Corporate report

Commonwealth Scholarship Commission business plan 2024 to 2025

Published 14 February 2024

1. Strategic context

One of the Commonwealth’s finest innovations and UK’s best soft power icons, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission stands out from HM Government’s other scholarship platforms through its robust support for the UN Sustainable Development Goals - which align well with the FCDO’s international development priorities. Over its 65-year history, this prestigious and much-respected global brand has supported over 31,000 individuals, of the 36,000 funded under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan. By empowering talented individuals across the modern Commonwealth to learn, innovate and co-create knowledge and solutions for tackling global development challenges, the CSC helps to transform societies and build a safer, healthier, more prosperous world for all.

Supporting talented individuals to catalyse sustainable development across the modern Commonwealth will remain a critical focus for this plan period.

The CSC will continue to be highly collaborative. Our commitment to partnering with governments, universities and organisations with shared interests across the modern Commonwealth will be sustained and enhanced, with a view to extending life-transforming opportunities to talented individuals and enabling them to pursue sustainable development priorities pertinent to their respective countries.

Working together with governments, universities and other organisations to transform talent and societies will remain a key priority for the CSC during this plan period.

The CSC also actively supports candidates of outstanding academic ability from disadvantaged backgrounds with scholarships and fellowships to gain the skills and knowledge required to innovate for and lead sustainable development. This priority supports key aspects of HM Government’s strategy for international development, its Integrated Review Refresh 2023: Responding to a more contested and volatile world and its International women and girls strategy 2023 to 2030.

Supporting candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds will continue to be a distinctive feature of CSC scholarships and fellowships during this plan period.

In addition to the CSC’s distinctive contributions to the UK’s international development priorities, it plays an important role in attracting the best and brightest talent to UK universities in support of the UK’s International Education Strategy. The CSC promotes research excellence and innovation through international collaboration, enabling individuals and institutions across the Commonwealth to build sustainable partnerships. The CSC’s programmes are a unique and innovative contribution to the ambitions of UK’s Research and Development Roadmap.

Attracting outstanding Commonwealth talent to contribute to the UK’s research and innovation base and international networks will continue to be a key priority.

As demonstrated by our cutting-edge evaluation programme, the CSC delivers impact as well as value for money for the UK taxpayer – attracting over £5 million in partnership funding annually. Innovations such as Shared Scholarships (jointly funded by UK universities), Distance Learning Scholarships, and Split-site Scholarships have facilitated this cost effectiveness. The latter 2 pathways entail scholars studying for Master’s and PhDs from their home country on distance learning or split-site basis respectively.

Value-enhancing innovations, including scholarship schemes enabling awardees to study from their home country, will continue to be prioritised during the plan period.

The CSC is proud to reaffirm its commitment to development, equity, access, and relevance. This plan sets out priorities and pathways to the CSC’s continuing delivery of impact and enhanced value to the UK taxpayer, the UK government, and the modern Commonwealth.

2. Objectives and priorities for 2024 to 2025

Between 2022 to 2023 and 2024 to 2025, the CSC’s objectives are:

1. To provide a world-class scholarship scheme that contributes to sustainable development across the Commonwealth

2. To ensure that our programmes promote equity and inclusion, reward merit, and deliver widespread access, especially to those from disadvantaged backgrounds

3. To support and encourage cutting-edge research, innovation, and knowledge exchange across the Commonwealth

The CSC’s priorities during 2024 to 2025 will be:

Strategic priorities

1. To celebrate the global impact of Commonwealth Scholarships in the UK in the CSC’s 65th Anniversary Year.

2. To ensure that all scholarships and fellowships are focused on 6 development- related themes and to integrate further the themes into CSC programming and impact reporting

3. To agree the balance of awards across programmes and countries based on the strategic priorities of the CSC and the UK government

4. To embed the cross-cutting priority issues of climate change and global health across the CSC’s communications, engagement, alumni, and evaluation programming

5. To finalise the mechanism for reviewing the scholarship and fellowship programmes based on evidence of impact, to include an analysis of overhead costs

6. To deliver the CSC’s Time Limited Programme focussed on a specific theme which responds to current political or environmental challenges facing the Commonwealth. The theme in the current financial year is ‘Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Job Creation’.

7. To embed and promote the unique nature of the CSC offer – namely its focus in all its programming on Commonwealth needs in relation to research and development

8. To sustain high level doctoral research opportunities and to scale up the number of Split-site Scholarships, recognising the unique opportunities this Programme provides in building collaboration and partnerships

9. To increase the number of Distance Learning Scholarships which provide vital opportunities for online study to Scholars otherwise unable to benefit from a mobility Scholarship.

Organisational priorities

1. To review operational efficiency across the Commission and the Secretariat

2. To grow and diversify income in order to support the demand for high-calibre applicants across programmes and to seek to maximise opportunities for candidates across the Commonwealth

3. Key performance indicators 2024 to 2025

The CSC has agreed 5 key performance indicators in 2024 to 2025 which will be used to measure success against our objectives and priorities:

1. The gender of candidates selected for each CSC programme will be at least 45% female and 45% male
2. Partnerships with UK universities will generate at least £4.5 million in matching contributions
3. Thirty 5 alumni profiles of CSC Women Leading Change and alumni impacting climate change will be published demonstrating the CSC’s support of cutting-edge research, innovation, and knowledge exchange throughout the Commonwealth
4. Ten alumni profiles will be published demonstrating research which promotes equity and inclusion and supports those who have been left behind
5. Ten in-depth Evaluation Case Studies will be produced to demonstrate the CSC as an innovative world-class scholarship and fellowship scheme that delivers impact on sustainable development across the Commonwealth

4. Budget and award allocation 2024 to 2025

Table 1 below shows the full budget illustrated for 2024 to 2025 presented to the CSC Finance Committee in November 2023 based upon an indicative budget of £28.224 million from FCDO and £452,000 from DfE. The direct award costs in Table 1 are based on the award numbers in Table 2.

