Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP) 2027 | NT$40,000/Month PhD at Academia Sinica

The Taiwan International Graduate Program is Academia Sinica’s doctoral programme in Taipei, and it pays a tax-free stipend of NT$40,000 per month with no application fee. Applications for the Fall 2027 intake open on 1 November 2026 and close on 1 February 2027 (GMT+8), through Academia Sinica’s online application system.

After reading Academia Sinica’s own TIGP pages directly, we confirmed three things that most coverage of this programme gets wrong. You do still pay tuition — Academia Sinica subsidises the difference so international students pay the Taiwanese domestic rate, but that rate is real money and it is not waived. You may not work, on or off campus, part-time or full-time, and not even a paid summer internship. And TIGP is 14 separate programmes whose own pages are not kept in sync with the central system — one still advertises a deadline from the previous cycle, and another asks for two reference letters where the central page asks for three.

Key Highlights

Detail Description

Academia Sinica is Taiwan’s national academy, based at Nankang in Taipei, and TIGP is how it takes international doctoral students. Academia Sinica is a research institution rather than a degree-granting university, which is why the programme is built the way it is: each TIGP programme runs jointly with one of Taiwan’s research universities, and Academia Sinica describes TIGP as “jointly organized by Academia Sinica in association with Taiwan’s key national research universities”.

That arrangement is the most useful thing to understand about TIGP, and it is the detail competitor pages skip. You are supervised and funded inside Academia Sinica’s institutes, but you are registered at a partner university. The Nano programme spells out the consequence: the partner university confers the PhD, and a certificate jointly signed by the President of Academia Sinica and the TIGP Director is issued alongside it. Academia Sinica publishes no equivalent statement on its central pages, so treat the detail as confirmed for Nano and worth asking about for your own programme.

Partner universities differ, and no complete programme-to-university map is published centrally. Three pairings we confirmed: Nano Science and Technology registers students with National Taiwan University or National Tsing Hua University; Artificial Intelligence of Things is described on its TIGP page as established jointly by National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica; Molecular and Cell Biology is sponsored by Academia Sinica’s Institute of Molecular Biology in cooperation with the Institute of Life Sciences at the National Defense Medical Center. Nano’s joint-admission page additionally lists National Central University and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University among the partners covering the chemistry and nanotechnology programmes.

The 14 Programmes — and Why the Central System Is Authoritative

TIGP has one application window but fourteen sets of requirements, and the programme pages are not kept in step with the centre. That is the practical problem this section exists to solve.

Three things differ by programme in ways worth knowing before you choose.

EAMW is the exception on language. Academia Sinica’s Requirements page asks every applicant for an English proficiency score “except for applicants to the EAMW program”, and states that “Applicants to the EAMW program should instead submit other language proficiency test scores.” It does not say which languages or what scores, so EAMW applicants get no actionable figure centrally and should ask the programme directly. EAMW is also the one humanities and area-studies programme in a list otherwise dominated by the sciences.

Nano splits by your existing degree. Applicants holding an M.S. are considered for the physics-oriented or the engineering-oriented programme; applicants holding only a B.S. are considered only for the engineering-oriented programme. The choice is made at application. Nano also admits to the fall semester only, and registers students with National Taiwan University or National Tsing Hua University — where NTU is Master’s-entry only.

Three programmes share a joint admission, which bends the one-programme rule. Academia Sinica runs MST, Nano and SCST through a joint admission in which you nominate three potential advisors across Bio, Chemistry, Physics and Materials, and rank Programme and University combinations — NTHU, NCU, NTU and NYCU appear among the partners. You may be accepted by one of the three Programme/University combinations you select, and that choice cannot be changed afterwards. Academia Sinica also notes you do not need to contact the advisors in advance. If you are applying to any of those three, read the joint-admission notes on the Nano site as well as your programme page.

TIGP Funding — Stipend and Fellowships

Academia Sinica publishes the funding in stages, and the staging is the part to read carefully.

Tuition and Living Costs

Academia Sinica’s own FAQ calls TIGP “a full fellowship”, and on the money that is fair — but it is not a tuition waiver, and the distinction is worth real money.

Academia Sinica’s position is that it subsidises the gap so international students pay the Taiwanese domestic rate, and its Student Regulation page states that “TIGP office will only subsidize tuition fee for international students for 5 consecutive years”. What you pay is the domestic rate. Academia Sinica’s FAQ adds that payment “is due upon registration each semester” and that “Tuition amounts vary among partner universities”, directing applicants to their programme for the figure. The published range:

• First four semesters — NT$28,000 to NT$31,000 (about USD 933 to USD 1,033) per semester
• Later semesters until graduation — NT$16,000 to NT$20,000 (about USD 533 to USD 666) per semester

The subsidy clock does not pause. Academia Sinica states that if you suspend study at any point during those five years, “the subsidy cannot be delayed for later use” — so a year out costs you a year of subsidy as well as a year of stipend entitlement.

