CSC-COI MD/PhD High-level Medical Innovative Talent Scholarships

What you get

You get a fully funded four-year D.Phil. (doctorate) at the University of Oxford, plus a yearly stipend (living allowance) of about EUR 25,000 (GBP 21,500). Your overseas tuition fees are covered in full. Up to 25 of these scholarships are awarded each year. The funding comes from the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) together with the CAMS Oxford Institute. You carry out your research in one of Oxford's Medical Sciences laboratories. You also get a tailored clinical training programme: one-to-one specialist training, lab and bioinformatics courses, weekly clinical case seminars with senior doctors, and the chance to observe clinical work at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You are a Chinese citizen.
• Where you study now: You are enrolled at one of 14 top medical universities in China.
• Your programme: You are either on an eight-year MD course (20 scholarships) or an undergraduate on a non-medical course (5 scholarships).
• Field in Oxford: Your doctorate must be in a subject within Oxford's Medical Sciences Division.
• Grades: You have outstanding academic results and clear research potential.
• References: Three professors in China recommend you.
• Admission: You also meet Oxford's standard entry requirements and the CSC's funding criteria.

How to apply

You first apply to the CSC scheme by mid-November 2025, submitting your CV, cover letter, a list of three research projects and your references. If the CSC approves you, you then apply directly to Oxford for the D.Phil. in Clinical Medicine by 2 December 2025. Oxford shortlists and interviews in January 2026, the CSC interviews in late February, and successful applicants hear back in mid to late March 2026.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is cut very narrowly. Only Chinese students from 14 named medical universities, with top grades and three professorial references, are even eligible, so the applicant pool is small. If you clearly fit those conditions, your prospects are real, but selection is competitive and rests on academic merit and research potential. You must clear two separate bars, the CSC and Oxford, so start early and prepare both applications carefully.