OWSD Scholarships 2016 for female students from Sub-Saharan Africa or Least Developed Countries

Through its Postgraduate Training Fellowship programme, OWSD helps young women to earn their PhD in a field of the natural sciences.

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.

Deadline for applications: 31 May 2016.

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.

1. Please read the following information carefully before applying.
2. Only women scientists from Sub-Saharan Africa and/or one of the Least Developed Countries can apply.
3. Host institutions must be located in a developing country.
4. 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 to and from the host institute;                                          
• A monthly allowance to cover accommodation and meals while in the host country;
• Study fees (including tuition and registration fees);
• Visa expenses;     
• A yearly medical insurance contribution;
• A lump sum allowance to attend international conferences 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 2016.

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

This is a South-South fellowship scheme, promoting scientific exchange among young researchers from developing countries. While applicants must come from a more restricted list of least developed countries (see list below), host institutes can be located in any developing country.
Host institutes should be proven centres of scientific excellence in the applicants' chosen field. A list of recommended institutes is available here. Institutes not on the OWSD list will also be considered if there are supporting letters and recommendations.
Applicants should select up to three host institutes outside their home country that are centres of scientific excellence in the chosen study field. The three host choices must be located in different countries (e.g. three host choices all located in South Africa would not be eligible).

N.B. To be considered for selection, applicants must provide a preliminary acceptance letter from at least one host institute (sample available in the Fellowship Application Form below). The letter should be preferably supported by a letter of committment from the prospective host supervisor.

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.
• The application will be evaluated more favourably if the preliminary acceptance letter is supported by a letter of commitment from the prospective host supervisor, describing why the host institute is appropriate for the subject of study and confirming the supervisor’s interest in working with the student.
• 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:

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, Uganda, Western Sahara, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
* The list is in alphabetical order and includes all Least Developed Countries (LDC) and ALL sub-Saharan African countries. The LDC countries are defined by The United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and the Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).

Selection

The fellowships are highly competitive, and selection is based on scientific competence and merit. Candidates’ publications and the quality of their project proposals are given particular attention.
The applications will be reviewed by a panel of eminent scientists, appointed by the Executive Board of OWSD.
The Selection Committee’s decision is final and without appeal. It cannot be contested or subject to explanation or justification.

Application

• Applicants should complete all parts of the Fellowship Application Form (see below) and enclose the preliminary acceptance letter from a host institute preferably supported by the letter of commitment from the chosen host supervisor, and copies of all university degree certificates and university-issued transcripts, which should include grades and courses taken.
• If the applicant is registered for a doctorate degree at an institute 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. In addition, a “No objection certificate” from the home institute must be submitted (see details in the Fellowship Application Form below).
• Applicants must also submit a project proposal for their proposed PhD programme: the project proposal should include a cost breakdown of laboratory consumables (bench fees), if applicable as well as an appropriate timeline. Please note however, that the OWSD fellowship does not cover bench fees – these should be provided by the host institute. 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 institute.
  The research proposal is the most important part of the application. Applicants are invited to study carefully the sample provided in the Fellowship Application Form and ensure that their proposal is well structured and clear. Applicants should seek advice from experts in their field. There are also many websites describing how to write a good research proposal.
• Two SIGNED reference letters from senior scientists familiar with the applicant’s studies must be provided. These should clearly describe the applicant’s ability to undertake a PhD on the proposed topic. Standardized institutional letters will not be evaluated favourably. Reference letters must be on letter-headed paper or with an institutional stamp, SIGNED and sent as attachments via email by the applicant directly with the rest of the application or by the referee. In this case, the subject line of the email must contain: OWSD/PG/candidate’s surname. Only signed reference letters can be accepted. For sandwich applicants: the two referees must be in addition to the PhD home supervisor.
• Applications must meet the Eligibility criteria.
• Applications must be clearly typewritten in English.
• Applications must be completed in all parts. All applications will be pre-screened for formal requirements. They will only be acknowledged once processed.
  Only complete applications will be assessed.
  Incomplete applications will NOT be accepted.

The call for 2016 fellowship applications is open!
Applications should be submitted by email only to fellowships@owsd.net and should reach the OWSD Secretariat by the deadline of 31 May 2016 at the latest.
The Fellowship Application Form is available as a MS Word document here below.

Downloads

• OWSD Fellowship Application Form 2016

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85 Scholarships offered by the Romanian State to foreign citizens, Romania

Scholarships offered by the Romanian State to foreign citizens through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in keeping with Government Decision No 288/1993 for the 2016- 2017 academic year

1. General conditions:

Number of scholarships: 85 scholarships for under- and post-graduate studies in Romania, by means of selection of application files organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research (MECS in Romanian), in keeping with Romanian current legislation.