Academia Sinica also publishes its own estimate of monthly living costs in Taipei, which students pay themselves: accommodation NT$5,000–14,000 a month, or around NT$5,500 for a single on-campus dormitory room; food NT$6,000–10,000; and books, National Health Insurance, transport and recreation together NT$1,000–3,000.

Set against the stipend, those numbers work comfortably — tuition in the first two years comes to roughly NT$56,000–62,000 a year, against NT$480,000 a year on the NT$40,000 figure or NT$408,000 on the NT$34,000 one. The point is not that TIGP is unaffordable — a funded student comes out well ahead. It is that “fully funded” here does not mean tuition-free, so budget for two fee payments a year rather than none. And because you are not permitted to work, the stipend plus whatever your advisor provides is your entire income for the duration.

Eligibility Criteria

Academic entry

• A Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in Science, Arts or related disciplines. Academia Sinica’s FAQ adds that “most TIGP programs/partner universities in TIGP do accept applicants with only a BS degree”, while advising applicants to confirm with their chosen programme. No minimum GPA is published
• An academic transcript for coursework completed post high school. High school transcripts are not required
• Three letters of reference centrally. Programmes differ: Nano requires three with one from your advisor, while MCB asks for two
• A statement of purpose
• GRE General and Subject tests — optional centrally. Nano requires the General Test, will consider other evidence of competence such as award records, national or international exam scores or publications if you genuinely cannot sit it, and strongly recommends a Subject Test in Physics, Mathematics or Biology. MCB only “encourages” the General Test

What is not restricted

• No nationality restriction is published. Academia Sinica’s eligibility turns on your degree and your English, not your passport, so applicants from Pakistan, India and anywhere else apply on the same terms
• No age limit and no work-experience requirement are published
• No application fee. Academia Sinica states “TIGP requires no application fee”

The rules that trip people up

• One programme per applicant. “All the applicants ONLY can apply for ONE TIGP program”
• No outside work. Students may not work on or off campus, part-time or full-time, and may not take a paid summer internship. Academia Sinica states that failing to follow this “will jeopardize students’ scholarship/stipend”
• Notarised copies only — self-notarisation is not accepted, and screenshots are not accepted
• Documents are mailed only after you pass the preliminary evaluation, with transcripts preferably sent as originals from your Registrar in sealed envelopes
• Submitted materials are not returned under any circumstances

Obligations once you are in

• Mandatory courses. Academia Sinica’s student regulations require a lab safety course and an Academia Sinica ethics course, and international students must also take two Chinese classes — Elementary Levels One and Two
• You must choose an advisor before the end of your first year of study
• Annual tax returns. The scholarship is tax-exempt, but students must still file a Taiwan tax return each year
• Your ARC is renewed yearly and you pay the application fee yourself
• Leave is capped. Where leave exceeds a programme-specific limit, the stipend is suspended until you return

English Language Requirements

Some sites list TIGP as a scholarship you can get without IELTS. That is wrong as a general claim. Academia Sinica requires an English proficiency test score from every applicant except those applying to EAMW. What is true is that the threshold is low by international standards, and that the waiver routes are unusually broad.

The waiver routes. Academia Sinica accepts any one of the following as proof of English proficiency — but note the limit before you rely on one: its FAQ states that “the exemption eligibility is subject to each program”, and that the admission committee may still request a TOEFL or IELTS score if it judges one necessary. Treat a waiver as probable rather than guaranteed, and ask your programme.

• Nationality of one of 21 listed countries, evidenced by uploading your passport. The list is wider than most programmes’: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Nigeria, the Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and the United States
• Two or more years of full-time study for your highest degree at a college or university where English is the sole language of instruction, in a country where English is the primary spoken language
• A previous highest degree “entirely taught in English”, evidenced by a medium-of-instruction certificate

That last route is the one most applicants from Pakistan and India can actually use, since many degrees there are taught in English — but it needs a medium-of-instruction certificate from the institution rather than a self-declaration, and it applies to your highest degree rather than any degree. Applicants from Nigeria and the Philippines should note they qualify on nationality alone.

