The Women in STEM scholarship programme provides funding for women from eligible countries to complete a one-year master's degree in the UK.
Since 2020, the British Council has delivered the programme in partnership with selected UK universities and research institutions and has awarded over 300 scholarships.
Applications for Women in STEM scholarships 2025-26 will open in early 2025.
Why a scholarship programme?
According to data from the UN Scientific Education and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), less than 30 per cent of the world’s researchers are women and only 30 percent of female students select STEM-related fields in higher education.
Globally, female students’ enrolment is particularly low in Information and Communications Technology (three per cent), natural science, mathematics and statistics (five per cent), and engineering, manufacturing and construction (eight per cent).
Educating, training, and hiring more women in STEM can lead to better scientific and financial outcomes, increasing diversity in the workforce, bringing variety in perspectives and ideas and giving organisations a competitive edge.