Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) 2027/2028

Deadline: December 1, 2026

Applications are open for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) 2027/2028. Established by the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong in 2009, the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) aims at attracting the best and brightest students in the world to pursue their PhD studies in Hong Kong’s universities.

Candidates should be seeking to apply to any of the following universities

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

Benefits

In the 2026/27 academic year, the Fellowship provides an annual stipend of HK$344,400 (approximately US$44,150) and a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$14,400 (approximately US$1,840) per year for each awardee for a period up to three years.

400 PhD Fellowships will be awarded in the 2027/28 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

Candidates who are seeking admission as new full time PhD students in the following eight universities, irrespective of their country of origin, prior work experience and ethnic background, should be eligible to apply.

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 and interpersonal skills; and

Leadership abilities.

Application

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 by 1 December 2026 at Hong Kong Time 12:00:00 before submitting applications for PhD admission to their desired universities.

Applicants may choose up to two programmes / departments at one or two universities for PhD study under HKPFS 2027/28. They should comply with the admission requirements of their selected universities and programmes.

As the deadlines for applications to some of the universities may immediately follow that of the Initial Application, candidates should submit initial applications as early as possible to ensure that they have sufficient time to submit applications to universities.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Hong Kong PhD Fellowship.

Candidates who are seeking admission as new full time PhD students in the following eight universities, irrespective of their country of origin, prior work experience and ethnic background, should be eligible to apply. 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 and interpersonal skills; and

Leadership abilities.

Application

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 by 1 December 2026 at Hong Kong Time 12:00:00 before submitting applications for PhD admission to their desired universities. Applicants may choose up to two programmes / departments at one or two universities for PhD study under HKPFS 2027/28. They should comply with the admission requirements of their selected universities and programmes. As the deadlines for applications to some of the universities may immediately follow that of the Initial Application, candidates should submit initial applications as early as possible to ensure that they have sufficient time to submit applications to universities.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Hong Kong PhD Fellowship.

In the 2026/27 academic year, the Fellowship provides an annual stipend of HK$344,400 (approximately US$44,150) and a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$14,400 (approximately US$1,840) per year for each awardee for a period up to three years. 400 PhD Fellowships will be awarded in the 2027/28 academic year. For awardees who need more than three years to complete the PhD degree, additional support may be provided by the chosen universities.

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 by 1 December 2026 at Hong Kong Time 12:00:00 before submitting applications for PhD admission to their desired universities. Applicants may choose up to two programmes / departments at one or two universities for PhD study under HKPFS 2027/28. They should comply with the admission requirements of their selected universities and programmes. As the deadlines for applications to some of the universities may immediately follow that of the Initial Application, candidates should submit initial applications as early as possible to ensure that they have sufficient time to submit applications to universities.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Hong Kong PhD Fellowship.