Commonwealth Professional Fellowships for Mid-Career Professionals to Study in the United Kingdom 2020 (Fully Funded)


Commonwealth Professional Fellowships are for mid-career professionals from low and middle income Commonwealth countries to spend between six weeks and three months at a UK Host organisation working in their sector on a programme of professional development. Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Commonwealth Professional Fellowships provide talented and motivated professionals with the opportunity to enhance knowledge and skills in their given sector. These Fellowships are offered under six development themes: 1.Science and technology for development 2.Strengthening health systems and capacity 3.Promoting global prosperity 4.Strengthening global peace, security and governance 5.Strengthening resilience and response to crises 6.Access, inclusion and opportunity 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  in development-related organisations in low and middle income Commonwealth countries. Eligibility To be eligible for these fellowships, you 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 Fellowships 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 that they will return to upon completion of the fellowship
  • Not have undertaken a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship within the last five years (at the time of application)
  • Not be seeking to undertake an academic programme of research or study in the UK. 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 the Fellowship between 10 February 2020 and 16 March 2020. You should check exact dates with the prospective Host.
Host Programmes for 2019 The following organisations have been selected by the Commission to host Professional Fellowships for the current round.  Information on each programme along with the eligibility criteria is available below for each organisation as well as a link to their Website for more information.   Please note the eligibility criteria carefully as applications not matching the stated criteria will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered by the Host organisation. African Prisons Project Bees for Development Trust British Geological Survey Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff University School of History, Archaeology and Religion Cardiff University, School of Modern Languages Cardiff University, The Phoenix Project Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation Conciliation Resources Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London Knowledge for Change Liverpool John Moores University, School of Nursing London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust Meriden Family Programme Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust UCL PRIMENT Clinical Trials, Research Department of Primary Care University of East London University of Salford World Child Cancer UK   How to Apply The closing date for submission of your application is 4pm (BST) on Friday 20 September 2019 The closing date for the submission of references is 4pm (BST) on Monday 30 September 2019.   Your application must include at least two references by this date, one of which must be from your current employer, otherwise it will be considered ineligible. Once the closing date for Fellows’ applications and references has passed your application will be shared with the Host organisation you have applied to in order for them to review all applications and nominate the candidates they wish to put forward to the Commission. The Commission will make the final selections of individual Fellows. Online Application System You can access the online application system now. For More Information: Visit the Official Webpage of the Commonwealth Professional Fellowships 2020