2016 OWSD Postgraduate Training Fellowships for Women Scientists from Sub-Saharan Africa & Least Developed Countries .

Application Deadline: 31 May 2016

The OWSD Postgraduate Training Fellowships for Women Scientists from Sub-Saharan Africa and Least Developed Countries (LDC) at Centres of Excellence in the South. The Fellowship is offered to women scientists to pursue postgraduate research in a field of the natural sciences.

This fellowship programme is for female students from Sub-Saharan Africa or Least Developed Countries (LDCs) who wish to pursue postgraduate training leading to a doctorate degree at a centre of excellence in the South outside their own country.

With funds generously provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), OWSD has instituted a fellowship programme for female students from Sub-Saharan Africa and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), who wish to pursue postgraduate training leading to a PhD, at centres of excellence in the South (developing countries), outside their own country.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Open to qualified women science graduates from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Least Developed Countries (see list below).
• If applicants are over 40 years of age, they should include a brief explanation of why their research career has been delayed.
• The minimum qualification is an MSc degree (or equivalent), or an outstanding BSc honours degree in the natural sciences, engineering or information technology disciplines (see list below).
• Host institutions must be located in a developing country. This must be a different country from the applicant’s home country.
• Applicants must provide a preliminary acceptance letter from at least one host institute. The letter must be prepared based on the sample on page 10 and be signed by the head of department, potential host supervisor or postgraduate studies coordinator.
• The application will be evaluated more favourably if the preliminary acceptance letter is supported by a letter of commitment from the prospective host supervisor, describing why the host institute is appropriate for the subject of study and confirming the supervisor’s interest in working with the student.
• Students from eligible countries already enrolled on a PhD programme in their home country can apply for the sandwich option. This gives them access to expertise and resources that might not be available at the home institute.
• Applicants already on site in the host country will not be considered eligible since this implies that they have already secured sufficient funding for their studies.
• The applicant must be willing to return to her own country after completion of the fellowship.
• Accompanying persons are not eligible for support.

Eligible Countries*:

Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros Islands, Congo Dem. Rep., Congo Rep., Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Niger, Réunion, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda,  Western Sahara, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Eligible Scientific Fields:

Agricultural Sciences; Structural, Cell and Molecular Biology; Biological Systems and Organisms; Medical and Health Sciences; Neurosciences; Chemical Sciences; Engineering Sciences; Information Technology; Astronomy, Space and Earth Sciences; Mathematical Sciences; Physics

Fellowship Worth:

The fellowship is offered to carry out postgraduate research in the natural, engineering and information technology sciences. Each fellowship will be offered for up to three years and will cover the following:

• Travel to and from the host institute;
• A monthly allowance to cover accommodation and meals while in the host country;
• Study fees (including tuition and registration fees);
• Visa expenses;
• A yearly medical insurance contribution;
• A lump sum allowance to attend international conferences during the period of the fellowship;
• On a competitive basis, attending of scientific communication and proposal writing workshop; and
• On a competitive basis, attending the Fifth OWSD General Assembly and International Conference scheduled for 2016.

Application Procedure:

Applications should be submitted by email only to [email protected] and should reach the OWSD Secretariat by the deadline of 31 May 2016 at the latest.

Download the Application Form

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the 2016 OWSD Postgraduate Training Fellowships for Women from Developing Countries.