Academia Sinica - Fellowships for the Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP)

Benefit

Every student admitted to TIGP receives a tax-free monthly stipend (regular payment) of NT$40,000 (roughly USD 1,120) for the first year. Students who perform well academically receive it for a second year too. After that, further financial support depends on your individual thesis supervisor.

Academia Sinica also covers the gap between international and domestic tuition fees for up to five consecutive years, so international students pay the same rate as local students - around NT$28,000-31,000 per semester in the first two years, dropping to roughly NT$16,000-20,000 per semester after that. High-performing students may also qualify for additional top-up fellowships and travel grants within the programme.

TIGP is a fully English-taught Ph.D. programme run jointly by Academia Sinica and leading Taiwanese research universities, spanning 14 programmes across life sciences, mathematics, physical sciences, and humanities and social sciences.

Eligibility

• Degree: You hold a bachelor's or master's degree in science, arts or a related field.
• Nationality: Open to all nationalities, including Taiwanese applicants.
• English level: You meet at least one of these thresholds: TOEFL iBT 79-80, IELTS Academic 5.5 overall, GEPT High-Intermediate, or TOEIC (Listening & Reading) 785. Scores must be no more than two years old. No test is needed if you qualify under one of three waiver paths: (a) you hold a passport from a recognised English-speaking country (e.g. Australia, UK, USA, Canada, Singapore -- see the full list on the TIGP website); (b) you studied full-time for at least two years at a college whose sole language of instruction is English, located in a country where English is the primary spoken language, for your highest degree; or (c) your highest degree was taught entirely in English and you can provide a medium of instruction certificate.
• Programme choice: You may apply to only one of the 14 TIGP programmes per cycle.
• GRE: Optional for all programmes.

How to apply

Apply online at tigp.apps.sinica.edu.tw by 1 February each year; the window opens 1 November. If you pass the preliminary review, you send official transcripts and language-test scores by post. Admission results come out in late June or early July, with enrolment starting the following autumn semester.