The Garden Scholarship is a fully funded award from the University of Edinburgh supporting one student per cycle on the online-learning Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) in Surgical Writing and Evidence Based Practice. The one-year, part-time programme is studied entirely online and teaches clinicians and healthcare professionals to write manuscripts for publication, carry out critical appraisal and peer review, and apply evidence-based practice. The award pays full tuition for a single applicant already domiciled in one of the eligible lower-income countries, aiming to strengthen research and clinical-writing capacity in those regions.
Benefits & funding
- Full tuition fees for the PgCert, up to a maximum of £5,070 for 2026/2027 entry.
- One award per cycle.
- Does not cover travel, accommodation or living costs — the programme is delivered fully online, so no relocation is required.
- Leads to a University of Edinburgh postgraduate qualification (60 credits across four courses: How to Write a Manuscript, Reviewing the Evidence Base, Understanding Publication and Peer Review, and Evidence Based Practice).
Eligibility
- Open to applicants who have received and accepted an offer for the PgCert Surgical Writing and Evidence Based Practice, or who are currently enrolled on the PgProfDev version of the programme.
- Must be currently domiciled in one of the eligible countries listed on the official page (drawn from the DAC List of ODA Recipients 2026–2027).
- Applications from students in sub-Saharan Africa are particularly welcomed — a stated preference, not a requirement.
- Programme entry requires an accredited medical degree (MBChB or equivalent) or a UK 2:1 honours degree (or international equivalent) in a healthcare, medical-writing or publishing-related subject; a 2:2 plus three or more years of relevant experience may be considered.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Residence required
Angola · Bangladesh · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cambodia · Cameroon · Cabo Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros
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Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · DR Congo · Djibouti · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Haiti · Kenya · Kiribati · Laos · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Morocco · Mozambique · Myanmar · Namibia · Nepal · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Solomon Islands · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tunisia · Tuvalu · Uganda · Western Sahara · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Education required
Bachelor
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Application process
- 1Apply for and secure an offer of admission to the PgCert (or be enrolled on the PgProfDev) in Surgical Writing and Evidence Based Practice.
- 2Submit the scholarship application through the University’s scholarship application system, including a personal statement of up to 500 words covering your current role, your career objectives and how the qualification supports them, and any other relevant information.
- 3Await the selection decision, made on academic merit and the strength of the personal statement.
Program timeline
Application deadline (23:59 UK time) for 2026/2027 entry — now passed
Jun 1, 2026
Scholarship decisions notified
Jun 29, 2026
Programme begins
September 2026
dates not yet published by the University
2027/2028 cycle