UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowships Programme for Developing Countries, 2014

Each year, the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the capacity-building of Human Resources which was established by the Government of Japan funds offers UNESCO/Japan young researchers’ fellowships for developing countries. Priority attention will be given to women candidatures, candidates from least developed countries (LDCs) and African researchers. 20 fellowships are awarded to pursue research in four areas of development of particular interest to UNESCO. Selected students will be awarded a fellowship of US$6,000 to US$10,000 for  a minimum period of 3 months and a maximum of 9 months. The application deadline is 30th August 2013.
Study Subject (s): Domains of research: Environment (with particular emphasis on Water Sciences, Water Issues, Climate Change, Engineering Capacity Building in the Developing World), Intercultural Dialogue, Information and Communication Technologies and Peaceful Conflicts Resolution. No other research topics will be considered.
Course Level: Fellowships are available for pursuing research in a host institution.
Scholarship Provider: UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme is funded under the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the capacity-building of Human Resources which was established in November 2000 by the Government of Japan
Scholarship can be taken at: In one or two countries abroad
Eligibility: Applicants, a maximum of TWO from each applying National Commission, must meet the following general criteria:
- Candidates under this Programme must be post-graduate researchers, already holding either an M.A. or M.Sc. degree (or equivalent) and wishing to pursue research work abroad (preferably in their own region) with a view to enhancing knowledge in one of the four specific fields mentioned. Thus, those who are in the process of completing their Master’s degree must have completed it PRIOR to taking up their Fellowship.
-Candidates must be persons of high intellectual promise who may be expected to make significant contributions to their country on return.
-Candidates must be no more than 40 years of age. Thus, applicants born before 1 January 1974 will not be considered under the Programme.
-The selected Fellow must carry out the research under the auspices of an academic supervisor in a host institution. Confirmation of acceptance from the academic supervisor is imperative.
-Priority attention will be given to: Women candidatures, Candidates from least developed countries (LDCs) and African researchers
-Candidates must be proficient in reading and writing the language of instruction in the proposed country of study/research.
Scholarship Open for International Students: Students of Africa (Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe), Arab States (Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia and Yemen), Asia and the Pacific (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Federal States of Micronesia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu and Vietnam), Latin America and the Caribbean (Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic , Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela), Europe and North America (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine) and Associate Member State (Tokelau) can apply for these fellowships.
 Scholarship Description:   UNESCO designed the project “UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowships Programme” (UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme) in the framework of the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Capacity-Building of Human Resources which was established in November 2000 by the Government of Japan to enable UNESCO to give impetus to research in four areas under UNESCO’s Priority Programme Areas.
Number of award(s): 20 fellowships per year are offered.
Duration of award(s): Duration of proposed research: minimum: 3 months and maximum: 9 months.
What does it cover? The Fellowships financed by Japan and administered by UNESCO will consist of the following:
-A maximum amount between US$6,000 to US$10,000 will be awarded to selected candidates. The amount, to be paid in two or three installments, is intended to cover research costs only, and will not be negotiable.
-No other costs will be considered and grants will be neither extended nor renewed.
Selection Criteria: Applications will be judged on the basis of the merit of each application and of its pertinence to the UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme.
Notification: Candidates who have not been informed of their selection by 8 January 2014 should consider that their applications have not been approved in the selection process.
How to Apply: All applications must be submitted with the required documentation on the UNESCO Fellowship Application Form. Each Member State may nominate a maximum of two (2) candidates. It is the National Commission’s responsibility to select the two candidates whose applications it wishes to submit to UNESCO. The application(s) should reach the Fellowships Section by post, email and by fax.
The application must include the following attachments:
(i) The UNESCO Fellowship application form duly completed in duplicate. Two recent photographs (obligatory) should be included with the form.
(ii) Certified copies of degrees or diplomas (including transcript of grades) in duplicate. Proof of having obtained a Master’s Degree must be included.
(iii) A letter of recommendation from someone familiar with the candidate’s work.
(iv) A host institute’s letter of acceptance (i.e. the institute that has accepted the candidate for work should she/he be selected for a Fellowship). This letter of acceptance must indicate that the host institute confirms its willingness to provide the relevant research facilities required by the candidate in the chosen field of specialization.
(v) The certificate of language proficiency (on the UNESCO form) duly completed in duplicate for the language of the country of study (should this be different from the candidate’s mother tongue) issued by an official authority.
(vi) A detailed description, one to two page(s) (maximum), in either English or French, of the research work for which the candidature is being put forward.
Scholarship Application Deadline: The application deadline is 30th August 2013.
Further Official Scholarship Information and Application