Applications are ongoing for the Sixth PASET Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif) PhD Scholarships for Sub-Sahara Africans.
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. It 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:
- ICT including big data and artificial intelligence,
- Food security and agri-business,
- Minerals, mining and materials engineering,
- Energy including renewables and
- Climate change.
The specific objectives of Rsif are to:
- Create a stock of highly skilled scientists, professionals and innovators in ASET areas.
- Nurture young talented Africans who wish to further their studies in ASET fields.
- Address imbalances in the number of women and disadvantaged groups in ASET fields in Africa.
- Build African university capacity to provide relevant ASET training and workforce development.
Duration: 3- 4years
Benefits
The Rsif PhD Scholarships 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.
Eligibility
Qualified applicants for the Rsif 2025 PhD Scholarships 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 will be given to women and existing young academic faculty who do not have a PhD.
Application Process
To register for the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif) 2025 PhD Scholarships, click here
Deadline: September 16, 2024.
For more information on The Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif) 2025 PhD Scholarships, visit the official site.
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