Table 1

CSC illustrated budget 2024 to 2025	2024 to 2025 budget (£000)
FCDO grant-in-aid programme	27,800
FCDO grant-in-aid admin	424
DFE grant-in-aid programme	452
Total grant-in-aid to CSC	28,676
ODA PhD	7,651
Agency master’s	3,493
Split-site PhD	2,919
Shared scholarships	3,935
Distance learning	3,135
Professional	412
Non-ODA PhD	395
Direct award costs	21,941
Visas / health surcharges	789
Award extensions	208
Award hardship	52
Disability mainstreaming	52
Scholar support	652
Cash card fees	12
Other scholarship costs	1,765
Total scholarships	23,681
Evaluation	325
Communications	613
Alumni: ACU	276
Alumni: British Council	374
Recruitment and outreach	303
Time limited programme	414
IT development	340
VAT	372
Total other programme expenditure	3,017
Programme expenditure	26,723
Commission costs via ACU	88
ACU management fees	285
VAT	57
CSC administrative expenditure	430
Programme management costs FCDO	1,227
DFE programme management costs	48
VAT	255
FCDO programme management costs	1,530
Total CSC expenditure	28,683
Surplus/(Deficit)	(7)

Table 2: Award allocation 2024 to 2025, at November 2023

Scholarship	Continuing scholars	Target new awards in 2023 to 2024	Target new awards 2024 to 2025	Awards budget allocated £,000	% of ODA awards budget
ODA PhD scholarships	218	50	56	7,651	35.74%**
Non-ODA PhD scholarships	4	4	4	395	Non-ODA**
Split-site PhD scholarships	50	50	89	2,919	12.56%**
Agency-nominated master’s scholarships	97	97	90	3,493	16.32%
Shared master’s scholarships	201	201	163	3,935	18.81%
Distance learning master’s scholarships	625	205	220	3,135	14.65%
Professional fellowships	-	25	35	412	1.92%
Time limited programme awards	-	25	15*	From TLP budget	From TLP budget
Total	1,195	657	672	21,941

*This number is to be confirmed as the programme design for the Entrepreneurship TLP develops

**The total allocation of awards budget on doctoral research (ODA and non-ODA) is 50%

5. Membership

Under the terms of the Act, the CSC comprises up to 14 members, in addition to the Chair.

Membership of the CSC during 2024 to 2025 is:

Name	Appointed	Appointed to	Comments
Professor Robin Mason (Chair)	1 January 2022	31 December 2024	Chair: 1st term
Professor Morag McDonald (Deputy Chair)	11 May 2020	10 May 2026	2nd term
Professor Allan Hill	1 September 2023	31 August 2026	1st term
Ms Aisling Conboy	1 September 2023	31 August 2026	1st term
Dr Catherine MacKenzie	11 May 2020	10 May 2026	2nd term
Dr Christine Thuranira-McKeever	11 May 2020	10 May 2026	2nd term
Ms Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa	1 September 2023	31 August 2026	1st term
Ms Emma Judge	1 October 2018	30 September 2024	2nd term
Professor James Smith	1 March 2021	29 February 2024	2nd term
Professor Kevin Ibeh	1 March 2021	29 February 2024	2nd term
Professor Liz Baggs	1 September 2023	31 August 2026	1st term
Professor Parmjit Jat	1 March 2021	29 February 2024	2nd term
Professor Paul Jackson	1 October 2018	30 September 2024	2nd term
Mr Ryan Shorthouse	1 October 2023	30 September 2026	1st term
Professor Sarah Hawkes	11 May 2020	10 May 2026	2nd term

Members and the Chair are normally permitted to serve up to 2 three-year terms, depending on re-appointment by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. All appointments to the CSC are publicly advertised, in accordance with the regulations of OCPA.

6. Published information

As laid out in its publication scheme,^{[footnote 1]} the CSC publishes the following information:

Class of information	Location
Who we are and what we do
List of all Commission members	www.gov.uk/cscuk
Location and contact details	www.gov.uk/cscuk
Annual report: governance statement	www.gov.uk/cscuk
What we spend and how we spend it
Financial memorandum	www.gov.uk/cscuk
Annual report: statement of income and expenditure	www.gov.uk/cscuk
How we make decisions
Award eligibility and selection criteria	https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/
Minutes of Commission meetings	Available for inspection on request
What our priorities are and how we are doing
Business plan	www.gov.uk/cscuk
Corporate plan	www.gov.uk/cscuk
Annual Report: Statement of income and expenditure	www.gov.uk/cscuk
Evaluation and monitoring programme results	https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/
Our policies and procedures
Award terms and conditions	https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/
Handbook for Commonwealth scholars and fellows	https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/
Guidance on how to apply	https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/
Information to be published
Commission code of conduct	www.gov.uk/cscuk
Rules on conflicts of interest	www.gov.uk/cscuk
Complaints procedure	www.gov.uk/cscuk
Anti-fraud policy and procedure	www.gov.uk/cscuk
Travel policy	www.gov.uk/cscuk
Safeguarding policy	www.gov.uk/cscuk
Lists and registers
Register of interests	Available for inspection on request
Risk register	Available for inspection on request
The services we offer
The awards we offer and how to apply	https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/
Information for current award holders	https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/
Information for alumni	https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/
Organisations that we work in partnership with
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office	www.gov.uk/fcdo
National nominating agencies	https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/
UK universities	https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/commonwealth-scholarship-commission-in-the-uk/about/publication-scheme ↩