The China Scholarship Council (CSC) and the University of Bath intend to jointly support up to 10 new scholarships for entry in Autumn 2027 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 be considered for this scheme, you must must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Be a citizen and permanent resident¹ of the People’s Republic of China at the time of application (excluding Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan).
2. Be under 35 years of age at the time of application.
3. Fulfil the relevant academic entry requirements for your chosen programme at the University of Bath.
4. Meet the English language requirements by the published application deadline of 29 November 2026.
5. Satisfy all visa and immigration requirements for study in the UK.
6. Meet the selection criteria set out by the CSC including:
   • being in the final year of a bachelor’s or master’s degree at a Chinese university, or
   • being a final year master’s student² at a university outside China (graduating after March 2026, or expected to graduate in 2027, and based outside China at the time of application), or
   • being a working professional in China³ holding a bachelor’s degree or higher and having your employer’s support for your application

If you have already obtained a doctoral degree or are currently studying a PhD programme either at the University of Bath or elsewhere, you are not eligible to apply for this funding.

Applications for entry in the 2027/28 academic year will open on 12 October 2026 until 29 November 2026

How to apply

Candidates should apply directly for admission to the University of Bath by the application deadline of: 29 November 2026.

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 by 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 2026/27 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 29 November 2026.

Application Results

If your application to the University of Bath is successful, you will be contacted by mid-March 2027. Successful candidates will be sent an offer and a nomination letter with which you can complete your application to CSC. You should apply to the CSC via the China Scholarship Council:University of Bath Joint Scholarship Route. You should not apply using the Individual Route – nominees who apply through the Individual Route will not be eligible for a CSC:UoB Scholarship

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).