Required Documents

• Academic transcripts for all post-secondary coursework — Bachelor’s and, where applicable, Master’s. High school transcripts are not required
• Letters of reference — three centrally, two for MCB, three including one from your advisor for Nano. Submitted by your referees through the online recommendation portal after you enter their details
• A statement of purpose
• An English proficiency test score — TOEFL, IELTS, GEPT or TOEIC, taken within the past two years, or evidence of a waiver. EAMW applicants submit other language scores instead
• GRE scores where your programme requires or recommends them, reported to institution code 7142
• Notarised photocopies where copies are submitted

Transcripts and language scores are mailed to the TIGP Office at the Yellow Tile Building, No. 128, Sec. 2, Academia Rd., Nankang, Taipei — but only once you have passed the preliminary evaluation.

How to Apply

Step 1: Choose your one programme, and read its own page as well

Pick from the 14, then open that programme’s website for its additional requirements. This is not optional diligence — GRE rules, reference-letter counts and language requirements all differ by programme, and you only get one application. Where the programme page and the central system disagree on dates, the central system is the one to trust.

Step 2: Check the date on your English certificate

Scores must have been taken within the past two years, measured against the 1 February 2027 deadline. If you are using a waiver instead, request the medium-of-instruction certificate from your university early — it comes from a registrar, not from you.

Step 3: Create your account when the window opens on 1 November 2026

Applications go through tigp.apps.sinica.edu.tw. Academia Sinica accepts the online application and the online recommendation portal only, and there is no application fee.

Step 4: Enter your referees’ details early

Your referees can only reach the online recommendation portal after you enter their information in your application. Do that first and tell them it is coming, because the letters run on their timetable rather than yours and the window closes 1 February 2027.

Step 5: Submit online, then wait for the preliminary evaluation

You do not post documents up front. Academia Sinica asks you to mail transcripts and language scores only if you pass the preliminary evaluation. Have the notarised copies and sealed Registrar envelopes ready in advance so that stage does not catch you short.

Step 6: Ask your prospective advisor about years three and beyond

The question most applicants never ask. Academia Sinica’s own pages give three different accounts of how long the stipend runs and two different figures for what it pays, and after it ends the money comes from your advisor and becomes taxable. Raise it in any interview or correspondence, and get the answer before you accept — remembering that you will not be allowed to supplement it with outside work.

Also Check

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• 📌 Peking University Scholarships 2027 | CSC, PKU & Beijing Government Scholarships

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How much does the Taiwan International Graduate Program pay?

NT$40,000 per month, tax-free on Academia Sinica’s Scholarship/Stipend page, which states it as NT$34,000 plus NT$6,000 — but its FAQ gives the first-year figure as NT$34,000/month, so confirm the amount before you budget. The duration is unclear three ways: the stipend page describes one year extended by one, the FAQ describes “a full fellowship for up to three years” extended “a further 2 to 3 years”, and the Student Regulation page refers to a three-year stipend to be taken within four years of enrolment. After the stipend period, support “is dependent upon individual thesis advisors”, and the Nano page notes money from an advisor’s grant is taxable where the fellowship is not. Four further routes can add to it: Rising Star and Research Performance at +NT$6,000/month, the Presidential Fellowship at +NT$16,000/month for a maximum of four awardees, and the PhD Supplemental Stipend at NT$16,000/month after your qualifying exam.

2. What is the deadline for the Taiwan International Graduate Program 2027?

1 February 2027 at 23:59 GMT+8, with applications opening 1 November 2026, for the Fall 2027 intake. Those dates come from Academia Sinica’s own online application system, which is headed “Taiwan International Graduate Program Online Application, 2027”; its FAQ describes the cycle as running “from November to February each year”. Be careful with individual programme pages — the Nano page still shows February 2026 from the previous cycle and MCB shows an undated “Feb 1”, so take the central system as authoritative on dates.

3. Who can apply for the Taiwan International Graduate Program?

Anyone holding a Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in Science, Arts or related disciplines, with an English test score or a waiver and the required reference letters. Academia Sinica adds that “most TIGP programs/partner universities in TIGP do accept applicants with only a BS degree”. It publishes no minimum GPA, no age limit, no work-experience requirement and no nationality restriction, so applicants from Pakistan, India and elsewhere apply on the same terms. Programme rules sit on top — Nano, for instance, considers B.S. holders only for its engineering-oriented track.

4. How do I apply for the Taiwan International Graduate Program?

Entirely online at tigp.apps.sinica.edu.tw, between 1 November 2026 and 1 February 2027 — Academia Sinica accepts the online application and online recommendation portal only, and charges no application fee. Create an account, enter your referees’ details so they can access the recommendation portal, and submit. You then mail transcripts and language scores to the TIGP Office only if you pass the preliminary evaluation, with photocopies notarised by a public notary. Screenshots are not accepted and submitted materials are not returned.

