TWAS PhD Seed Grant for New African Principal Investigators in Italy

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Countries: African country
• Acceptable Course or Subjects: Research projects in Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Information Computer Technology, Mathematics, Medical Sciences, and Physics
• Admissible Criteria: To be eligible, the applicants must meet all the following criteria:

• Applying Principal Investigators must be nationals of an eligible country, who holds a PhD and has good research experience. The grant should operate within a university or a research institution in one of the African countries lagging in science and technology. The PI must be 40 or under. Any applicant turning 41 in the year of application is not eligible.
• The PI must have obtained their Ph.D. within the last five years in a country other than their home country.
• The PI must have returned to their home country (refer to the list in the guidelines) within the last 36 months or will return home before the end of 2021.
• The PI must hold, be offered, or be in the process of accepting a position at an academic and research institution (including international research centers) in their home country.
• The PI must be national of an eligible African country that is lagging in science and technology (refer to list in the guidelines).
• Applicant must at the time of application NOT have an active research grant with TWAS or OWSD Early Career Women Scientists (ECWS) Fellowship.
• Applications from women scientists and those working in the least Developed Countries are especially encouraged.

Offered Benefits

The fellowship program will provide an award amount to a maximum of USD 67,700 to the successful candidates.

Application Process

• How to Apply: Candidates must only submit one application at a time and for only one kind of grant (as an individual applicant, as a research unit, IsDB or the OWSD Early Career Women Scientists (ECWS) Fellowship).
• Supporting Documents: Applicants must provide an official letter from their host South African institution, department or laboratory and motivation from the applicant’s host. It is the responsibility of the applicant to contact the respective institution to apply for acceptance and English language proficiency certificate.
• Admission Requirements: For studying this program, you must have a master’s degree in a field relevant to sustainability science
• Language Requirement: If English is not your first language, then you will need to show that your English language skills are at a high enough level to succeed in your studies.