King’s College London
If you have been thinking about doing a PhD abroad — this is great news for you. The renowned King’s College London (KCL) currently has fully funded PhD scholarships open for applications. In this article, I explain in simple words what the scholarship is about, who can apply, and how to apply (step by step).
🎯 What is this Scholarship?
The current call is under the African Creativity Beyond Borders Prize Programme, offering four fully funded PhD scholarships for research on African creativity, culture, its global influence, and related fields.
The PhD program will start in October 2026.
Benefits of the scholarship include: full tuition fee waiver, an annual stipend (cost-of-living allowance), research training and academic development support, and funding to attend conferences or workshops.
✅ Who Should Apply
This scholarship is ideal if you:
Have an academic background (Bachelor’s or Master’s) in arts, humanities, social sciences, creative practice, policy/development studies — or a related field.
Are passionate about researching African creativity, culture, intercultural exchange, global influence of arts, or social impacts of culture.
Care about social inclusion, diversity, intercultural dialogue.
Want to produce research with real-world impact and possibly influence policy or social understanding globally.
Note: The programme strongly encourages applications from candidates who identify as Black / Mixed Black, or who have African heritage or diaspora roots.
Also, while there are four scholarships, only one may be awarded to an international applicant — so it’s highly competitive for non-UK / non-African residents.
📅 Important Dates
Application deadline: 13 February 2026
Shortlisting: February – March 2026
Interviews (for shortlisted): March – April 2026
Final decision: May 2026
Program start (if accepted): October 2026
📝 What Documents You Need to Apply
You need to prepare the following and submit them via the official application portal (usually called “King’s Apply”).
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): List your academic history, degrees, grades, dissertation (if any), and contact details of two academic referees.
- Personal Statement: A short essay (up to 4,000 characters) explaining who you are, why you want to do this PhD, your motivation, interests.
- Research Proposal: A detailed proposal up to 1,500 words (excluding references). It should include: project title, research question, why it matters, literature review / context, methodology, timeline (4-year plan), and expected contributions.
- Academic Transcripts and Certificates: Official transcripts (and if your documents are not in English, certified translations).
- Reference Letters: Two academic referees must submit their references, using official institutional (university) email, via the dedicated referee portal.
🚀 How to Apply (Step by Step)
- Visit the official King’s application portal (often referred to as “King’s Apply”).
- Start a new application for the PhD program under African Creativity Beyond Borders Prize Programme.
- Complete the application form and upload all required documents: CV, personal statement, research proposal, transcripts, and reference contact details (so referees can submit letters).
- Submit the application before the deadline 13 February 2026.
- Wait for shortlisting. If shortlisted, be ready for interview in March–April. If selected, you’ll receive the scholarship offer around May, and program begins October 2026.
If you have any specific questions (for example: visa for international students, translation requirements, or writing a good research proposal), I can help you with that too.
💡 Final Thoughts
This fully funded PhD opportunity at King’s College London is a golden chance — especially if your interests align with African creativity, culture, arts, social impact, or global intercultural studies. But since only one scholarship is likely available for international applicants, you need to prepare a strong, original research proposal and application.