5. Can I apply to more than one TIGP programme?

No. Academia Sinica’s application system states that “All the applicants ONLY can apply for ONE TIGP program”, and its Online Application page repeats it. That makes programme selection the highest-stakes decision in the application, so read the research interests, the partner university and the programme’s own requirements before choosing — a strong application to a poorly matched programme has nowhere else to go. There is one qualification: MST, Nano and SCST are run as a joint admission, where you rank Programme and University combinations and may be accepted by one of the three you select. That choice cannot be changed afterwards either.

6. Does the Taiwan International Graduate Program cover tuition?

No — you pay tuition. Academia Sinica subsidises the international premium so you pay the Taiwanese domestic rate, and only “for 5 consecutive years”. Expect NT$28,000–31,000 per semester for your first four semesters and NT$16,000–20,000 afterwards, varying by partner university. Two cautions: the Nano page frames international tuition as “about NT$58,000/US$1,800 per semester” before partial subsidy, a very different-looking number from the central figure, and suspending study does not pause the five-year subsidy window.

7. Can I work part-time during TIGP?

No. Academia Sinica’s student regulations state that “TIGP students are not allowed to work on or off campus, part-time or full-time” and that “They are not allowed to have a paid internship over the summer either”, warning that failure to comply “will jeopardize students’ scholarship/stipend”. This is the single most important thing to factor into your budget, because it means the stipend plus whatever your advisor provides is your entire income — with tuition still payable out of it.

8. Is IELTS required for the Taiwan International Graduate Program?

Yes, a test is required — the claim that TIGP needs no IELTS is wrong as a general statement. Academia Sinica accepts IELTS Academic 5.5 overall, TOEFL iBT 79–80, TOEIC 785 or a GEPT High-Intermediate certificate, all taken within the past two years, and TOEFL ITP is not accepted. The EAMW programme is the exception and takes other language scores instead. Three waiver routes exist: nationality of one of 21 listed countries, proved by uploading your passport — the list includes Nigeria, the Philippines, New Zealand and Singapore alongside the usual Australia, Canada, Ireland, UK and USA — two or more years of full-time study taught solely in English in such a country, or a medium-of-instruction certificate showing your highest degree was entirely taught in English. One caveat: Academia Sinica’s FAQ states that “the exemption eligibility is subject to each program”, and that the committee may still ask for a score, so a waiver is not an absolute entitlement.

9. Which university awards the TIGP degree, and is the GRE required?

Both answers are programme-specific, which is the recurring theme of this application. On the degree: the Nano programme states that the partner university confers the PhD, with a certificate co-signed by the President of Academia Sinica and the TIGP Director — Academia Sinica publishes no equivalent statement centrally, so confirm with your own programme. On the GRE: the central Requirements page lists the General and Subject tests as optional, but Nano requires the General Test and strongly recommends a Subject Test in Physics, Mathematics or Biology, while MCB merely encourages it. Report scores to institution code 7142.

10. What is the difference between TIGP and the Taiwan International Internship Program?

They are different schemes with different audiences. TIGP is the PhD programme described here. The Taiwan International Internship Program (TIIP) is a two-month pre-doctoral research placement for final-year undergraduates, Master’s students and holders of a B.S. or Master’s — and PhD students are explicitly excluded, along with past TIIP participants and current Academia Sinica employees. It pays NTD 30,000 per month before tax, plus half of the cheapest economy round-trip airfare from your hometown to Taipei capped at NTD 15,000, with on-campus accommodation at what Academia Sinica calls an affordable price. It runs in three cohorts between May and August, and applications are open 15 December to 15 January. Note that TIIP is the only one of the two with any published airfare support.

Final Thoughts

The Taiwan International Graduate Program is one of the better-value doctoral offers in Asia for a researcher who already knows their field. A tax-free NT$40,000 a month, no application fee, tuition held at the Taiwanese domestic rate, an IELTS floor of 5.5 with unusually broad waivers, and no nationality restriction add up to a genuinely accessible route into a well-equipped national academy — and four stackable funding routes mean a strong student can earn well above the headline figure.

What this article has tried to do differently is refuse the convenient simplifications. A full fellowship is not a tuition waiver: you pay the domestic rate, for five years only, and suspending study burns that window. It does not allow outside work of any kind, which makes the stipend your whole income. And its programme pages are not in step with its central system — one still advertises last cycle’s deadline, another asks for a different number of reference letters — so the single deadline you read on an aggregator may belong to a programme you are not applying to.

Three things to do before the window opens on 1 November 2026. Choose your one programme and read its own page as well as the central one. Check your English certificate is dated within two years of 1 February 2027, or get your medium-of-instruction certificate moving. And ask whoever would supervise you what happens to your funding after the stipend period, because Academia Sinica’s own answer is that it depends on your advisor — and will be taxable. Verify every figure on the official TIGP application system before you apply.