Deadline: July 31, 2015
Applications are now accepted for the 2015 OWSD postgraduate fellowship. 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.
The Postgraduate Training Fellowship provided by the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) is offered to carry out postgraduate research in the natural, engineering and information technology sciences. The general purpose of the scheme is to contribute to the emergence of a new generation of women leaders in science and technology, and to promote their effective participation in the scientific and technological development of their countries.
Fellowship Conditions
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.
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 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.
Please note that applications from students in the Basic (or ‘pure’) Sciences, such as Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry are encouraged.
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.
For more information, visit OWSD Postgraduate Fellowships.
