OWSD PhD Fellowships 2019 for Women Scientists from Science and Technology lagging Countries (Fully Funded)

The OWSD PhD Fellowship programme is administered with funds generously provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and is offered in partnership with host institutes throughout the developing world.

The general purpose of the fellowship programme 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 fellowship programme are:

To improve access to educational and training opportunities in science and technology for young and talented women graduates from STLCs.
To increase the scientific productivity and creativity of women scientists in STLCs.
To empower a new generation of talented women to assume a leadership role in science and technology.
To encourage women scientists to contribute to the sustainable development of their home countries.
To enable women scientist from the South to collaborate and network on a regional and international level.

Benefit/Support:
Candidates can choose between two study schemes:

a full-time fellowship (maximum 4 years funding), where the research is undertaken entirely at a host institute in another developing country in the South
a sandwich fellowship, where the candidate must be a registered PhD student in her home country and undertakes part of her studies at a host institute in another developing country. The sandwich fellowship is awarded for a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 3 research visits at the host institute. The minimum duration of the first visit is 6 months. The total number of months spent at the host institute cannot exceed 20 months. The funding period cannot exceed 4 years.
OWSD particularly encourages candidates to consider the sandwich option, which allows them to earn the PhD in their home country while accessing specialist researchers and equipment abroad, at the host institute.

The fellowship support is only provided while the student is on site, at the host institute.

The OWSD fellowship covers:

A monthly allowance to cover basic living expenses such as accommodation and meals while in the host country
A special allowance to attend international conferences during the period of the fellowship
A return ticket from the home country to the host institute for the agreed research period
Visa expenses
Annual medical insurance contribution
The opportunity to attend regional science communications workshops, on a competitive basis
Study fees (including tuition and registration fees) in agreement
with the chosen host institute which is also expected to contribute

The OWSD fellowship does not cover:

Bench fees and consumables
Support for language training, either before or during the fellowship programme
Support for shipment of research samples
Costs for personal computer or software purchase
Support for family members
Additional return tickets to the home country for personal reasons

Requirement:

Candidates must confirm that they intend to return to their home country as soon as possible after completion of the fellowship.
Eligible countries

The list of eligible countries is also available here.

Afghanistan	Madagascar
Angola	Malawi
Bangladesh	Mali
Benin	Mauritania
Bhutan	Mongolia
Bolivia	Mozambique
Burkina Faso	Myanmar
Burundi	Nepal
Cambodia	Nicaragua
Cameroon	Niger
Central African Rep.	Palestine (West Bank and Gaza Strip)
Chad	Paraguay
Comoros	Rwanda
Congo	Sao Tome and Principe
Côte d’Ivoire	Senegal
Dem Rep. Congo	Sierra Leone
Djibouti	Solomon Islands
El Salvador	Somalia
Eritrea	South Sudan
Ethiopia	Sri Lanka
Equatorial Guinea	Sudan
Gambia	Swaziland
Ghana	Syrian Arab Republic
Guatemala	Tajikistan
Guinea	Tanzania
Guinea-Bissau	Timor-Leste
Haiti	Togo
Honduras	Tuvalu
Kenya	Uganda
Kiribati	Vanuatu
Lao People’s Dem Rep.	Yemen
Lesotho	Zambia
Liberia	Zimbabwe

Eligible scientific fields

Agricultural Sciences
Astronomy, Space and Earth Sciences
Biological Systems and Organisms
Chemical Sciences
Computing and Information Technology
Engineering Sciences
Mathematical Sciences
Medical and Health Sciences
Neurosciences
Physics
Structural, Cell and Molecular Biology

Eligible academic qualification
The minimum qualification is an MSc degree in one of the above listed study fields.
Eligible host institutes

Host institutes must be located in a developing country in the South (not the candidate’s home country).
A list of recommended institutes is available here.
Other institutes, not included in the link above, will also be considered if they demonstrate appropriate resources and expertise.
Candidates should identify a host institute outside their home
country. They can identify a further two host institutes if desired.
Candidates who are already on site in the host country will not usually be considered eligible.

Required Document:
We strongly encourage eligible applicants to start gathering all requested documentation as soon as possible; sometimes it takes weeks to receive all relevant letters.

PhD research proposal outline

Candidates must submit a PhD research proposal outline (max 2.000 words) which should be a summarized description of the PhD research proposal.
Guidelines for writing a good research proposal outline are available here.
Candidates are invited to study carefully these guidelines and ensure that their proposal is well structured and clear. The project proposal is given particular attention at selection.

Degree certificates and transcripts
Candidates must submit copies of:

all university degree certificates; and
all university-issued transcripts, indicating all courses and grades.

Curriculum Vitae

Candidates must submit their complete CV (including a list of publications, if available).

Preliminary acceptance letter

Candidates must submit a preliminary acceptance letter from at least one host institute.
The letter must be signed by the head of department or by the postgraduate studies coordinator.
The study starting date on the preliminary acceptance letter must be the year following the application (e.g. if you apply for a fellowship in 2018 the acceptance letter should indicate the starting date as 2019).
The sample available here must be used for the preparation of this document.

Letter of commitment

Candidates must submit a letter of commitment from the prospective host supervisor confirming that the host institute has the resources (e.g. bench fees, laboratory equipment) required to undertake the project.
The letter should also describe why the host institute is appropriate for the subject of study and confirm the supervisor’s interest in working with the candidate.
Guidelines for letter drafting are available here.

Reference letters

Candidates must submit two reference letters from senior scientists familiar with their work.
Guidelines for reference letter drafting are available here.
For SANDWICH candidates only: please note that the home PhD supervisor cannot be one of the two referees.

Passport

Candidates must submit a scanned copy of the passport page, which contains personal details (photo, document number etc.).
Candidates applying for a SANDWICH study scheme must, in addition, submit also the following documents:

Registration and No objection certificate

Sandwich candidates must submit the Registration and No objection certificate prepared by the home institute confirming that the candidate is a PhD registered student and that there is no objection to her studying at the chosen host institute abroad.
The certificate template can be downloaded here and must be completed and signed by the head/director of the home institute.

9. Supporting statement from home supervisor

Sandwich
candidates must submit a supporting statement, prepared and signed by the home supervisor on letter-headed paper. The supervisor should:

state that he/she is willing to support the candidate undertaking part of her studies at the host institute abroad; and
describe how the research visit abroad will impact/benefit the candidate’s research project.