Announcements

Programme Details

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.

- Please read the following information carefully before applying.

- Only women scientists from Sub-Saharan Africa and/or one of the Least Developed Countries can apply.

- Host institutions must be located in a developing country.

- Applications that are incomplete or illegible cannot be considered. Please make sure all the requested enclosures are submitted together with your application.

Purpose

With funds generously provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), OWSD has instituted a fellowship programme for female students from Sub-Saharan Africa and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), who wish to pursue postgraduate training leading to a PhD, at centres of excellence in the South (developing countries), outside their own country.

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.

The specific aims of the scheme are:

• To improve access to educational and training opportunities in science and technology for young and talented women graduates from Sub-Saharan Africa and LDCs.
• To increase the scientific productivity and creativity of women scientists in Sub-Saharan Africa and LDCs.
• To empower a new generation of talented women to assume a leadership role in science and technology and their application to sustainable development.

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.

The fellowship will also support one or more of the following NEW funding opportunities aimed at:

- Attending one international conference during the period of the fellowship;
- On a competitive basis, attending of scientific communication and proposal writing workshop; and
- On a competitive basis, attending the Fifth OWSD General Assembly and International Conference scheduled for 2014.

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. In this case the fellowship provides support (travel, accommodation and living expenses) only while at the host institution. The minimum period abroad is six months. The fellowship does not provide support while the applicant is at the home institute.

Alternatively, an applicant can enroll as a full-time research student at an institution outside her country, in this case the fellowship will provide support (travel, accommodation and living expenses) for 3 years.

The host institution will be expected to provide the necessary facilities such as tuition, training, supervision, laboratory supplies etc.

Accompanying persons are not eligible for support.

Host Institution

Applicants should select renowned institutes in developing countries, from outside their own country, and are encouraged to apply for postgraduate admission in advance. When submitting the application to the OWSD office it is not obligatory that the applicant has either applied and/or obtained admission at the host institute.

However, it is strongly recommended that prior to applying, candidates make some effort to identify one or more host institutes suitable to their research interests and to seek to identify a prospective supervisor willing to work with them. To this purpose, applicants should contact the chosen host institute(s) with their updated CV and a short research proposal, mentioning that they are intending to apply for a OWSD fellowship.

In case of difficulty in selecting host institutes, OWSD can provide a list of centres of excellence in the South, compiled by TWAS. This information will be provided if the applicant informs OWSD of the precise field of proposed research (see next paragraph). 

Acceptance could be facilitated by selecting from one of the institutions that has an agreement of collaboration with OWSD:

• The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China. For a full list of CAS institutes see english.cas.ac.cn/CASI;
• The Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GSCAAS), China, www.gscaas.net.cn/vacancy/index.htm;
• Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia, www.upm.edu.my. Departments/schools of natural sciences are eligible;
• Rhodes University, South Africa, www.ru.ac.za. Departments/schools of natural sciences are eligible;
• University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa, www.uct.ac.za. Departments/schools of natural sciences are eligible;
• i-Themba Labs, South Africa, www.tlabs.ac.za. i-Themba Labs specialize in materials science, applied medical science, biotechnology, biophysics, radiobiology, radiophysics, radiopharmaceutics, accelerators based sciences, nuclear sciences and nanosciences. 

Eligibility

The fellowships are open to qualified young women science graduates (generally below 40 years of age) from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and/or LDCs.

The minimum qualification of applicants is an MSc degree (or equivalent), or an outstanding BSc honours degree, in the natural sciences, engineering or information technology disciplines.

Applicants already on site in the host country will not be considered eligible.

The host institute where the applicant wishes to pursue her doctorate degree must be in a developing country other than her own.

The applicant must be willing to return to her own country after completion of the fellowship.

NB: APPLICANTS FROM LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (SEE LIST BELOW) ARE PARTICULARLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.

List of Least Developed Countries (LDC)

Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros Islands, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zambia.

Note: Sub-Saharan African countries that are not in the list are eligible under the programme. 

Selection

The fellowships are highly competitive, and the selection will be based on scientific competence and merit.

The applications will be reviewed by a panel of eminent scientists, appointed by the Executive Board of OWSD. 

Application

Applicants should complete all parts of the application form, and enclose copies of all university degree certificates, and the university-issued transcripts, which should include grades, courses taken, etc.

If the applicant has already gained admission at an institution of excellence in the South (i.e., in a developing country), a copy of the letter of acceptance from the institution must be enclosed.

If the applicant is registered for a doctorate degree at an institution in her home country, and wishes to pursue part of her research at another institution under a "sandwich programme", a letter of recommendation from the home institute supervisor must be enclosed.

Applicants must also submit a research outline for their proposed PhD programme (see sample below). In the case of sandwich option applicants, the outline must make it clear which parts of the work will be carried out at the host institution.

Two reference letters from senior scientists familiar with the applicant's studies must be enclosed with the application in sealed envelopes OR must be sent by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The subject line of the email must contain: OWSD/PG/candidate’s surname. Only signed reference letters can be accepted.

Applications must be clearly typewritten in English and completed in all parts; OWSD will not process incomplete and/or illegible applications. OWSD will inform the applicant as soon as the application is processed. 

The application form is available as a MS Word document.

• Application Form (MS Word version)

• Sample research outline

Applications should be submitted by email OR post and should reach the OWSD secretariat by 31 July 2013 at the latest.