The Women for Africa Foundation (FMxA) calls application for Science by Women Program 2020

The Women for Africa Foundation (FMxA), in line with its mission of contributing to the development of Africa through the drive of its women, is launching the 6th Edition of SCIENCE BY WOMEN program, with the aim to promote African women’s leadership in scientific research and technology transfer and to foster the capacity of the research centers in their home countries. Considering the exceptional challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, some of the fellowships are focused on the research and innovation carried out by African women scientists from the diverse and interdisciplinary approaches.

Objective

The main goal is to enable African women researchers and scientists to tackle the great challenges faced by Africa through research in health and biomedicine, sustainable agriculture and food security, water, energy, and climate change. The program´s ultimate goal is also to enable African women researchers to play a leading role in the transition of Africa to a knowledge-based and innovation-led economy through research that can be transferred into products, processes, services, and technologies having an impact on people´s lives.

Benefits 

The Science by Women program will fund a total of 19 six-month visiting senior research fellowships for 19 experienced African women researchers in any of the following international research centers of excellence based in Spain.

In general, the duration of the research stays will be six continuous months. Nevertheless, depending on personal and professional needs, and with approval of the host research center, the planned research may be split in two stays within two years after the fellowship has been awarded. Successful candidates will have access to the following benefits:

• Return flight from their center of origin to the host institution
• Living allowance of 2.400 Euros grosses per month to cover accommodation, personal expense, and health and occupational accident insurance coverage.

Host Institutions

• Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO)
• Vall d´Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR)
• Institute for Neuroscience (IN)
• Kronikgune Research Center
• Biocruces Bizkaia
• DeustoTech
• Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO)
• Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII)
• Donostia International Physics Center
• Spanish National Center of Biotechnology (CNB)
• Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT)
• Centre for Genomics Regulation (CGR)
• Barcelona Graduate School of Economics (BGSE)
• Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)
• Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN)
• Biomedical and Health Research Institute at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC)
• The Basque Center for Applied Mathematics – BCAM
• Basque Center for Macromolecular Design and Engineering POLYMAT Fundazioa
• Materials Physics Center (MPC-CFM)

Research Areas

Each center will host 1 researcher. The preferred areas of research include:

• Health and Bio-medicine
• Energy, Water, and Climate Change
• Sustainable Agriculture and Food Safety

Mathematics, information, and communication technologies, as well as physics, astrophysics and materials physics and all STEM disciplines, are instrumental to research in the above areas.

Requirements

• Being a woman.
• Nationality of an African country.
• Ph.D. with at least 3 years of post-doctoral professional experience.
• A contractual relationship with a university or a public or private non-profit organization based in Africa dedicated to significant scientific research in the areas indicated.
• Excellent academic record and a proven track of relevant research experience.
• Solid working knowledge of English.
• Proven experience leading a research group.

Useful Links

• Rules and Guidelines
• Research Centers Associated
• How to apply