How to Apply for the Commonwealth Professional Fellowship 2025

Applications are open for the Commonwealth Professional Fellowships, which are for mid-career professionals from low and middle income countries to spend a period of time at a UK host organization working in their sector for a programme of professional development.

When is Application Deadline:

5th August 2024

Tell Me About the Award:

Commonwealth Professional Fellowships are for mid-career professionals from low and middle income countries to spend a period of time at a UK host organisation working in their sector for a programme of professional development.

Purpose: To provide professionals with the opportunity to enhance knowledge and skills in their given sector, and to have catalytic effects on their workplaces.

Intended beneficiaries: Mid-career professionals (with five years’ relevant work experience) working organisations in low and middle income Commonwealth countries.

These fellowships are offered under six development themes:

• Science and technology for development
• Strengthening health systems and capacity
• Promoting innovation and entrepreneurship
• Strengthening global peace, security and governance
• Strengthening resilience and response to crises
• Access, inclusion and opportunity

Type:

Fellowship

Who can Apply for the Commonwealth Professional Fellowship?

To be eligible for these Fellowships, prospective Fellows must:

• Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
• Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
• Have at least five years’ full-time, or equivalent part-time, relevant work experience, in a profession related to the subject of the fellowship programme, by the proposed start of the fellowship – voluntary work experience will not be counted towards this minimum
• Be in employment at the time of application at an organisation that they will return to upon completion of the fellowship
• Provide at least two references, one of which must be from their current employer. Any applications for which references are not received by the reference closing date will be considered ineligible.
• Not have undertaken a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship within the last five years (at the time of taking up the award)
• Not be seeking to undertake an academic programme of research or study. Academics are eligible to apply for the scheme, but only to undertake programmes of academic management, not research or courses relevant to their research subject
• Be available to undertake their fellowship from the prescribed start date

How are Applicants Selected?

Your personal information will be used to conduct necessary due diligence checks to CSC’s satisfaction, before CSC proceeds with any type of formal agreement or contractual relationship. In most cases, the due diligence checks will be straightforward, however further information may be requested, so we ask for your full co-operation to speed up the process.

Which Countries are Eligible?

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

Where will Award be Taken?

In the UK

How Many Awards?

Not specified

Duration of the fellowship:

Fellowships will be tenable for between six weeks and three months starting from February 2025.

What is the Benefit of Award?

Each Fellowship provides:

• Approved return airfare from the Fellow’s home country to the UK.
• Reimbursement of the standard visa application fee.
• Stipend (living allowance) payable monthly (or pro rata) for the duration of the award at the rate of £2,057 per month, or £2,553 per month for those at organisations in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2023/24 levels).
• If a Fellow declares a disability, a full assessment of needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC. See the CSC disability support statement for more information.
• Arrival allowance of up to £1,156.60 (rates quoted at 2023/24 levels), including an element for warm clothing.
• A maximum of £3,000 per Fellow can be agreed by host organisations for short courses/conferences as well as travel to visit other UK organisations where this forms an integral part of the programme. Host organisations should bear in mind the restrictions set out in our guidance on claimable costs.

Required Documents for Commonwealth Professional Fellowship 2025

To apply, candidates must be ready to submit the following documents;

• Provide a scan of your passport or national identity card
• Provide a personal statement to summarise the ways in which your personal background has encouraged you to want to make an impact in your home country (up to 500 words)
• Summarise the ways in which you have engaged in voluntary activities and the opportunities you have had to demonstrate leadership (up to 500 words)

How to Apply for the Commonwealth Professional Fellowship:

for Commonwealth Professional Fellowship 2025 (Step by Step)

To apply for the Commonwealth Professional Fellowship 2025, interested and qualified applicants should;

• Click on the button below to visit the scholarship webpage
• Proceed to Apply for a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship using the online form
• In the application form, prospective Fellows are asked to:
  • List all undergraduate and postgraduate university qualifications obtained (where applicable)
  • List up to 10 publications and prizes (if applicable)
  • Provide details of your employment history and explain how each job is relevant to the programme
  • Provide a statement on the relevance of your previous work experience to the proposed fellowship (up to 300 words)
  • List names and positions of up to three referees who are qualified to comment on both your capacity to benefit from your proposed fellowship in the UK and your ability to deliver development impact afterwards. One of your referees must be your current employer

Visit Award Webpage for Details