The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) 2027/28 is open: the initial application to the Research Grants Council (RGC) runs from 1 September to noon on 1 December 2026, Hong Kong time, and late submissions are not considered.
A funded PhD can feel like it belongs to other people, but this scheme is open to you.
Who is eligible for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme
Candidates "seeking admission as new full time PhD students" at the eight universities below, "irrespective of their country of origin, prior work experience and ethnic background, should be eligible to apply," the RGC says. That includes you, applying from the Philippines.
- 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
Each sets its own PhD admission requirements, so check your programme's.
What the award provides
For the 2026/27 academic year, the fellowship provides an annual stipend of HK$344,400 (approximately US$44,150) plus a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$14,400 a year, for up to three years.
The RGC also says 400 fellowships will be awarded in the 2027/28 academic year. The council lists no tuition in its award; the government tuition waiver in its FAQ is for local students. Ask the universities you choose about tuition, and about support past three years.
The stipend and travel allowance fund you as a full-time PhD student; they are not a salary for a job.
How to apply, and the 1 December 2026 deadlines
You apply twice, and both close on 1 December 2026, Hong Kong time, which is also Philippine time: first for a reference number by noon, then a full application for each chosen programme by 11:59pm.
- The initial application, online only through the HKPFS Electronic System, gives you a reference number. Make only one; duplicates are all disqualified. Choose up to two programmes at one or two universities, in priority order; changes close at the deadline.
- Each full application must quote that number, or it counts as a regular application; an initial application with no full application is void.
The RGC charges no application fee for the HKPFS, though fees may apply at the second step. Nominations come only through that step and awards only from the RGC, so anyone selling a "guaranteed nomination", or charging to file the free initial application, is selling what is not for sale. Walk away.
How fellows are chosen, and what you can build now
A Selection Panel picks the fellows: shortlisted applications, nominated at the second step, usually after an interview, go to the panel for Sciences, Medicine, Engineering and Technology, or for Humanities, Social Sciences and Business Studies. "Academic excellence" comes first, the council says, alongside research ability and potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.
That list puts people skills beside grades: to us, the panel is reading a researcher in the making. Your transcript is written; the rest you can build before December. We would start here: turn your research question into a one-page plan you can explain to someone outside your field, read your potential supervisors' work, lead a small project, and ask referees who have watched you do research. A PhD is a research career's first rung; what carries you past it is running your own work.
Not being selected for the fellowship does not mean your application for admission is turned down: you may still be admitted and offered a regular postgraduate studentship, the council says.
Prefer another country? The same groundwork serves the Fulbright scholarship, France's Eiffel scholarship and New Zealand's Manaaki scholarship.
Before 1 December 2026
- Initial application submitted, HKPFS reference number saved.
- A full application to each choice, quoting the number.
- Referees asked, and nobody paid to "arrange" a nomination.
The Questions Filipinos Ask Us Most
Do I need IELTS or TOEFL? The RGC's FAQ says applicants from non-English-speaking universities must attach TOEFL or IELTS results to their full applications unless they prove English was the language of instruction for all courses. Ask your registrar early for that proof.
When will I know? By May 2027; only successful applicants are notified. They normally register between July and September 2027.
Sources
Research Grants Council: