British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM 2025

The Women in STEM Scholarship Programme offers funding for women from eligible countries to pursue a one-year master’s degree in the UK.

Cardiff University, in partnership with the British Council, is proud to join the Women in STEM Scholarship initiative by offering five fully funded scholarships for female students from wider Europe. We are looking for women with a background in STEM, who can demonstrate their need for financial support and who wish to inspire future generations of women to pursue careers in STEM.

Since 2020, the British Council, in partnership with selected UK universities and research institutions, has awarded over 300 scholarships through this initiative.

Empowering women through education

According to UNESCO data, less than 30% of the world’s researchers are women, and only 30% of female students choose STEM-related fields in higher education.

Female enrolment globally is especially low in:

• Information and Communications Technology (3%)
• Natural Science, Mathematics, and Statistics (5%)
• Engineering, Manufacturing, and Construction (8%)

Increasing the number of women in STEM benefits both science and industry. It promotes workforce diversity, brings new perspectives, and provides organisations with a competitive edge.

Eligible programmes

The scholarship is available to eligible students studying in selected postgraduate taught degree programmes:

Eligible countries for Cardiff University

• Albania
• Azerbaijan
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Kazakhstan
• Kosovo
• Montenegro
• North Macedonia
• Serbia
• Turkey
• Uzbekistan

Scholarship value

The scholarship covers the full costs associated with study at Cardiff University, including:

• Full tuition fees
• Annual stipend of £1,603 per month for accommodation and living costs
• IELTS exam fees
• Return economy class travel to the UK from your home country
• Visa, insurance and other related and ad hoc costs

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM, you must:

• Be a woman (cis-gendered or trans) or identify as non-binary.
• Be a passport holder and permanent resident of the countries that are eligible
• Have completed all components of an undergraduate degree that will enable you to gain entry onto a postgraduate programme at Cardiff University by the time you submit your application.
• Demonstrate a case for financial support/socio-economic need
• Have not previously studied at degree level or higher in the UK or lived recently in the UK.
• Not be in receipt of financial support or funding towards your study programme in the UK from any other source.
• Meet the English language requirement of the relevant postgraduate programme at Cardiff University.
• Return to your country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after your scholarship award has ended.
• Show in your application that you are active in the field with work experience or with a proven interest in the programme area you are applying for.
• Be willing to demonstrate future contribution to capacity-building and socio-economic advancement through the benefits achieved after graduating from UK higher education and returning your home country.
• Demonstrate in your application a plan and passion to engage other women and girls in STEM from your home country.
• Agree that your personal data be shared with the British Council as a condition of applying for the bursary.
• Agree to maintain contact with the British Council and act as an ambassador for the UK and engage with activities as part of a British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM alumnus during and after your study in the UK. Any involvement in these activities during your study in the UK will take up no more than five hours per term.

You are NOT eligible for a British Council Scholarship if you:

• Hold dual British citizenship.
• Have previously studied in the UK with funding from a UK government-funded scholarship or a UK institutional scholarship/financial bursary.
• Are an employee, a former employee, or a relative of an employee of Her Majesty’s Government (including British Embassies/High Commissions; the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy; Department for International Trade; the Ministry of Defence; and the Home Office).
• Are an employee, a former employee, or a relative of an employee of the British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM.

For more details, visit the British Council's webpage: Women in STEM Scholarships.

How to apply

In order to apply for this scholarship you are first required to submit an application for the relevant master’s programme.
Once you have submitted your academic application, you can apply for this scholarship.

Application deadline: 23:59 UK time on 30 April 2025

For enquiries, please contact our International Scholarships team at InternationalScholarships@cardiff.ac.uk.