About the Farhad Daftary Doctoral Scholarship Programme

The IIS awards Farhad Daftary Doctoral Scholarships each year to suitable candidates who are interested in pursuing research at PhD level on a topic related to any of the Institute’s core research areas. The IIS Doctoral Scholarship Programme was established in 1997. Since then, more than 53 scholarships have been awarded.

On 18 January 2023, in a speech celebrating the work of retiring IIS Co-Director Dr Farhad Daftary and his invaluable contributions to the Institute, Prince Rahim announced that His Highness the Aga Khan had decided to attach Dr Daftary’s name to the IIS PhD Scholarship programme. 

Funding and Conditions

The scholarship covers university fees, up to a maximum of three academic years (full-time), as well as a living stipend of £16,008 a year (£1,334 a month), up to a maximum of four academic years.

The award is reviewed after each academic year and its renewal is conditional on the student’s satisfactory academic progress. Progress reports must be sent to the IIS as agreed at the outset of the programme (typically, twice a year by the recipient, as well as once a year by the supervisor).

During the duration of the scholarship, the recipient is bound to provide 30 days’ work a year to the IIS when requested (reasonable notice will be given). The IIS will have first right to publish content deriving directly from the final dissertation produced by the scholarship recipient, though it is not obliged to do so.