Routledge Commonwealth PhD Studentships 2026

The Routledge/Round Table Commonwealth PhD Studentships provide support for research projects on Commonwealth-related themes in the humanities and social sciences.

Proposed research must meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• Relate to the Commonwealth as a whole or to any Commonwealth-wide institution or organisation.
• Have a Commonwealth comparative aspect.
• Be of relevance to more than one Commonwealth country.

Successful applicants will be required to submit an article of between 4,000 and 6,000 words based on their research, for consideration for publication in The Round Table journal. They will also be required to make a podcast on their research, for publication on the journal’s website.

The studentships are funded by The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and the journal’s publisher, Routledge, in association with the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). 

• Table of Content
• About The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)
• Routledge Commonwealth PhD Studentships
• Aim and Benefits of Routledge Commonwealth PhD Studentships
• Requirements for Routledge Commonwealth PhD Studentships Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)

In 1912, on the initiative of the University of London, representatives of 53 universities assembled in London, UK, to hold a Congress of Universities of the Empire. The office of the Universities Bureau of the British Empire was accordingly opened in London in 1913. In 1948, the Bureau’s name was changed to the Association of Universities of the British Commonwealth. In 1963 (our jubilee year), the Association received a Royal Charter under its new name: The Association of Commonwealth Universities. In 1986, Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, became Patron of the ACU. Afte... continue reading

Routledge Commonwealth PhD Studentships

Aim and Benefits of Routledge Commonwealth PhD Studentships

Two studentships are available each with a maximum value of GBP 5,500: 

• One for PhD students registered at UK universities.
• One for PhD students registered at ACU member universities in Commonwealth countries other than the UK.  

Requirements for Routledge Commonwealth PhD Studentships Qualification

• Applications are welcomed from a broad range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.
• Preference may be given to disciplines usually covered by The Round Table journal, including (but not exclusively) politics, international relations, economics, international history, geography, law, development studies, and area studies. 
• Applicants from STEM will not be accepted unless the research proposal clearly addresses a policy-related theme. 
• It is not expected that the applicant’s PhD/DPhil research already has a Commonwealth focus. Applications are particularly welcomed where the award will enable the applicant to add a Commonwealth dimension to the work.

Check also:
Commonwealth Master's Scholarship to Study in UK 2027/2028
Mandela Washington Fellowship for Africans 2027 (Fully Funded to USA)

Application Deadline

How to Apply

• Review the application guidance page.
• Download the application form in either PDF or Word format.
• Complete the application form.
• Send the completed form and a current CV to [email protected]

For more information, kindly visit ACU scholarship webpage.