The China Scholarship Council (CSC) and the University of Bath intend to jointly support up to 10 new scholarships for entry in Autumn 2026 to enable selected, academically excellent, Chinese students to study full-time for a PhD at Bath.

Research priorities

The CSC and the University of Bath will support the following priority areas of study:

• Engineering and Design: for example, sustainable energy, bioengineering, climate adaptation, regenerative design, advanced materials, manufacturing and mobility
• Science: including Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science, Life Science and Physics
• Humanities and Social Sciences: Health, Psychology, Economics, Politics, Criminology, International Development, and Public Policy
• Management: Particularly finance, operations research, corporate and social responsibility
• Bath Beacons: The University of Bath also supports multidisciplinary beacons that prioritise key research strengths.

Applicants to other study areas will also be considered subject to the availability of relevant programmes at the University.

Scholarships include:

• funding for travel between China and the UK
• a stipend to cover living costs
• international tuition fees

The duration of each scholarship will be up to 48 months.

To apply to the University of Bath to be considered for this scheme, you must:

• be a citizen and permanent resident of the People’s Republic of China at the time of application - overseas Chinese students may be eligible for application subject to CSC policy
• fulfil the relevant entry requirements of the University of Bath
• meet the English language requirements by the published application deadline of 30 November 2025
• meet the selection criteria set out by CSC
• satisfy all visa and immigration requirements

Students who are currently studying a PhD programme either at the University of Bath or elsewhere are not eligible to apply for this funding.

Applications for entry in the 2026/27 academic year will open on 13 October 2025 until 30 November 2025

How to apply

Candidates should apply directly for admission to the University of Bath before the application deadline of: 30 November 2025.

We encourage applicants to identify and contact a suitable supervisor in order to develop their project and application. We will not be able to consider applications which do not name an intended supervisor on the application form.

There are priority research areas although applicants to other disciplines will also be considered. Once you are ready to apply, identify your preferred doctoral programme and then click on the APPLY NOW button.

When completing the online application form, you must ensure that the following steps are completed:

• in the 'Funding your studies' section, select 'China Scholarship Council/University of Bath award' from the first drop-down menu
• in the 'Your PhD project' section, state your proposed project title and intended supervisor name in the appropriate boxes

Failure to complete the above steps will cause delays in the processing of your application and may mean that your application cannot be considered for the scheme.

You must meet the English language requirements before the closing date for applications. An exception will be made if you are currently in your final year of studies at a UK-based higher education institution and are due to graduate at the end of the 2025/26 academic year. In this case, entry to the University would be conditional upon the successful completion of your current course. This would also count as evidence of your English-language proficiency.

Application Deadline

Complete applications must be submitted by 30 November 2025.

Application Results

If your application to the University of Bath is successful, you will be contacted by mid-March 2026. Successful candidates will be sent an offer and a nomination letter with which you can complete your application to CSC. If you are not successful in the CSC competition you will be asked if you wish to be considered as a self-funded applicant.

CSC funding application guidance will be published on the CSC website (in Mandarin Chinese).