PASET Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif) PhD Scholarships

PhD Scholarships available to support 3-4 Year Doctoral Training Scholarships in PASET Rsif Priority Thematic Areas 

Sixth Rsif PhD Scholarships Call is now open

Deadline for submission:  16^th September 2024 at 5:00 pm (East Africa Time; UTC+3) 

BACKGROUND

The Partnership for skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) is an African-led initiative that aims to close the skills gap in the applied sciences, engineering and technology (ASET) necessary for socio-economic transformation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif) is the flagship program of PASET. Rsif supports PhD students, post-doctoral scientists and universities in SSA to establish high-quality training, research and innovation environments and to develop institutional capacity for the benefit of the whole region. Risf is funded by African governments, the World Bank and the Government of Korea. It is managed by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in Nairobi, Kenya, as the Rsif Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU).

Rsif aims to train quality PhD students and post-doctoral researchers to address the human resource gap of highly qualified specialists in the fields of applied sciences, engineering, and technology (ASET) and to contribute to improving research and innovation capacities in those fields in SSA. Rsif also supports the strengthening of research and innovation ecosystems at selected African Host Universities (AHU) by providing funding through competitive grants. Rsif supports training, research and innovation in five Priority Thematic Areas: (1) ICT including big data and artificial intelligence, (2) Food security and agri-business, (3) Minerals, mining and materials engineering, (4) Energy including renewables and (5) Climate change.

The specific objectives of Rsif are to:

1. Create a stock of highly skilled scientists, professionals and innovators in ASET areas.
2. Nurture young talented Africans who wish to further their studies in ASET fields.
3. Address imbalances in the number of women and disadvantaged groups in ASET fields in Africa.
4. Build African university capacity to provide relevant ASET training and workforce development.

AVAILABLE SCHOLARSHIPS

The scholarships available for this call are 20. Of these, 16 will be awarded to Kenyan nationals based on PASET’s 80/20 rule for contributing countries, and 4 will be awarded to nationals of other countries in sub–Saharan Africa.

DURATION

The duration of the PhD Scholarship is 3 to 4 years, within which time, the scholar undertakes a 6-12 months ‘sandwich’ placement at an international partner university, research institute or private company.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible applicants must:

• Be a citizen of any country in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Have a relevant master’s degree related to the Rsif fields of study.
• Meet the specific admission requirements of the Rsif AHU that hosts the PhD program.
• Be 35 years of age and below at the date of application.
• Be willing to enrol full-time in a PhD program at an Rsif AHU in the 2024-2025 academic year.
• Should not be holding another PhD scholarship when applying to the Rsif PhD scholarship.
• Be willing to spend 6-12 months in a ‘sandwich’ training at an international partner university, research institute or private company.
• Be willing to work on a research topic that aligns with and contributes to national or regional development in Africa.
• Priority for the scholarships will be given to women and existing young academic faculty who do not have a PhD.

WHAT THE SCHOLARSHIP[1] COVERS:

• University tuition fee and research costs.
• A monthly allowance to cover living expenses such as accommodation and meals while at the Rsif AHU and while on a sandwich placement at an International Partner Institute.
• Return travel from home country to the Rsif AHU.
• Return travel from the Rsif AHU to the International Partner Institute
• Visas and student permits.
• Annual medical and personal accident insurance.

The PASET Rsif PhD scholarship does not cover:

• Extra support for family members/ dependents, including children and spouses.
• Additional return tickets to the home country for personal reasons.
• Application costs to AHUs including certifying and equating of certificates

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

a)     Only complete applications submitted online will be accepted. Applications submitted by email or hardcopy will not be considered.

b.) Applications will be screened for plagiarism. Evidence of plagiarism will invalidate the application.

DEADLINE

Deadline for applications 16^th September 2024 at 5:00 pm (East Africa Time; UTC+3)

Please address any questions to: The Manager, Regional Coordination Unit (RCU), icipe Rsifscholarships@icipe.org

[1] The Scholarship benefits are subject to change based on the discretion of the PASET Executive Board

See the call in French | Portuguese  |English

Application Link