Fully Funded OWSD fellowship 2020 is offered to women scientists from science- and technology-lagging countries (STLCs) to undertake PhD research in the natural, engineering and information technology sciences at a host institute in another developing country in the Global South.

The program 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 program 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 program 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 scientists from the South to collaborate and network on a regional and international level.

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.

Benefits

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

Eligibility

The OWSD Fellowship is offered only to women candidates.

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

2. Eligible countries

Africa

Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini (Kingdom of), Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Arab region

Djibouti, Palestine (West Bank and Gaza Strip), Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen

Asia & the Pacific

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Lao People’s Dem Rep., Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Latin America & the Caribbean

Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay

Formerly, OWSD had a list of eligible countries that included all LDCs and any additional countries in sub-Saharan Africa. With this new list, effective for any fellowship from 2017 onward, some countries in Africa (including Nigeria) are no longer considered low income and are therefore no longer eligible for fellowships support. Some new countries outside Africa have been added.

The immediate effect is that OWSD Fellowships will now be open to applicants from 47 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) identified by the United Nations, plus 19 countries selected because of their low-income levels and specific needs for support in building research capacity.

We will do our best to work with those countries that are no longer on the list to see if we can provide partnership funding for fellowships in the future.

For more details, please visit the official website