Are you a woman with a degree or PhD in a STEM subject and passionate about your study? You could receive a scholarship to study a master's degree, or an early academic fellowship, in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics programme at a leading UK university.
For the third year, the British Council is launching its Women in STEM scholarship programme in partnership with 21 UK universities with the aim of benefiting women from the Americas, South Asia, East Asia, western Balkans, central Asia, Brazil, Egypt, Mexico, and Turkey.
We are looking for women with a background in STEM, who can demonstrate their need for financial support and who wish to inspire future generations of women to pursue careers in STEM.
Why a scholarship programme
This scholarship programme aims to increase opportunities in STEM for girls and women, and according to data from the UN Scientific Education and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in 2019 fewer than 30 percent of researchers worldwide are women and only 30 percent of female students select STEM-related fields in higher education, but this number is slowly been gaining momentum with it currently siting at 35% (Anon, 2022).
A subject breakdown between 2017-18 showed that females studying STEM subjects was particularly low. Computer Sciences, Engineering & Technology, with 19% opposed to 81% with males. Physical sciences and mathematics and statistics are stronger at 39% and 37% respectively (with their counterparts at 61 and 63% respectively).
Eligibility criteria
Applicants can apply from the following countries:
| For both Master’s Scholarships and Early Academic Fellowships |
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal or Sri Lanka Indonesia, Vietnam or Malaysia |
| For Masters Scholarships only |
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia or Uzbekistan. Turkey Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru or Venezuela. Egypt Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines or Thailand |
We are looking for women who:
- can take up a course of study in the UK for the academic year from September/October 2023 – 2024
- can demonstrate a need for financial support
- have an undergraduate degree that will enable them to gain access to one of the pre-selected postgraduate courses at a UK university (for Masters level) or completed all components of PhD in the last three years (for Early Academic Fellowships)
- can attain the level of English required for postgraduate study/research at a UK university
- are active in the field with work experience or a proven interest in their subject area
- are passionate about their course of study and are willing to engage as committed British Council scholarship alumni
Full eligibility criteria are available below in the documents section - please note that the eligibility for a Master’s Scholarship and Early Academic Fellowships are different.
You are not eligible for a British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM if you:
- Hold dual British citizenship
- Are an employee, a former employee, or relative (*) of an employee of His Majesty’s Government (including British Embassies/High Commissions; the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy; Department for International Trade; the Ministry of Defence; and the Home Office)
- Are an employee, a former employee, or relative (*) of an employee of the British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM – eligible countries
- (*): Relatives are defined as parents or stepparents, siblings or stepsiblings, children or stepchildren, spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner (where the couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years).
- Are currently in receipt of financial support or funding towards your study programme in the UK from any other source
- Have previously studied in the UK with funding from a UK Government-funded scholarship or a UK institutional scholarship/financial bursary.