Research Capacity Building Grants
This program is designed to provide partial support to outstanding Kuwaitis pursuing master’s or PhD degrees. It provides full tuition coverage for one academic year (including summer semester) at prestigious international universities. This support is intended to meet the needs of students who have obtained an unconditional offer to pursue their graduate studies, as well as those currently enrolled, and do not have full financial coverage from other sources. The program targets two groups:
1. New students.
2. Enrolled students.
1. Eligibility Criteria:
Kuwaiti nationals.
Under 35 years of age at the time of submitting the application.
Have attained an unconditional offer from the university, authenticated by the relevant Kuwaiti Cultural Office. Applicants can apply if the offer includes visa and financial or other non-academic conditions.
Does not have the same academic degree as the one being applied for.
Field of study must be within the Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) domains. To view the fields, please click here.
The cumulative GPA for the bachelor's degree must not be less than 3.5 (4.0 scale) or Upper second-class, according to the UK system, or their equivalent in other systems as assessed by KFAS.
For medical specialties, the cumulative GPA for the bachelor's degree must not be less than 3.33 (4.0 scale) or Lower second-class according to the UK system, or their equivalent in other systems as assessed by KFAS.
For enrolled students, the completed years of study must not exceed one academic year for master’s students and three academic years for PhD students.
The prospective university must be ranked in the top 50 global universities (general) or in the top 20 global universities (by major) according to the following rankings: Times Higher Education, US News & World Report, QS World University Rankings.
2. Required Documents:
Recent copy of the civil ID through the "Kuwait Mobile ID" app.
Updated Curriculum Vitae.
Unconditional offer from the university, authenticated by the relevant Kuwaiti Cultural Office.
All academic degrees and transcripts must be authenticated by the Ministry of Higher Education.
Personal Statement Letter - minimum 250 words - explaining their interest in their subject of study.
For enrolled students:
- Confirmation of enrolment letter issued by the university that includes the expected graduation date, and current academic standing.
- Letter “To Whom it May Concern” issued by the relevant Kuwait Cultural Office.
A recent certificate of "To Whom It May Concern" from the Public Institution for Social Security.
- Upon acceptance of the grant, employed applicants must provide a study leave from the employer stating that the applicant is on full leave.
3. Financial Benefits:
The grant covers one academic year tuition fees, including the summer semester.
Monthly allowance of 1,200 Kuwaiti Dinars for master student and 1,500 Kuwaiti Dinars for PhD students.
500 Kuwaiti Dinars to cover the initial expenses of the scholarship.
A flight ticket allowance for one round-trip economy-class ticket to the study destination.
The applicant is subject to the regulations of the Ministry of Higher Education through its health offices, provided that permanent residence is proven according to the health insurance system.
If the applicant receives funding from another source, they may apply to KFAS to cover the difference.
4. Application Submission
Application window is from March 1st to May 31st, and the results will be announced in August.
Only applications that are submitted through this application will be considered.
For any inquiries, please reach out via email at: rgraduates@kfas.org.kw