The call for nominations for the first edition of the UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea Fellowship Programme for Young Women Scientists in Africa is now open. UNESCO and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea are launching for the first time a fellowship programme entirely dedicated to young African women scientists. This initiative aims to bridge the persistent gaps on the African continent.
ELIGIBILITY:
Must hold African nationality and conduct research at a recognized laboratory in Africa.
Must be under 45 years of age at the time of application.
Must hold a PhD in the field of life sciences.
Engaged in scientific research within the field of life sciences, focusing on advancing knowledge and contributing to sustainable development.
Please note that only Governments of all African Member States, in consultation with their National Commissions can submit applications.
A comprehensive budget breakdown for the $25,000 grant, clearly demonstrating how the funds will be allocated to implement the proposed project (e.g., materials, equipment, travel, publication fees, etc.).
BENEFIT:
Each year, two young women will be awarded a grant of $25,000, with a total of $50,000, to advance their research and foster a promising scientific career.
The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) in Brasilia, Brazil, and TWAS offer full-time postgraduate fellowships to young scientists from developing countries (other than Brazil) who wish to pursue research towards a PhD at host institutes in Brazil.
Applicants for these fellowships must meet the following criteria:
Hold a university degree in the Natural Sciences (minimum Master’s degree).
Have good command of Portuguese and/or Spanish and/or English.
Be a national of a developing country other than Brazil.
Must not hold a visa for permanent or temporary residency in Brazil or in a developed country and not be residing in these locations.
Provide evidence that s/he will return to her/his home country on completion of the fellowship.
Not take up other assignments during the period of her/his fellowship.
Provide an official acceptance letter from the host institution (that must be prepared using the standard template that can be downloaded below or from the CNPq online application system of the Carlos Chagas Platform) and be willing to register for a full PhD degree at a participating CAPES-listed Brazilian institution (see list at: https://nuvem.cnpq.br/index.php/s/TJkw5YM8jCpozqk for the Portuguese version, or https://nuvem.cnpq.br/index.php/s/BZfqcyWgfXXC5PG for the English version).
Present a certificate of proficiency in Portuguese, Spanish, or English. For English: provide evidence, such as a standardized test result (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, etc.). If the educational/academic trajectory was carried out in English, Portuguese or Spanish, present the high school diploma, higher education or master’s degree (MSc) certificates in these languages as applicable.
Present a detailed research plan agreed by her/his host supervisor.
Be financially responsible for any accompanying family members.
BENEFIT:
The resources from this call will be used to finance up to 50 Full Doctorate fellowships in Brazil, in compliance with the provisions of their respective regulations, as per RN-017/2006 Scholarships also called Fellowships: Up to 50 scholarships will be awarded in the Full Doctorate modality. The implementation of the fellowships must be carried out within the deadlines and criteria stipulated by CNPq, taking as reference the RN-017/2006. The duration of the scholarships cannot exceed 48 months. Grants cannot be used to pay for services rendered, as such use is prohibited and violates the purpose of CNPq grants. TWAS Visa Cost Assistance: Assistance for expenses related to visa procedures carried out in the country of origin in the amount of up to two hundred and fifty US dollars (US$250). Travel Assistance: Two round-trip travel tickets from the country of origin to Brazil and back. Summary Table of the items financed by the call:
PhD
Value
Institution Responsible
Monthly fees
R$ 3,100.00
CNPq
Bench fee (paid together with the scholarship monthly payment) R$ 472.80
CNPq
Travel assistance
Two one-way tickets to/from Brazil
TWAS
Visa Cost Assistance
up to US$ 250
TWAS
Important: After the candidate has been approved and all contractual procedures and documentation have been completed and submitted to CNPq, the initial fellowship credit processing in Brazil may take up to 50 days from the submission of personal and banking information to CNPq. Therefore, it is important that the awardee arrives to Brazil with sufficient resources to support themselves during this period before the release of the first stipend.