Who can qualify: citizens of non EU countries (irrespective of their country of residence). Priority is given to citizens from non EU states with which Romania does not have cultural and education cooperation agreements. Mention should be made that foreign citizens of Romanian origin and those belonging to the neighboring historic Romanian communities benefit from other scholarship program offered by the Romanian state.

The scholarships are granted for three levels of study:

a) for the first cycle (licenta): This scheme is dedicated to graduates of high schools or of equivalent pre-university systems, as well as to candidates who require the equivalent of partial studies and the continuation of their studies in Romania. The complete cycle of university studies lasts for 3 to 6 years, according to the specific requirements of the chosen faculty, and ends with a final examination (licenta);

b) for the 2nd cycle (master): This scheme is dedicated to graduates of university/post graduate studies; it lasts for 1,5 to 2 years and ends with a dissertation;

c) for the 3rd cycle (doctorate) this scheme is dedicated to the graduates of university/postgraduate studies (i.e. master); it lasts for 3-4 years, in keeping with the specific requirements of the chosen faculty, and ends with a doctor’s thesis.

Priority fields: priority will be given to the candidates applying for: political and administrative sciences, education studies, Romanian culture and civilization, journalism, technical studies, oil and gas, agricultural studies, veterinary medicine, architecture, music, arts.

Language of Study: In order to promote Romanian language and culture, the Ministry of National Education has decided that the beneficiaries of the scholarships should study only in the Romanian language. The candidates who do not know Romanian are offered one supplementary preparatory year to study the language. The students who declare that they know already Romanian language have to pass a language test organized by the competent higher education institutions.

2. The scholarship consists of:

• Free-of-charge tuition,
• Free-of-charge accommodation (depending on availability, accommodation will be offered free-of-charge in students hostels, in keeping with the higher education regulations and within the limits of the sums available for this purpose),
• Financial support - a monthly amount representing :
  •  the equivalent in Romanian currency of 65 EURO per month, for the under-graduate students (1st cycle),
  • the equivalent in Romanian currency of 75 EURO per month, for post-graduate students (master degrees and specialization) 2nd cycle,
  • RI737126839CN the equivalent in Romanian currency of 85 EURO per month, for post graduate students (doctor’s degree) 3rd cycle.

These scholarships do not cover food, international and local transport. The candidates must be prepared to support personally any other additional expenses.
Calendar of financial support:
The monthly amount mentioned above is granted to the students of the 1st (licenta) and 2nd (master) cycle throughout the whole academic year, the winter and spring vacation included, but not during the summer vacation.
For full-time students of the 3rd cycle (doctorate), the monthly amount is granted throughout the whole calendar year.

Important for all scholarship holders (under and post-graduate): The scholarships will be suspended if the student in any education cycle repeats a year due to poor results. It may be resumed in the following academic year, after the student has successfully graduated the repeated year. The students who repeat an academic year must pay the full study fees and accommodation.

3. Enrolment

To get all the necessary information about the scholarships (conditions, necessary documents, enrolment calendar) and to submit their application files, the candidates should apply directly to:

• the Romanian diplomatic missions accredited to the candidate’s country of origin or of residence or to
• the diplomatic mission of candidate’s state of origin accredited to Bucharest

Application files submitted by post or directly to the MFA or to the MECS, as well as application files received after the announced deadline will not be taken into consideration.
Applications files should contain documents in English or French language.

If the application files contain documents in other foreign languages than English or French, they must be accompanied by authorized translations in one of the following languages: Romanian, English or French. Generally, Romanian universities may require that all enrolment documents should be accompanied by authorized copies and authorized translations in Romanian.

It is of utmost importance to fill in correctly all forms.

4. Enrolment Calendar

The deadline for submitting the application files is established by each diplomatic mission. The candidate should enquire at the diplomatic mission about the enrolment calendar, starting with

2 december 2015

Foreign diplomatic missions accredited to Bucharest must send the application files with a Verbal Note to Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Public, Cultural and Scientific Diplomacy Directorate (MFA – PCSDD) by 15 March 2016, at the latest.
Incomplete files are not taken into consideration. Rejected application files are not returned.

