IsDB Scholarships 2027-28: Four Programs, One Mission

What the IsDB Scholarship Actually Is

When people say “the IsDB scholarship,” they usually mean one of four different programs. Each one targets a different group of people, covers a different degree level, and works differently. Applying to the wrong one — or not realizing your country is eligible for a different track — is the most common mistake this guide exists to prevent.

The IsDB (Islamic Development Bank) is a multilateral development finance institution headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with 57 member countries. Its scholarship programs have been running since 1983 and are among the few major scholarship schemes that specifically target students and researchers in Muslim communities and least-developed Islamic countries.

The Two Things That Confuse Everyone

Grant or loan?

Two of the four programs (SPMC and IsDB-ISFD) are structured as Qard Hasan — interest-free Islamic loans that students repay after employment. The other two (M.Sc. and MSP for PhD/Postdoc) are full grants with no repayment. Almost every third-party summary calls all four “fully funded scholarships,” which is misleading.

Member or non-member country?

Your country's IsDB membership status determines which program you can access — not whether you're eligible at all. Students from India, the Philippines or Ethiopia (non-member countries) apply to the SPMC. Students from member countries apply to the MSP, and — if their country is one of the Least Developed Member Countries (LDMCs) — to IsDB-ISFD or the M.Sc. These are entirely separate tracks.

There is also a joint IsDB-TWAS Programme for research grants and postdoctoral fellowships — but it targets researchers with a PhD, not students. It is covered briefly on the programs page.

Is One of These Programs Right for You?

You're a Muslim student in India, the Philippines, or another non-member country

SPMC is your program. You'll study at a recognized government university in your own country at the undergraduate level. It's a loan that the community fund eventually recycles for the next student. Read: SPMC program details.

You're from Bangladesh, Mali, Uganda, or another LDMC

You could access IsDB-ISFD (bachelor's/TVET) or the M.Sc. program depending on whether you've already completed your bachelor's degree. These are two separate applications with different eligibility criteria — and slightly different country lists: the M.Sc. booklet names 20 LDMCs, including Maldives and Palestine but not Bangladesh, Senegal or Sudan. Read: full eligibility breakdown.

You're a university lecturer or researcher from a member country

MSP is built for you — PhD or Postdoctoral research in high-technology fields. Your institution must nominate you. A personal application without your employer's backing won't move forward. Read: MSP selection criteria.

You're a student from a middle-income member country (Egypt, Turkey, Malaysia, etc.)

The IsDB-ISFD and M.Sc. programs are limited to the LDMCs — you are not eligible for those. Your route is the MSP (if you're an academic staff member), or alternative scholarships from those countries' bilateral programs. Read: which countries qualify for what.

Program Quick Facts

IsDB’s scholarships page showed the 2026-2027 call as open on 31 January 2026 and as closed by 17 February 2026; the exact closing date is no longer posted. As of 6 October 2026, IsDB has not published dates for the 2027-2028 call, and its scholarships page is still titled “Scholarship Programs 2026–2027”.

Timing moves from year to year. The 2024-2025 call closed on 30 April 2024, and the 2025-2026 call closed on 20 April 2025 after an extension. Our estimate is that the 2027-2028 call opens in early 2027, but treat that as unconfirmed until it appears on isdb.org/scholarships.

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