To cultivate outstanding doctoral students, the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science (MEL) at Xiamen University has established the "MEL PhD Fellowship." The 2026 application guidelines are now available as follows:
I. Eligibility
All prospective doctoral applicants whose prospective PhD supervisor is a full-time MEL faculty member are eligible to apply. This includes:
● Outstanding Master's degree holders (must have obtained their master's degree prior to enrollment)
● Current master's students (Master-PhD combined program)
● Outstanding current final-year undergraduate students (Direct-entry PhD student)
Current PhD students are not eligible to apply.
Undergraduate students who have been admitted to Xiamen University's "Direct PhD Student" program may extend their application window by one year (i.e., they may apply either in the year of admission or the following year).
II. Application Period
From March 3, 2026 to April 20, 2026.
III. Research Areas
Applicants should pursue doctoral research aligned with MEL's core research directions in marine environmental science and related disciplines. The topic of the doctoral dissertation must be relevant to MEL's research scope. For more information, please visit:
http://mel.xmu.edu.cn/research/scope.htm
IV. Funding
Number of Fellowships: Up to 10 per year
Fellowship Amount: In addition to the standard Xiamen University PhD scholarship, MEL provides a top-up of approximately RMB 50,000 over four years (maximum duration: 4 years). The fellowship will be disbursed monthly starting from enrollment (typically September each year).
International Academic Activity Support: Fellows who pass the mid-term assessment are eligible for one-time funding to attend an international academic conference abroad, where they must deliver an oral or poster presentation. Expenses will be reimbursed based on actual costs, up to a maximum of RMB 5,000 per person.
Note: This fellowship cannot be held concurrently with the Xiamen University "Nanqiang Outstanding PhD Candidate Training Program(南强优秀博士生奖学金)."
V. Fellowship Obligations and Assessment
1. Obligations
Recipients are required to participate annually in the MEL Graduate Forum and give an oral presentation. If unable to attend due to non-selection or special circumstances, they must present at a higher-level academic conference in the same year and report the situation to MEL in advance. Failure to fulfill this obligation will affect the annual and mid-term assessment results.
Research outcomes achieved with support from this fellowship should acknowledge: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University and include the following statement: The work was supported by the PhD Fellowship of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science at Xiamen University.
Fellows are encouraged to take the lead or participate in organizing student academic activities at MEL (e.g., MEL Graduate Forum, UACS, Student Lingfeng Forum, XMAS Student Working Group).
2. Assessment
(1) Annual Review
Fellows must participate in the annual review organized by their respective colleges. In addition, under the guidance of their supervisory committee, they must undergo the MEL PhD Fellowship annual review.
(2) Mid-Term Assessment
Fellows are required to undergo a mid-term assessment at the end of their second year. Failure to pass the mid-term assessment will result in termination of the fellowship.
VI. Application Procedure
(A) Submitting an Application
Before applying, applicants must contact a potential PhD supervisor from the MEL faculty list:
https://mel.xmu.edu.cn/people/faculty.htm
Once supervisor confirmation is obtained, applicants must complete the online application form and upload the required documents at:
http://melmeeting.xmu.edu.cn/fellowship/login.asp
Required Documents:
● Scanned copies of degree certificate(s) and graduation certificate(s) (current graduating students need only provide a scanned copy of their student ID);
● Scanned copy of official transcript(s) bearing the official seal of the degree-granting institution(s) (from undergraduate studies onward);
● Scanned copy of ID card;
● Contact information of three referees who can provide recommendation letters (at least two referees must be professors or equivalent; one referee must be the applicant's current thesis supervisor);
● Scanned copy of English proficiency certificate. Applicants must provide one of the following: CET-6 score ≥450 / PETS-5 (WSK) ≥60 / TOEFL ≥80 / IELTS ≥6.0, or proof of equivalent English proficiency;
● Scanned copies of documents demonstrating research capability and achievements (merged into a single PDF file, maximum size 10MB).
Note: After uploading, please verify that the documents can be previewed and downloaded correctly.
(B) Review Process
1. MEL Review
Preliminary screening by the MEL Graduate Training Committee;
The MEL Graduate Training Committee will invite at least 10 experts (from both Xiamen University and external institutions) to attend interviews and vote on candidates.
Interview format: 15-minute presentation (research achievements and proposed research plan) + 5-minute Q&A;
Completion of internal MEL approval procedures and notification of results to all applicants.
2. University-Level Review and Approval
Selected candidates must complete the additional application and approval procedures as required by Xiamen University Admissions Office:
http://zs.xmu.edu.cn
VII. Contact Information
Program Secretary: Guanfei Wang
Tel: +86-592-2880339
Email: gfwang@xmu.edu.cn
Website: http://mel.xmu.edu.cn
