China Scholarship Council - University College Cork PhD Programme

At a glance

• Value: tuition fees, research fees and living allowance
• You must be applying for a PhD programme in UCC to be eligible for this scholarship
• Questions about this scholarship can be directed to the Doctoral Institute UCC doctoralinstitute@ucc.ie and/or e.connolly@ucc.ie

September 2027 entry

Applications for 2027/28 are now open

University College Cork supports applications for the UCC CSC Scholarship Scheme 4 year PhD student scholarships

The primary focus of this programme is for selected Chinese students to take 4-year PhD study at UCC to benefit from studying in one of Europe’s leading research-driven universities.

CSC and UCC will support the following areas of study with priority: Arts & Humanities, Science, Engineering & Technology, Food Science, Business, Law, Health Sciences, Medicine and Dentistry. Students will be eligible to study disciplines in any of the above fields at UCC.

Candidates should be intending to pursue study/research in one of the priority academic areas identified by UCC and CSC. However, applicants to other study/research areas will also be considered subject to the availability of relevant programmes of study at UCC.

Eligibility Criteria

• Candidates will be citizens and permanent residents of the People's Republic of China at the time of application; Overseas Chinese students may be eligible for the awards subject to CSC policy at the time.
• Applications are only accepted from students who have the agreement of a UCC academic member of staff to be their supervisor.
• Applicants are required to demonstrate a high level of competence in English language and meet the UCC English Language Requirements
• Candidates should satisfy the selection criteria set out by CSC by completing the (opens in a new window) CSC Application Form and CSC Employer Reference Form.
• Successful candidates must return to China upon completion of their studies and/or research

Application timelines and selection process

• From November 2nd 2026, reach out to a UCC academic member of staff who will agree to be your supervisor. You can find a potential supervisor in this link.
• Complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) Form from November 2nd –  January 8^th 2027 and include ALL mandatory fields including your name in Chinese AND English. As part of this EOI form, applicants must provide details of their proposed research project, demonstrate alignment with the nomination criteria, and provide information on their academic qualifications.

• College Reviews, and Nomination of candidates will be carried out in collaboration with Doctoral Institute and Vice Deans of Colleges by January 25^th 2027
• Nominated Candidates will be invited to submit a formal application via UCC Apply no later than February 5^th 2027 (see below on what do if nominated)
• Applications will be processed by end of February 2027.
• UCC Offers will be issued by end of March 2027. Note: the offer letter is part of the candidates CSC application
•  UCC submit a list of nominated candidates to CSC by end of March 2027
•  Applicants apply to CSC directly by end of March 2027. Note: the onus is on candidates to apply directly to CSC by completing an application for funding and employer reference (forms are available online at http://apply.csc.edu.cn
• CSC will evaluate the candidates according to CSC requirement, priorities and provide UCC with a final list of scholarship awardees.
• CSC results will be issued by June 2027
•  Candidates should independently check the CSC portal for their result.  Note: UCC will not send communication to applicants if they have been successful. 
• Successful Candidates should contact their UCC supervisor to discuss and agree an approximate start date for their PhD. 

What to do if you have been Nominated by UCC to Apply

•  Prepare documentation according to CSC requirements, and UCC English Language Requirements
• Apply via UCC Apply before the application deadline, February 5^th 2027 and submit required documentation as follows:
• academic transcript(s)
• proof of English language level i.e. IELTS, TOEFL etc.
• degree certificate(s) in Chinese and English translation.
• two academic references.
• a research proposal (Applicants may reuse the research proposal submitted with their Expression of Interest (EOI) Form).
• passport (photo page).

Terms and Conditions:

Current PhD students who commence their programme of study prior to receipt of the CSC scholarship will not be able to avail of this scholarship retrospectively. The scholarship will be applied to the student’s record from the date of approval. Successful applicants must pay tuition fees until they are awarded the CSC scholarship, should they decide to register for the PhD programme before the scholarship award is made.

Note: Capitation fees are payable by all students and are subject to change.

Application workflow below: