Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme

Benefits & funding

• Annual stipend of HK$344,400 (about US$44,150) for up to three years.
• Conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$14,400 (about US$1,840) a year.
• The RGC award covers the stipend and the travel allowance. Tuition is handled by the awarding university, and the participating universities add their own packages on top.
• The University of Hong Kong adds a cash award of HK$40,000 in year one and HK$20,000 a year afterwards, a waiver of composition fees for the whole normative study period, and a guaranteed hall place in year one. Students on a four-year PhD receive the same support in year four.
• The Chinese University of Hong Kong adds its Vice-Chancellor’s HKPFS Scholarship: a lodging award of up to HK$100,000, a first-year hostel fee waiver, and guaranteed on-campus accommodation. Nominees who miss out on the fellowship are still offered a PhD place with the CUHK Vice-Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship.
• The Hong Kong Polytechnic University adds a tuition fee waiver, cash awards of HK$40,000 in year one and HK$20,000 a year afterwards, and a guaranteed accommodation place for two years.
• The scheme’s FAQ page still shows the earlier figures of HK$340,800 and HK$14,200. The scheme home page and the RGC funding page both give HK$344,400 and HK$14,400 for 2026/27.

Eligibility

• Open to applicants seeking admission as new full-time PhD students at the eight UGC-funded universities, irrespective of country of origin, prior work experience, or ethnic background.
• Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the programmes and universities they choose, so a completed bachelor’s or master’s degree is needed in practice.
• Selection weighs academic performance, research ability and potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.
• Graduates of universities where teaching was not in English normally submit a TOEFL or IELTS score. Those taught in English, or applying to a programme taught in another language, are usually exempt.
• Someone already in a PhD programme may apply for a different PhD as a new full-time student, though the selection panel may give less weight to the earlier doctoral work.
• No age limit, no nationality restriction, and no minimum years of work experience.

Application process

1. 1
   Choose up to two PhD programmes, at one or two of the eight participating universities, and rank them by priority.
2. 2
   Submit the initial application through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme Electronic System (HKPFSES) to obtain an HKPFS reference number. For the 2027/28 round this window runs from 1 September 2026 to 1 December 2026, 12:00 noon Hong Kong time.
3. 3
   Submit a full application to each chosen university, quoting the reference number and meeting that university’s own admission requirements. University applications for the 2027/28 round close on 1 December 2026 at 11:59pm Hong Kong time.
4. 4
   Prepare English test scores where required, along with the research proposal, transcripts and referee reports each university asks for.
5. 5
   Wait for shortlisting and panel review. Results for the 2026/27 round were due by May 2026, and the 2027/28 round follows the same annual rhythm.
6. 6
   Register at the awarding university. For 2026/27 that meant registering between July and September 2026, with deferral to 31 January 2027 possible where justified.

Program timeline

1. Initial applications to the RGC open for the 2027/28 round

   Sep 1, 2026

2. Initial application closes at 12:00 noon Hong Kong time; university applications close at 11:59pm the same day

   Dec 1, 2026

3. 2027-05

   Results expected (the 2026/27 round was due to be announced by May 2026)

4. 2027-07

   Registration at the awarding university normally begins, running to September