5. List of documents necessary for the application file

5.1. Cover letter issued by the diplomatic mission of the country of origin accredited to Bucharest or of the Romanian Embassy in the respective country.
5.2. A dully filled in MFA application form (Annex 1) for a scholarship to study in Romania.
5.3. MECS application form (Annex 2) for the Letter of Acceptance to study in Romania. In case the applicant’s file is selected by the MFA and the MECS selection boards, MECS issues the Letter of Acceptance to study in the Romanian system of education, based on this application form dully filled in.
The Letter of Acceptance is necessary for the registration at the university and for the application for the long stay visa.
5.4. Authorized copies of the study documents (baccalaureate and university diplomas if necessary) and their authorized translation in Romanian, French and English if necessary.
Note: in case the candidate is still studying in the last year of pre-university study, the file should contain a document (and its authorized translation) confirming the year of study and the fact that the candidate will graduate at the end of the 2015 – 2016 school year, specifying the date when the graduation diploma is issued. In case the candidate’s application file is accepted, the candidate – graduate of high school or equivalent studies – is obliged to send to the diplomatic mission, by 19 August 2016, an authorized copy of the graduation diploma and its authorized translation or, if the case may be, a copy of the document attesting that the candidate has graduated, specifying also the date when the graduation diploma is issued.
The candidates for post-graduates studies must submit all previous diplomas of studies with authorized copies of the diploma and its authorized translation.
5.5. Authorized copies and authorized translation of the diploma supplement transcript for the studies done so far.
Note: The pre-university candidate who enrolls in the Romanian university system will have to submit the authorized copy of the diploma supplement transcript of the last school cycle, i.e. high school or its equivalent. Candidates who are studying in their last year of study will submit the diploma supplement transcripts for the previous years and for the first part of the current school year (until the submission date).
In case the candidate requires the equivalent of partial university studies (intermediary year) and the continuation of studies in Romania, the diploma supplement transcript should be accompanied by the authorized copy and authorized translation of the curriculum for the partial studies done so far.
In case a graduate of higher education studies applies for post graduate studies, he/she has to submit the authorized copies of all documents attesting the graduation of higher education done so far, diploma supplement transcript included.    
5.6. Authorized copy and authorized translation of birth certificate.
5.7. Authorized copy of passport.
5.8. Medical certificate attesting that applicant is not affected by any transmissible disease or by other illnesses incompatible with the future profession.
5.9. The candidate’s CV.
5.10. 4 recent passport-type photos.
The authorization of documents is made by public notaries in the countries of residence or by the sending diplomatic missions, as the case may be. 

6. Applications Evaluation and Selection

MFA – PCSDD checks the application files and submits the valid candidatures to the MFA Selection Board. The files selected by this Board will be sent to the MNE Selection Board. The Boards will approve the list of 85 accepted candidates and a waiting list, in case any selected candidates gives up the scholarship.

7. Announcement of results

The selection results will be announced by 25 June 2016 to each diplomatic mission that submitted application files.

8. Compulsory Steps after Acceptance

MECS will issue a Letter of Acceptance to Study in Romania for the successful candidates. This letter will mention also the supplementary preparatory year compulsory for learning the Romanian language (if applicable) and the academic institution/ institutions where the courses will take place.
In case the candidate does not specify two options in the application form and the chosen university cannot offer a place, MECS may make another offer of university (same faculty), according to the availabilities of the Romanian higher education institutions. If the letter of acceptance to study in Romania contains another equivalent offer, the candidate is free to reject it.
The candidate will receive the original Letter of Acceptance to study in Romania as soon as possible from the diplomatic mission that submitted the file to MFA/PCSSD.
After receiving the Letter of Acceptance, the candidate will contact the Romanian embassy in his/her country of origin or of residence to apply for a long stay student visa (for Romanian diplomatic missions, see http://www.mae.ro/en/romanian-missions; the applications must be submitted until July 11, 2016).
The candidate has to fulfill the dossier with all the necessary documents: the copy of the diploma and the authorized translation of the diploma or of the certificate attesting that the applicant has graduated high school, university or an equivalent institution, issued after the submission of the application file, mentioning the date when the diploma is issued.
The diplomatic missions that received the selection results have to send to MFA/PCSDD (by fax or e-mail):

• by 11 July 2016 the confirmation of each candidate’s decision to use this scholarship;
• by 19 August 2016, where applicable, the copy of the diploma and the authorized translation of the diploma or of the certificate attesting that the applicant has graduated high school, university or an equivalent institution, issued after the submission of the application file, mentioning the date when the diploma is issued.

If the diplomatic mission does not send the candidate’s confirmation or if the candidate’s file is not completed with the above-mentioned documents, the selection Boards consider that the scholarship is refused and it is automatically transferred to a candidate on the waiting list.

• by 1 October 2016, the successful candidates must come personally to register at the Romanian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, Department of International Relations (General Berthelot Street[1] nr. 28 -30, sector 1, Bucharest, tel. 0040 (0)21 405 62 12, fax 0040 (0)21 312 66 14 ).
• They will have to present a file with:

• all original documents contained in the initial application file,
• the Letter of Acceptance to study,
• Passport containing a valid study long stay SD visa.

The scholarship holders will receive a Minister’s Matriculation Order to be presented upon registration at the Secretariat of the university that accepted them, together with the above-mentioned documents.

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