Mawazo PhD Scholars programme

Application Deadline: November 22nd 2019.

The Mawazo PhD Scholars Programme is a one-year, non-residential fellowship where PhD Scholars receive a research grant worth up to $5000 to support their research, a travel grant worth up to $2000 for conference travel, and a training grant worth up to $500 for ongoing training. Scholars also benefit from professional and leadership skills trainings provided by Mawazo and its partners, research and editorial support, as well as mentorship and networking opportunities.

This programme is designed to amplify our Scholars’ research and position them as the next generation of leading experts, thinkers, and innovators who are finding homegrown solutions to local development challenges.

ELIGIBILITY

In order to be eligible for the PhD Scholars Programme, applicants must:

be women below the age of 40 as at 1st January 2020
be citizens of an African country
be enrolled for their PhD at an accredited university in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania or Uganda
have completed their course work if applicable and passed their departmental proposal defence (i.e. in the dissertation phase of their PhD)
demonstrate that their research project is related to African development and is relevant to a global, regional, national or sub-national policy priority
demonstrate potential for leadership both within and outside academia, and a strong passion to leverage their expertise for impact in society
be available to fully participate in the programme in 2020-2021

BENEFITS

Mawazo PhD Scholars will receive the following benefits:

A research grant of up to $5000
A travel grant worth up to $2000 for participation in regional or international conferences
A training grant worth up to $500 for field specific training not offered by Mawazo
A stipend worth $500 for discretionary use
Participation in Mawazo’s in-house professional development and leadership training programme, comprised of a mix of in-person and virtual training modules
Research and editorial support from the Mawazo staff and our partners
Connections to mentors, as well as exposure to leaders from academia, industry, government and other sectors
Visibility via Mawazo digital platforms and events

Application process

Interested candidates are required to fill in and submit their applications via our online application portal. Applications will not be accepted by email or in hard copy. Applications will be considered complete when the following are provided:

A completed online application form
A current 2-page CV
A letter confirming current enrollment in an accredited PhD programme
A letter confirming that you have completed your course work (if applicable) and passed your departmental defense
A recommendation letter from your PhD supervisor
A recommendation letter from a second referee
A completed budget and timeline for the project (Please download the template here)
A completed budget narrative of 500 words or less

For instructions on how to use our online platform, complete your application and meet all the requirements required for consideration please download the application guidelines here.

SELECTION

All applications will be reviewed by the Mawazo Institute staff and a panel of external expert reviewers. Successful applicants will demonstrate that they can do the following:

Meet all eligibility requirements
Identify a problem which has important implications for African development and is linked to a global, regional, national or sub-national policy priority
Demonstrate that their research is academically rigorous and addresses a unique and important gap in the field
Propose a research project which has clear objectives, is appropriately designed for the question being asked, and can be feasibly executed with the financial resources available and within a one- to two-year timeline.
Write a summary of their project which is clear, concrete, and accessible to scholars outside their own field

The Mawazo Institute is committed to non-discrimination in the application review process

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Mawazo PhD Scholars Programme 2020

Application Deadline: 11.59 pm EAT on Friday, 26 January 2018. A

The Mawazo PhD Scholars programme is a one-year, non-residential fellowship aimed at women pursuing PhD studies focused on climate change and energy at Kenyan universities. The goal of this programme is to build a strong pipeline of future researchers who are prepared to ask insightful questions about African development, and effectively communicate their results to both government and industry leaders and the general public.

The goal of this programme is to build a strong pipeline of future researchers who can ask insightful questions about African development, and effectively communicate their results to government and industry leaders and to the public.

Eligibility

You should apply for the Mawazo PhD Scholars programme if you are:

A woman under the age of 40 (as of 1 January 2018)
A citizen of an African country
Enrolled in a PhD programme at a Kenyan university
In any department in the social sciences or a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field
Studying a topic related to energy or climate change
Working on or about to begin working on an academic research project which is intended for publication
Currently living in Kenya, or otherwise able to travel to Nairobi at least two times per month for the rest of 2018

Programme Components

In 2018, the Mawazo PhD Scholars Programme will support up to six female PhD students at Kenyan universities. Mawazo PhD Scholars receive the following benefits:

A research grant worth Ksh 500,000 on average (precise value will vary depending on the amount needed for each Scholar’s research)
Training in research methods, academic writing, grant writing, public engagement, and the publication process
Research and editorial support from the Mawazo staff
Travel grants for participation in regional or international conferences
Connections to mentors, and industry and government leaders, in their field
A dedicated desk at Mawazo’s office at Ikigai, Spring Valley, Nairobi

Mawazo PhD Scholars are expected to achieve the following goals during their fellowship year:

Make substantial progress in collecting data for and/or writing up their current research project
Develop a plan for identifying suitable journals and submitting their article for publication once it’s complete
Identify outside research grants or post-docs, and submit at least two grant applications
Participate in at least one academic conference
Regularly attend training sessions and networking events in Nairobi (travel funding is available for Scholars who are based outside Nairobi)
Publicise their work by speaking at public lectures arranged by Mawazo, writing blog posts and op-eds, and (if possible) making radio or TV appearances

Application process

The application includes the following materials:

A current CV, including at least two references
A letter from the applicant’s university department confirming current enrollment in the PhD programme
A letter of support from a supervisor at the PhD programme (emailed directly to the PhD Scholars contact address with the subject line “Letter of Support — [Applicant’s First and Last Name]”)
A research proposal of 1000 words or less, including:
- Brief literature review
- Description of proposed research design and data collection methods
- Summary of work completed on the project to date
- List of next steps and estimated timeline to complete the project
A budget for the project
- Applicants may request up to Ksh 500,000 from Mawazo
- Mawazo provides a conference travel grant on top of the research funding, so the project budget should not include any expenses related to conference travel
- Please use Mawazo’s budget template

All applications will be reviewed by the Mawazo Institute staff. Successful applicants will demonstrate that they can do the following:

Identify a challenge related to energy or climate change which has important implications for African development
Demonstrate that current academic research has not identified a suitable solution to this challenge
Propose a research project on this topic which has an appropriate research design for the question being asked, and can be feasibly answered given the financial resources and time that the applicant can dedicate to the project
Write a summary of their project which is clear, concrete, and accessible to scholars outside their own field

The Mawazo Institute is committed to non-discrimination in the application review process. There is no cost to submit an application to the PhD Scholars programme.

Apply Now for the Mawazo PhD Scholars programme 2018

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Mawazo PhD Scholars programme 2018

Mawazo Institute PhD Scholars Programme 2020 for African female PhD Scholars.

Application process

Mawazo PhD Scholars programme 2018 for African female PhD students at Kenyan universities.

Eligibility

Application process