global Research Scholarship

The Edinburgh Global Research Scholarship (EGRS) is a tuition-only PhD award that covers the gap between the overseas and home tuition fee — typically £18,000-£22,000 per year, paid for up to three years. Around 30 awards are offered annually across all schools of the University of Edinburgh. Sri Lankan PhD applicants who already have UKRI, Commonwealth, or self-funded coverage for living costs can use the EGRS to bridge the international-fee differential. The scholarship is offered alongside a confirmed PhD offer and does NOT cover living expenses.

University of Edinburgh

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

savings

Value

Overseas/Home Fee Gap (~£20k/yr)

school

Duration

Up to 3 Years (PhD)

groups

Awards

~30 per Year (all schools)

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

school

PhD Programme Offer

You must hold (or have applied for) admission to a full-time PhD or MPhil research programme at the University of Edinburgh. Taught Master's and MRes candidates apply for other Edinburgh awards.

public

Overseas Fee Status

Open to international students paying overseas fees — Sri Lankan citizens qualify. UK home-fee students apply via separate UKRI / Edinburgh studentships.

work

Outstanding Academic Record

Selection is by academic merit. Most successful candidates have a strong Master's degree with distinction, publications or research output, and a compelling research proposal aligned with a supervisor's interests.

task_alt

Supplementary Funding for Living

EGRS is tuition-only. You'll need separate funding for living costs in Edinburgh (~£18,000/year) — either through a separate scholarship, supervisor's grant, or self-funding. Sri Lankan applicants frequently pair EGRS with Commonwealth or UKRI top-ups.

account_tree Application Process

Apply to a PhD programme first

Identify a supervisor and submit your PhD application via EUCLID, the Edinburgh applicant portal, with research proposal, references, and transcripts. Most PhD programmes have rolling admissions but EGRS has a fixed deadline.

Submit the EGRS application

Complete the separate EGRS scholarship form on the Edinburgh Scholarships portal. The application takes about 30 minutes and asks for justification of need plus an outline of the research project. Submit by 28 February.

Selection by school

Each school at Edinburgh nominates candidates from its applicant pool to the central scholarships office, which makes final awards. Results are typically announced in April-May.

Accept + secure living funds

Accept EGRS via the portal. You'll need to confirm separate funding for living expenses before Edinburgh issues your CAS for the UK Student Visa.

Why Edinburgh for PhD?

Edinburgh is one of the UK's oldest universities (founded 1583) and a major global research hub — particularly strong in AI / informatics, biological sciences, philosophy, divinity, and Scottish/postcolonial literature. Three Sri Lankan PhDs are typically funded each year across schools. Edinburgh's PhD viva tradition and the city's strong international research community make it a popular choice over London for research-track candidates.