Application Deadline: 31st July 2015
The Call for Applications the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World OWSD postgraduate fellowships is open.
Women from Sub-Saharan Africa or Least Developed Countries can apply for a PhD programme or for an MSc converting to a PhD programme. 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.
Grantees can choose either a full-time three year fellowship option, where the research is undertaken entirely at the host institute, or a sandwich option, where applicants are registered as PhD students in their home country and spend a minimum of six months at a host institute abroad. OWSD particularly encourage women to consider the sandwich option, which allows them to earn the PhD in their home country while accessing specialist researchers and equipment at the host institute.
Eligibility
- 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.
- 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 include:
- 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.
Conditions:
The scheme provides fellowships to young female students from Sub-Saharan African countries and/or LDCs, to enable them to pursue postgraduate studies leading to PhD degrees at centres of excellence (renowned research institutions/universities). The institute must be in a developing country other than the applicant’s home country.
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 expenses to and from the host institute;
– A monthly allowance to cover accommodation and meals while in the host country, the amount of which will be determined in consultation with the host institution;
– Refund of visa costs;
– A contribution for medical insurance;
– Attending one international conference/training course during the period of the fellowship;
– On a competitive basis, attending of scientific communication and proposal writing workshop.
An applicant who has already registered or who wishes to register as a PhD student at her home institute can choose a sandwich option, whereby part of the research programme is undertaken at a host institute in another developing country.
How to Apply:
Applications should be submitted by email only at [email protected] and should reach the Secretariat by the deadline of 31 May 2015 at the latest.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the OWSD Postgraduate Training Fellowship for Female Scientists