Established in 2009 by the Research Grants Council (RGC), the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) aims at attracting the best and brightest students in the world to pursue their PhD programs in Hong Kong’s universities. Moreover, the PhD Fellowship is available at the following universities in Hong Kong:

• City University of Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Baptist University
• Lingnan University
• The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• The Education University of Hong Kong
• The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Award

The beneficiary of the Hong Kong Fellowship Scheme will receive an annual stipend of HK$309,600 (approximately US$39,700). Furthermore, the recipient will also receive a conference and a research-related travel allowance of HK$12,900 (approximately US$1,700) per year. Moreover, the fellowship is tenable for the duration of three years.

Under the Hongkong fellowship program, there is a provision of 250 PhD Fellowships for the 2020/21 academic year. For awardees who need more than three years to complete the PhD degree, additional support may be provided by the chosen universities.

Eligibility for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme

Candidates seeking admission as new full-time PhD students in Hong Kong universities funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC) are eligible to apply for the PhD fellowship under the following circumstances:

• Candidates are eligible to apply irrespective of their country of origin ethnic background
• Nor the candidates require prior work experience.
• However, applicants should demonstrate outstanding qualities of academic performance, research ability/potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.

Selection Criteria

While candidates’ academic excellence is of primary consideration, the Selection Panels will take into account factors as follows:

• Academic excellence;
• Research ability and potential;
• Communication as well as interpersonal skills; and
• Leadership abilities.

How to apply for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme

Applicants may choose up to two programs in one or two universities for PhD study in their HKPFS applications. They must also submit application(s) for PhD admission to the relevant university(ies) directly for their selected program (s). Applicants are therefore required to fully comply with the admission requirements of their selected universities and programs.

As such eligible candidates should first make an Initial Application online through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme Electronic System (HKPFSES) to obtain an HKPFS Reference Number. They should do so before the deadline for PhD admission to their desired universities.

Deadline

Candidates must apply for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme by 2 December 2019 at Hong Kong Time 12:00:00.