British Council Launches Fully Funded STEM Scholarships for Women; Applications Underway

The British Council has opened applications for fully funded scholarships which serve to empower women who wish to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) during the academic year 2026-27. The program provides career support to female scholars from South Asia who want to enter fields where women face employment restrictions.

The program offers 25 fully funded postgraduate scholarships which require applicants to partner with five UK universities. The University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, University of Manchester, Queen Mary University of London, and Brunel University London are among the institutions which provide scholarships to their students.

The scholarships provide funding for tuition expenses and living costs along with travel and visa fees and health insurance and English language assistance, with total value starting from £40,000. The program aims to create more STEM job opportunities for women while developing leadership skills to establish a research environment which maintains gender balance.

The scholarship program has expanded into a worldwide initiative which partners with multiple top universities throughout the United Kingdom during its sixth year of operation. The program has supported more than 100 women who have used its resources to build their academic and professional competencies.

Applicants need to prove their academic excellence through their STEM discipline studies together with their ability to lead and innovate. The program seeks to attract women who will return to their home countries after acquiring advanced skills which will enable them to exchange knowledge and drive scientific progress and economic development.

Scholars receive financial assistance together with access to UK alumni networks. The connections established through this program provide advantages which will last throughout the scholars’ professional life because they enable research partnerships and mentoring and international work opportunities.

The application process is currently ongoing. The official British Council website provides interested candidates with information about eligibility requirements and participating universities and submission deadlines. Women who meet the criteria should prepare their applications immediately because this opportunity will soon become available to them.

The program exists as part of a larger initiative which aims to eliminate all barriers that stop women from accessing male-dominated career fields because the research shows that diverse teams accelerate scientific research and innovation across the globe.