The Islamic Development Bank's flagship scholarship programme funds Muslim students from all countries — member states and Muslim communities in non-member countries alike — from undergraduate through post-doctoral level. Four tracks cover undergraduate study in your own country, master's study for students of the 20 least developed member countries, and PhD/post-doctoral research in applied sciences and high technology at ranked universities worldwide. The official 2027-2028 page is live, but the call had not opened as of 19 October 2026 — check the page and sign up for updates.
Why it is notable: the only major global scholarship fund covering every degree level for Muslim communities in non-member countries as well as member states; it runs since 1983 and includes a mentorship programme for scholars — but the application portal (SmartSimple) only opens during the call window, so applicants who find the page early see a closed portal and wrongly conclude the programme has ended.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
Full tuition paid directly to the university
Monthly living allowance calibrated to the cost of living in the country of study
Books and clothing allowances
Health insurance
Return economy airfare plus installation allowance for scholars studying outside their home country
Mentorship programme and extra-curricular activities for academic and social integration
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
High schoolfor Bachelor'sGraduationfor MastersMasters/MPhilfor PhDPhDfor Post-doctoral
"This scholarship is offered for undergraduate, master's, PhD and post-doctoral studies in science and technology and approved development-related fields."
Who can apply
nationals of IsDB member countries (M.Sc., MSP tracks); Muslim students from Muslim communities in non-member countries (SPMC track)
Experience
No experience required (post-doctoral track expects a research record; MSP PhD track expects institutional/employer nomination)
Language Certificate
course-dependent — proof of admission to a ranked university is expected for postgraduate tracks, which implies meeting that university's language requirements
Other Certificates
strong academic record with required prior degrees; proof of good health; at least provisional university admission (expected for M.Sc./MSP; strongly preferred for undergraduate tracks)
Age Limit
≤24 for undergraduate; ≤30 for master's; ≤35 for PhD; ≤50 for post-doctoral
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
IsDB member-country nationals and Muslim communities in non-member countries — the programme's mandate is human development of Muslim communities worldwide
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Language
course-dependent; postgraduate tracks expect admission at a ranked university (hence that university's language requirements apply)
transcripts, certificates, admission proof, research proposal and nomination (MSP), certified translations, health proof
04
Admission
at least provisional admission expected for M.Sc./MSP; strongly preferred for undergraduate tracks — admission alone is never a scholarship offer
05
Exclusivity
must not hold any other scholarship at application or during studies
06
Fee
no fee at any stage — any payment request is fraud; official correspondence comes only from scholar@isdb.org
Document checklist
01Completed online application on the SmartSimple portal
02Academic transcripts and degree certificates
03Proof of university admission (provisional acceptable for postgraduate tracks)
04Research proposal (MSP track — field aligned with approved areas)
05Institutional/employer nomination letter (MSP track — prerequisite)
06Certified English/French translations of documents in other languages
07Proof of good health
08Any track-specific documents listed in the 2027-28 booklet
Application fee
No fee — completely free (IsDB states it never charges any fee at any stage; treat any payment request as fraud)
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: varies by country of study — undergraduate scholars normally study in their own country (no visa needed); postgraduate scholars receive a student visa for the country of the ranked university
Application Procedure
10 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Wait for the official 2027-28 call to
open on isdb.org/scholarships (page currently titled "Scholarship Programs 2027-2028" — the call had not opened as of 19 Oct 2026).
→
02
When the call opens
read the programme booklet for your track (booklets published on the scholarships page) and confirm your field of study is in the approved list.
→
03
Start or secure university admission —
at least provisional admission is expected for the M.Sc. and MSP tracks; admission is strongly preferred for the undergraduate tracks.
↓
06
MSP applicants: arrange the institutional/employer nomination —
individual applications without nomination are not reviewed.
←
05
Upload required documents (see checklist)
documents not in English or French need certified translations.
←
04
Create an account on the official portal —
isdbscholarships.smartsimple.com — and complete the online application form.
↓
07
Submit before the published deadline (previous cycle
closed mid-February 2026; 2027-28 date to be confirmed).
→
08
Completed online application on the SmartSimple portal
→
09
Academic transcripts and degree certificates
↓
10
Proof of university admission (provisional acceptable for
postgraduate tracks)
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official universities in the student's own country or… platform.
Is the 2027-28 call open? A: Not yet — as of 19 October 2026 the official page is titled "Scholarship Programs 2027-2028" but call dates are unpublished; the previous cycle closed mid-February 2026.What are the four IsDB scholarship tracks? A: SPMC (undergraduate for Muslim communities in non-member countries), IsDB-ISFD (undergraduate/TVET for least developed member countries), M.Sc. (master's Is the scholarship a grant or a loan? A: Per IsDB's programme terms, the undergraduate tracks (SPMC, ISFD) are Qard Hasan — an interest-free loan repaid in easy instalments to the IsDB Education TrustWhat are the age limits? A: 24 for undergraduate, 30 for master's, 35 for PhD, 50 for post-doctoral.Do I need university admission before applying? A: For M.Sc. and MSP, at least provisional admission is expected; for the undergraduate tracks, admission is strongly preferred but the application can How do I avoid scams? A: Apply only at isdbscholarships.smartsimple.com; official emails come only from scholar@isdb.org; IsDB never charges any fee — treat payment requests as fraud.What does the scholarship cover? A: Full tuition paid to the university, monthly living and books/clothing allowances calibrated to the country of study, health insurance, and for those studying abroaWho do I contact with questions? A: scholar@isdb.org.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
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