nfp-msp-(mena)-scholarship-programme-2019-2020

Application Deadline:Varying by Institution

The MENA Scholarship Programme (MSP) offers scholarships to professionals for short courses in the Netherlands.

Aim

The overall aim of the MSP is to contribute to the democratic transition in the participating countries. It also aims at building capacity within organisations by enabling employees to take part in short courses in the Netherlands. 

While the scholarship is awarded to individuals, all candidates must be nominated by their employer to be able to participate. The need for training has to be demonstrated in the context of the organisation the applicant is employed by. 

Target group

The MSP is open to professionals who are nationals of – and living and working in – one of the countries listed below: 

• Algeria
• Egypt
• Iran
• Iraq
• Jordan   
• Lebanon
• Libya
• Morocco
• Syria *
• Tunisia

• MSP is not currently open to applicants applying from Syria. Applicants with the Syrian nationality may apply if they are residing and working in one of the other MSP countries on the list.
  To be eligible for an MSP scholarship:
  ▪ one must be a professional and national of, and living and working in one of the countries on the MSP country list valid at the time of application;
  ▪ one must have a current employer’s statement that complies with the format Nuffic has provided. All information must be provided and all commitments that are included in the format must be endorsed in the statement;
  ▪ one must not be employed by an organisation that has its own means of staff-development. Organisations that are considered to have their own means of staff development are for example:
  multinational corporations (e.g. Shell, Unilever, Microsoft);
• large national and/or a large commercial organisation;
• bilateral donor organisations (e.g. USAID, DFID, Danida, Sida, Dutch ministry of Foreign affairs, FinAid, AusAid, ADC, SwissAid);
• multilateral donor organisations, (e.g. a UN organisation, the World Bank, the IMF, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, IADB);
• international NGO’s (e.g. Oxfam, Plan, Care).
  ▪ one must have an official and valid passport (valid at least 3 months after the candidate submission date);
  ▪ one must have a government statement that meets the requirements of the country in which the employer is established (if applicable);

▪ the age of the MSP candidate must not exceed 45 years of age at the time of the grant submission.
▪ the candidate must not receive more than one MSP scholarship for courses that take place at the same time.

How to apply
Before you apply, make sure you review the eligibility criteria carefully and check whether your employer is willing to nominate you for the scholarship.
When you are certain that you are eligible for an MSP scholarship, you can start making the necessary preparations for your application.
Follow these steps to apply:

1. Select a course on the MSP course list
2. Contact the Dutch higher education institution that is offering the course for information on:
   ▪ course content
   ▪ the application deadline (deadlines can differ per Dutch institution)
   ▪ the application and selection procedures
   ▪ the online application form and the supporting documents
3. Prepare your application and the supporting documents1
4. Submit your online application via the Dutch institution offering the course
   For any questions on the application -and selection procedures please contact the Dutch institution directly www.studyfinder.nl

How to Apply:

1. Select a course on the MSP course list

MENA Scholarship Programme (MSP) Course list for short courses

2. Contact the Dutch institution that is offering the course for information on:

• course content
• the application deadline (deadlines can differ per Dutch institution)
• the application and selection procedures
• the online application form and the supporting documents 

3. Prepare your application and the supporting documents 

4. Submit your online application via the Dutch institution offering the course

With your online application, you will be asked to upload a valid passport copy, a current statement from your employer, and depending on your country of employment; a government statement. 

Selection procedure

If your application meets all the course admission requirements and the MSP eligibility criteria, you can be nominated by the Dutch institution for a scholarship. The Dutch institution will inform you about the outcome of your selection. 

The scholarships are awarded in a competitive selection to highly motivated professionals who are in a position to introduce the newly-acquired skills and knowledge into their employing organisation. 

For any further questions concerning the MSP application and selection procedures, please contact the Dutch institution offering the course directly. You can find contact information for all institutions on studyfinder.nl.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the NFP/MSP (MENA) Scholarship Programme 2019/2020