If you are planning a PhD and you have not looked at Hong Kong, this is the year to start. The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) will award 400 fellowships for students starting in the 2027/28 academic year, and it is open to applicants from every country.
The catch is the deadline. It falls on 1 December 2026 at 12:00 noon Hong Kong time. In West and Central Africa that is 5:00 AM on 1 December, not midnight. Miss that detail and you lose the whole year.
At a glance
- Who runs it: the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong, which set up the scheme in 2009
- Awards for 2027/28: 400 PhD fellowships
- Study level: new, full-time PhD students
- Where: eight publicly funded universities in Hong Kong
- Open to: all nationalities, with no application fee
- Initial deadline: 1 December 2026, 12:00 noon Hong Kong time (GMT+8)
What the fellowship covers
The RGC pays a monthly stipend plus a conference and research travel allowance for up to three years. Your university then supports you for the rest of your normal study period.
Most universities add their own extras on top. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, for example, lists an annual stipend of HK$344,400 (around US$44,000), a tuition fee waiver, a yearly conference grant and a cash award for its fellows. Check the package at the universities you are considering, because it varies.
The eight participating 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
The scheme is not limited to science and engineering. Arts, humanities and social science programmes take part too.
How to apply: two steps, two systems
This is where many applicants trip up. You apply twice.
- Initial application to the RGC. Submit it through the HKPFS Electronic System and you will receive an HKPFS reference number. You can submit only one application, and you choose up to two programmes at one or two universities. Those choices cannot be changed after the deadline.
- Full application to each university. Apply through the university's own admissions portal, say you are applying under HKPFS, and enter your reference number. Each university sets its own deadline, often very close to the RGC deadline.
Our advice before you start
- Set your own deadline for mid-November. Portals slow down in the final days, and 5:00 AM is not a time you want to be uploading documents.
- Contact potential supervisors now. A professor who already knows your research idea is a real advantage.
- Write your research proposal for the programme, not for the scheme. Universities nominate candidates, so your fit with the department matters most.
- Check each university's English requirement. There is no single IELTS score set by the scheme. Each university decides.
- Ask your referees early. Choose people who know your academic work well, and give them at least three weeks.
Official links
Start with the RGC's official HKPFS page, which links to every participating university: cerg1.ugc.edu.hk/hkpfs. Questions about the scheme go to hkpf@ugc.edu.hk.
Details are correct at the time of writing. Always confirm deadlines and requirements on the official RGC and university pages before you apply.
