The awards offered by the Croucher Foundation are intended to enable applicants who are permanent residents of Hong Kong to devote themselves to a period of full-time study or research in natural sciences, medicine or technology, in approved academic institutions outside Hong Kong.

These awards are intended for those engaged in full-time study leading to a PhD degree.

The Croucher Foundation is a private endowment set up in 1979 and permanently domiciled in Hong Kong, with the objective of promoting excellence in natural sciences, technology and medicine in the region. One of the Foundation’s regular funding initiatives is to provide financial support for promising young people in Hong Kong to pursue scientific research at postdoctoral and doctoral levels.

At a glance

  • Funding valueFull tuition fees, annual stipend, air fares and allowances
  • Suitable for Applicants fromHong Kong
  • DeadlineOn going
  • Funding provider(s)The Croucher Foundation

What it covers

A Croucher Scholarship normally comprises the following:

  • An annual maintenance allowance which is set at USD30,300 per annum;
  • One economy class single air fare at both the beginning and end of the period of the award;
  • Tuition fees and college fees (where applicable);
  • A one-off arrival allowance of USD1,000 to cover the costs of arriving in a new country during the first year of tenure;
  • An academic development allowance of up to USD2,000 per annum to allow Croucher Scholarship recipients to attend conferences, workshops or courses during the tenure of their awards;
  • A medical insurance allowance of up to USD2,000 per annum to cover medical insurance costs;
  • A family allowance of up to USD16,000 per annum for the first child and up to USD6,800 per annum for every additional child who resides with the scholar during the entire duration of the award;
  • A commencement award of USD7,575 to be offered towards the end of doctoral studies to cover the cost of thesis preparation and travel expenses for scholars and their family members attending their graduation ceremonies.

Applicable courses

This funding opportunity is applicable to PhD courses at Cranfield University. Please see the 'Who can apply' section for more information.

Who can apply

Applications are open to students from Hong Kong interested in studying a full-time postgraduate research course (PhD) in natural science or technology abroad. Applicants must have obtained first class honours in their first degree. Students in their final year of first degree studies may also apply, but any offer of an award will be conditional on their obtaining first class honours upon their graduation by July.

Further information

All applicants should be aware that the Croucher awards are highly competitive and there are always more applicants than awards available. Short-listed candidates are required to attend an interview in March/April. Applicants who are not notified of the outcome of their application by late May may assume that it was unsuccessful. The Foundation does NOT provide critiques for unsuccessful applications.

Please note that applications for the Foundation’s study awards are accepted only in annual competitive exercises, which are normally open for entries by late September and closed by mid-November. Any application received at any other time will not be considered.

To ensure fair competition, the Foundation, as a grant-making body, does not welcome any direct request from any individual for help or counselling.

How to apply

All applications should be submitted to the Croucher Foundation online. For more information please visit the Croucher Foundation website. The deadline for applications is usually in November each year.

While proceeding with your application, please invite two referees to provide signed letters of reference for you (with your full name), under confidential cover, to be sent to cfadmin@croucher.org.hk (in PDF format), or fax to (852) 2730 0742 by the deadline.