Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS)

Research Grants Council (RGC), Hong Kong · Checked September 26, 2026

Hong Kong's flagship PhD fellowship attracts top students worldwide to eight Hong Kong universities. It pays a large annual stipend and a travel allowance for up to three years. About 400 fellowships are awarded for 2027/28.

Deadline: 1 December 2026 65 days left
Initial Application opened 1 September 2026 and closes 1 December 2026 (12:00 noon HKT); university applications close 1 December 2026 (11:59 pm HKT).
Add the deadline to my calendar (with a reminder 2 weeks before)

Funding	Fully funded
Level	PhD
Study in	Hong Kong
Subjects	All fields (panels for Sciences/Medicine/Engineering/Technology and Humanities/Social Sciences/Business)

What it covers

Annual stipend of HKD 344,400 (about USD 44,150)
Conference and research-related travel allowance of HKD 14,400 (about USD 1,840) per year
Support for up to three years (universities may fund extra time)

Who can apply

Open to candidates of any country of origin, so Pakistani students can apply.

You must be seeking admission as a new full-time PhD student at one of the participating universities: CityU, HKBU, CUHK, EdUHK, PolyU, HKUST, HKU and Lingnan.
You should show outstanding academic performance, research ability or potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership.
You must meet the admission requirements of your chosen universities and programmes.
You may choose up to two programmes at one or two universities.

Applicants who need more than three years may get extra support from their university. For 2027/28 about 400 fellowships are planned.

How to apply

Submit the Initial Application in the HKPFS Electronic System (opened 1 September 2026) to get an HKPFS Reference Number.
Do this by 1 December 2026, 12:00 noon HKT.
Apply directly to your chosen PhD programme(s), quoting the reference number, before each university's deadline (1 December 2026, 11:59 pm HKT).
Universities shortlist and the RGC selection panels make the final decisions.

Documents you usually need

HKPFS Initial Application
University PhD applications (transcripts, research proposal, CV, references, English test scores as each university requires)

Official page Apply on the official portal

Scholarship rules and deadlines change every cycle. This page summarises the official information; always confirm on the official page before applying. Official applications are free.

Welcome!