Shawki Saad PhD Scholarship 2025/2026 at Imperial College London UK — Fully Funded

The Shawki Saad PhD Scholarship at Imperial College London. If you are ordinarily resident in Sub-Saharan Africa and planning a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering, use this post to prepare for the next cycle. Only one scholarship is awarded per year, and it covers full overseas tuition fees plus a stipend of at least £22,000 annually.

Your research project must have direct relevance to challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa, and you must secure a supervisor’s interest before you can even submit your application — this is not a scholarship you apply for independently.

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Summary of the Shawki Saad PhD Scholarship

About the Shawki Saad PhD Scholarship

The Shawki Saad PhD Scholarship is a single, fully funded PhD award offered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London. Imperial is consistently ranked among the top universities in the world — the QS World University Rankings 2025 places it 2nd globally. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is one of the largest and most established civil engineering departments in the UK.

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This is not a general scholarship open to any research topic. It is specifically designed to fund PhD research that addresses real challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa, and it is restricted to students who are ordinarily resident in the region. With only one award available each year, this is one of the most selective scholarships in this category — your application depends entirely on the strength of your proposed research and on securing genuine interest from a supervisor at Imperial before you apply.

The scholarship is for new entrants only. If you are already enrolled in a PhD programme at Imperial, you are not eligible to apply for this funding retroactively.

What the Scholarship Covers

The scholarship covers the following:

• Full tuition fees at the overseas rate for the duration of your PhD
• A stipend of at least £22,000 per year, paid to support your living costs while you study

Confirm the current stipend amount for the next cycle on the official Imperial College London scholarship page, as figures are reviewed annually. The £22,000 figure quoted is a minimum, not a fixed amount — verify whether a higher stipend applies for your specific cycle.

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Eligibility Requirements for the Shawki Saad PhD Scholarship at Imperial College

You must meet all of the following to apply:

• You must be ordinarily resident in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Your proposed PhD research project must have direct relevance to challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa
• You must hold a good upper second-class or first-class undergraduate degree, or the international equivalent, in engineering or another numerate discipline
• You must hold a master’s level degree qualification
• You must be a new entrant to the PhD programme — students already studying the course at Imperial are not eligible

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Key disqualifier: if you are already enrolled in the Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD programme at Imperial, you cannot apply for this scholarship. It is reserved for new applicants only.

Eligible Programme

The scholarship funds PhD research within Civil and Environmental Engineering Research at Imperial College London. Your specific research topic must be developed in discussion with a potential supervisor in the department and must connect clearly to challenges relevant to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Shawki Saad PhD Scholarship Required Documents

Imperial College London’s standard PhD application requirements apply, since this scholarship is processed through the standard Registry admissions system rather than a separate scholarship form. Confirm the exact document list for PhD applications in Civil and Environmental Engineering on the Imperial College London postgraduate application process page, as requirements typically include academic transcripts, degree certificates, a research proposal, references, and proof of English proficiency if applicable.

One practical warning: the most critical document in this entire process is not a form — it is the relationship with your supervisor. Imperial does not process scholarship nominations without a supervisor actively advocating for your funding. Treat your initial outreach email to a potential supervisor as seriously as you would treat a formal application, since it determines whether you progress at all.

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How to Apply – Step by Step

This scholarship has a specific sequence that must be followed in order. You cannot skip the supervisor stage and apply independently.

1. Visit the Civil and Environmental Engineering academic and research staff pages on the Imperial College London website to identify potential supervisors whose research areas align with your interests.
2. Contact your preferred supervisor or supervisors directly to discuss your potential PhD project and funding options. Do this before submitting any formal application.
3. Submit your PhD application for admission through the Imperial College London Registry online admissions system by the scholarship deadline.
4. Ensure your prospective supervisor formally nominates you for funding by the same deadline — this nomination is a separate step from your own application and must be completed by your supervisor, not by you.

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Online applications should only be submitted after a potential supervisor has expressed genuine interest in your proposed research. Submitting an application without prior supervisor contact is not the correct process for this scholarship and is unlikely to result in a nomination for funding.

Application Deadline

23 May 2025.

Both your PhD admission application and your supervisor’s funding nomination needed to be submitted by this date. The next cycle’s deadline has not yet been announced. Monitor the official Imperial College London Civil and Environmental Engineering scholarships page for the confirmed date of the next intake.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Shawki Saad PhD Scholarship fully funded?
Yes. It covers full tuition fees at the overseas rate and a stipend of at least £22,000 per year. There are no tuition or major living costs left for the scholar to cover independently.

Can Nigerian students apply for the Shawki Saad PhD Scholarship?
Yes, provided you are ordinarily resident in a Sub-Saharan African country, which includes Nigeria. Your proposed PhD research must also have direct relevance to challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa, not just a general engineering topic.

How many scholarships are awarded each year?
Only one. This is one of the most selective scholarships available in this field, since a single award is made per academic year across the entire applicant pool.

Do I need a supervisor before I apply?
Yes. You must contact a potential supervisor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department and secure their interest in your proposed research before submitting your PhD application. Your supervisor must also formally nominate you for the scholarship funding by the deadline — this is a required step you cannot complete yourself.

Can current Imperial PhD students apply for this scholarship?
No. The scholarship is for new entrants only. If you are already enrolled in the PhD programme at Imperial, you are not eligible to apply for this funding.

What happens if I submit my PhD application without a supervisor’s prior interest?
Imperial advises against this. Online applications should only be submitted after a potential supervisor has expressed sufficient interest in your proposed project. Without this, your supervisor has no basis to nominate you for funding by the deadline, and your application is unlikely to be considered for the scholarship.

Disclaimer: All scholarship details, deadlines, award values, and eligibility criteria were verified from the official Imperial College London Civil and Environmental Engineering scholarships page. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official source before submitting your application.

Official Application Portal