The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) is pleased to announce the TWAS Fellowships for Research and Advanced Training for Young Scientists in developing countries to enable them to spend three to 12 months at a research institution in a developing country other than their own.
The TWAS Fellowships aim to enhance the research capacity of promising scientists, especially those at the beginning of their research careers, helping them to foster links for further collaboration in their fields of endeavors.
Scholarship Summary
- Host Institution(s): Not specified
- Fellowship Sponsor(s): The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Number of Awards: Several
- Nationality: Developing Countries
- Duration: 3-6 months
TWAS Fellowships for Research and Advanced Training | Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the TWAS Fellowships, applicants must ensure to meet the following requirements:
- The fellowships are for research and advanced training. They are offered to young scientists holding at least an MSc or equivalent degree.
- There is no age limit. However, preference is given to young scientists at the beginning of their research career and those working in Least Developed Countries.
- Eligible applicants for the fellowships are young scientists working in any area of natural sciences who are citizens of a developing country and are employed by a research institution in a developing country.
- Lists of possible host institutions divided by field are available here. These lists are only a suggestion and institutions that are not included are acceptable as long as they are in a developing country.
- One exception: the head of an institution that invites an external scholar to share his/her expertise under the TWAS Visiting Professor programs may still apply for another program.
- Note that the Fellowships are provided for South-South visits only, i.e. for visits by researchers from developing countries to institutions in other developing countries.
- Institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China, are not eligible host institutions under this program. Applicants interested in conducting a fellowship in China are required to check whether their chosen host is a CAS institute.
Benefits of the TWAS Fellowships for Research and Advanced Training for Young Scientists
- Fellows will receive accommodation, food, and research facilities from the host institution.
- TWAS covers international low-cost airfare plus a contribution towards subsistence amounting to a maximum of USD 300 per month.
Important Note
Please be advised that applicants may apply for only one program per calendar year in the TWAS and OWSD portfolio. Applicants will not be eligible to visit another institution in that year under the TWAS Visiting Professor programs. One exception: the head of an institution that invites an external scholar to share his/her expertise under the TWAS Visiting Professor programs may still apply for another program.
Terms of the Fellowships
- The host institution is expected to provide accommodation and food as well as research facilities.
- The fellowships are offered for a minimum of three months and a maximum of twelve months.
- TWAS covers international low-cost airfare plus a contribution towards subsistence amounting to a maximum of USD 300 per month. No other costs will be provided by TWAS.
Application Procedures
How-to-Apply: Interested applicants for the TWAS Fellowships for Research and Advanced Training are to complete an online application form and also upload the following documents:
- CV, maximum five pages including publications.
- Two reference letters of senior scientists familiar with your work. Please note that the Head of your Home Institution cannot be one of your references.
- Official invitation letter from the Head of the Host Institute.
- A scanned copy of your passport, even if expired (page with your name and surname).
- Supporting Statement from Head of Home Institution;
- MSc certificate and relevant university transcripts.
About TWAS and Italy
In the early 1980s, elite Italian scientists joined in the work of Pakistani Nobel laureate Abdus Salam to establish TWAS. Soon, with the backing of top Italian lawmakers, Italy provided an early grant that allowed TWAS to build momentum.
Since TWAS’s inception, the Italian Government has provided core funding for the Academy’s operations. The partnership with Italy is still central to the Academy’s activity. TWAS periodically holds its biennial General Meeting in Trieste, where it also conducts events on international research cooperation and science diplomacy.
Actively engaged in its headquarters city of Trieste, Italy, TWAS is part of the ‘Trieste System’ of scientific organizations and the ‘Scientific and Innovation System of Friuli Venezia Giulia), regularly joins in public initiatives such as the Europe-wide ‘Researchers Night’, ‘Trieste Next’ and other educational projects, broadly covered by the Italian news media.
TWAS has also an enduring relationship with major Italian scientific organizations and universities. Through the TWAS-SISSA-Lincei Research Cooperation Visits Program, the Academy offers scientists from Least Developed Countries the chance to visit research laboratories at Centers of Excellence in Trieste or Udine, Italy, for three months to carry out collaborative research projects in the fields that fall under the umbrella of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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