Commonwealth Medical Fellowships 2017

• Commonwealth Medical Fellowships for Enhancing Clinical Skills are offered for mid-career medical and dental staff from developing Commonwealth countries under Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is one of the largest and most prestigious scholarship schemes for international study in the world.
• These scholarships are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and candidates can apply for a Commonwealth Medical Fellowships if they wish to spend between three and six months at an approved UK university hospital, learning or improving a specific clinical skill:
• Intended beneficiaries: Mid-career medics and dentists working in universities or affiliated teaching hospitals in developing Commonwealth countries.
• The deadline to submit the application to the nominating agency is November 15, 2016,  and the nominating agency should forward the application to CSC by December 13, 2016.

A Commonwealth Scholarship covers fees, fares, and personal maintenance.

Each selected candidate will be provided the below-mentioned benefits:

• Airfare: Airfare from the home country to the UK and return at the end of award will be paid
• Research support grant will be paid to the host university hospital
• Living Allowance: Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,594 per month and £1,977 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area
• Arrival allowance
• Travel Grants: Study travel grant towards the costs of study-related travel within the UK or overseas
• If applicant is widowed, divorced, or a single parent, child allowance of £448 per month for the first child, and £110 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16.

CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships. However, candidates are required to apply via any one of the following nominating bodies in the first instance:

• In Pakistan, through the Higher Education Commission
• Selected universities/university bodies, which can nominate their own academic staff at affiliated hospitals
• In Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka, through the national University Grants Commission

Kindly Note: All applications must be made through the nominating body in the home country i.e. UGC (University Grant commission ) in India.

Submission of Application Form

• The duly filled in application form must be submitted to and endorsed by one of the approved nominating bodies listed above.
  • The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the EAS to a nominating body in applicants home country.
  • All the duly filled in Application Forms must be submitted latest by November 15, 2016.

• Each year CSC gives the responsibility to every nominating body for its own selection process and then to submit a specific number of nominations finally selected.
• The CSC invites around three times more nominations than scholarships available.
• The deadline for nominating bodies to submit nominations to the CSC is December 13, 2016.

Selection Process

• The nominated candidate’s application is first considered by a member of the CSC’s panel of advisers with expertise in the subject area concerned.
• Further by the CSC’s selection committee in competition with other candidates.
• Candidates are selected on the basis of the following selection criteria:
  • Academic merit of the candidate
  • Quality of the proposal
  • The potential impact of the work on the development of the candidate’s home country.

Selection Criteria

Grading Criteria

How Applicants will be intimated

• If an application is successful, the CSC will notify the applicants that they are provisionally shortlisted.
• CSC can also publish the names of provisionally selected candidates on its official website

Further, steps to be followed after selection

• Before the Confirmation of Award can be issued candidates have to submit a medical report
• Candidates have to sign an undertaking that they will return to their home country as soon as possible after the end of the award

Commonwealth Medical Fellowships Guidelines

• A Commonwealth Medical Fellowship can not be claimed with any other awards.
• The CSC reserves the right to publish the names of provisionally selected candidates on the CSC website. By applying for an award, applicants are giving your consent for your details to be published in this way if your application is successful.
• When terms of admission to the university hospital have been agreed, the CSC will send a Notification of Award (formal offer of a fellowship).
• When all conditions of the Notification of Award have been met, the CSC will send  a formal Confirmation of Award.
• Applicants will be required to submit a medical report before your Confirmation of Award can be issued.
• Applicants will be required to sign an undertaking to return to your home country, with the intention of resuming/ commencing the university appointment referenced in your application, as soon as possible after the end of your award.
• All UK immigration regulations are set by UK Visas and Immigration and are subject to change. The CSC has no control over these regulations.
• Applicants are expected to reside in the UK throughout your award, and to seek approval from the CSC in advance for any overseas travel.

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