DAAD In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme 2021 at African Economic Research Consortium (Fully Funded)

Application Deadline: 15 December 2020.

The programme aims at fostering strong, internationally oriented higher education systems in Sub-Saharan Africa with the capacity to contribute to sustainable development. To this end, scholarships are granted for development-related Master or doctoral studies for individuals who plan to pursue a career in teaching and/or research at a higher education institution in Sub-Saharan Africa.

By training future academic and professional leaders, the programme contributes to the following long-term impacts:
• Qualified professionals’ involvement in the solution of development-related problems in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Graduates strengthening education and research in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Structural strengthening and regional networking of partner institutions and partner universities

To achieve these long-term impacts, the following outcomes have been formulated as programme objectives:

Programme objective

1: Graduates have qualified to take over responsible positions in or for their region of origin
2: The participation of women and underprivileged groups is reinforced
3: Organizational, financial and personal capacities of partner institutions are strengthened

As part of the „In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme“ DAAD offers scholarships for PhD studies. The programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and aims at university staff in the first line, without neglecting the public sector demand of academically trained personnel.

The target group for scholarships are graduates and postgraduates from SubSaharan Africa with a Master’s degree who want to pursue PhD courses, either
• in their home country (In-Country scholarships are aimed at students who study in their home country or in the country for which they have a residence permit.) or –
• in another Sub-Saharan African country (In-Region scholarships are aimed at students who want to participate in a study programme in a country of their home region (here: Kenya/outside their home country).

It has been agreed upon that DAAD cooperates with AERC by offering up to 6 InCountry/In-Region Scholarships for PhD studies at AERC member universities for the intake 2021. The awarding of scholarships will be subject to the provision of funds

Requirements

Applicants must meet the following DAAD criteria:
• have successfully completed generally a two-year university Master’s degree (doctoral candidates) with above average results (at least: Second Class/Upper Division if applicable)
• clearly show motivation and strong commitment
• have thorough knowledge of the language of instruction
• have generally completed their last university degree not more than 6 years ago at the time of application
• must be nationals or permanent residents of a Sub-Saharan African country
• should generally be
a) staff member of a public university,
b) candidate considered for teaching or research staff recruitment,
c) from the public sector and/or
d) Alumni of the DAFI-programme

Female applicants and candidates from less privileged regions or groups are especially encouraged to participate in the programme.
Scholarships are initially granted for one year and can be extended to a maximum of the regular period of study upon receipt of an application for extension. Scholars must demonstrate satisfactory progress before an extension is granted.

Please note: AERC might have additional requirements for admission to the institution.

Eligible FIelds

The In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme supports studies in subject areas with strong relevance to national development. The scholarships at AERC are available in the following fields:
• PhD in Agriculture Economics

Place of Tenure:

• AERC Member Universities in Eastern Africa: Makerere University (Uganda), Sokoine University of Agricultural Sciences (Tanzania), Egerton University & University of Nairobi (Kenya), Haramaya University (Ethiopia)

Duration and Commencement

• The duration of the PhD programme is generally three years and is usually starting in September or October 2021, depending on the member university. Please note that the maximum duration of the scholarship is based on the time that is left until the scholarship holder has reached the regular period of studies in that programme; i.e., if you apply for a DAAD scholarship starting in your second
  year of studies of a three-year programme, the maximum duration of the scholarship will be two years.

Additional benefits

DAAD In-Country/In-Region scholarship holders are also
a) encouraged to apply for a research stay in Germany for 3 up to 6 months.
Please note: The short-term research stay in Germany should preferably be announced in the application for the regular scholarship and can only be awarded if the necessary financial means are available.

The short-term research scholarship includes:
• a monthly scholarship payment for living costs
• health/accident/personal liability insurance
• a flat-rate travel allowance
b) invited to apply for different Summer Schools in Germany (four weeks)
All further details regarding additional benefits and the additional application processes will be provided after admission to the scholarship programme.

Application Deadline:

• The application process contains two steps. Please be aware of the DAAD application deadline as well as AERC’s deadline.
  First step:
  Applicants must apply for the scholarship via the DAAD portal. Applicants are asked to log into the DAAD portal, register themselves and submit a DAAD application. DAAD Deadline: 15 December 2020.

Second Step:
AERC will screen, pre-select and shortlist the applicants. A detailed report consisting of the shortlisting procedure, the entire list of applicants, the ranked shortlist and the shortlisting panel members will be availed to DAAD. The ranked shortlist will contain preferably triple (at least double) the number of scholarships that have been attributed to the institution.

DAAD reserves the right of final selection.
Documents to be submitted for the DAAD scholarship application in English:
• DAAD application form duly filled in (available in the DAAD-Portal)
• Curriculum vitae (please use the European specimen form at http://europass.cedefop.Europa.eu), including a list of publications (if applicable).
• 2 recommendation letters by university lecturers
• Letter of admission from the host university / institution / network
• Certified copies of university degree certificates including transcripts
• Letter of motivation and a timetable (if applicable: mentioning the planned research stay in Germany, see “Additional benefits”)
• Copy of the passport
• If available, information on the recognition of the university degree certificates in the host country
• If applicable, information on the UNHCR registration as refugee

Contact and advice DAAD Contact Person: Ms. Vivian Magero Email: magero@daad.de
AERC Contact Person: Dr. Mark Korir Email: Mark.Korir@aercafrica.org

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the DAAD In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme 2021