Imperial President's PhD Scholarship
The President's PhD Scholarship is Imperial College London's flagship doctoral award, established to attract the very best PhD candidates worldwide. Around 50 scholarships are awarded annually across all faculties (engineering, natural sciences, medicine, business school). The award covers full tuition at the international rate, a stipend that exceeds the UKRI standard, plus a consumables and travel budget — making it one of the most competitive UK PhD scholarships open to Sri Lankan applicants.
Open for October 2027 PhD entry — main round closes mid-November 2026; second round closes April 2027. Dates follow the same annual pattern — confirm the current round before applying.
Imperial College London
University-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Annual Stipend
£25,000+/yr (tax-free)
Duration
3.5 Years
Extras
Full Tuition + £2,000 Consumables + Travel Allowance
info How this award actually works
Who awards it
Imperial College London — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.
How you are considered
Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.
What it covers
Full Tuition + £25,000 Stipend + Travel Allowance. This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.
Where we come in
We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Outstanding Academic Record
Equivalent of a UK first-class honours degree in your subject — typically a first-class Bachelor's from a top Sri Lankan university or a strong international Master's.
Supervisor Nomination Required
You cannot apply directly. A prospective Imperial supervisor must agree to take you on as a PhD candidate AND formally nominate you for the President's Scholarship. Identifying and engaging a supervisor early is the critical first step.
Open to All Nationalities
Sri Lankan applicants are eligible on the same terms as UK and EU applicants. The scholarship covers fees at the international rate, removing a major barrier.
English Proficiency
Imperial's standard PhD English requirement — IELTS 6.5 overall, with at least 6.0 in each component (Standard requirement). Higher for some departments.
account_tree Application Process
Identify and contact a supervisor
Browse Imperial faculty pages, identify potential supervisors, and email them in August-October with your CV, transcripts, and a 1-2 page research proposal. This is non-negotiable — without supervisor agreement you cannot proceed.
Apply for PhD admission
Submit the standard Imperial PhD application via my.imperial.ac.uk — transcripts, references, research proposal, English certificate. Note your supervisor's name and that you wish to be considered for the President's Scholarship.
Supervisor nomination
Your supervisor submits a formal nomination on your behalf to the department's funding committee by the round deadline (typically mid-November for round 1 or April for round 2).
Central review + decision
Faculty-shortlisted nominees go to Imperial's central President's Scholarship panel. Decisions are typically announced February (round 1) or June (round 2) for October entry.
Why Imperial?
Imperial is consistently ranked among the world's top universities for science, engineering, medicine, and business. The President's Scholars form a small, well-resourced cohort with annual symposium and networking opportunities with senior researchers across the college.
~50
Scholars / Year
#2
QS World Ranking 2026
£25k+
Annual Stipend
Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?
Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.
Work out your real number
Tuition, living costs, visa funds and flights for your destination — so you know the gap you are actually trying to close.
Open the cost calculator arrow_forwardSort courses by lowest fee
The full catalogue, cheapest tuition first. Changing course or country saves far more than most awards are worth.
Browse lowest-fee courses arrow_forwardWhat UK actually costs
Tuition, living costs and the total first-year figure for UK, in LKR as well as local currency.
See the cost breakdown arrow_forwardCheck your proof of funds
Every student visa requires you to show funds. Find out what you need before you commit to an application.
Check the requirement arrow_forwardSimilar Scholarships
Other curated opportunities for Sri Lankan students.
Edinburgh Global Research Scholarship
University of Edinburgh
Warwick Chancellor's International Scholarship
University of Warwick
Commonwealth PhD Scholarship
Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC)