Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa Program 2022

About For Women in Science

For Women in Science Programme is an initiative by UNESCO and L’Oréal to encourage the participation of women in STEM research. It is an international programme and awards exceptional female scientists in five regions of the world, including Africa.

L’Oréal is a leading French cosmetic brand that sells skincare, haircare, fragrance, and personal beauty products. UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, and it promotes international peace through education, arts, and science. The two organisations have been working together for over 20 years to empower women scientists and increase the visibility of women in STEM.

Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa 2022

UNESCO-L’Oréal for Women in Science has a regional endowment programme whereby they offer financial assistance to female scientists from specific regions. The Sub-Saharan programme is for female scientists from 49 countries in the region, including South Africa.

The academic year 2022-23 will be the 13th edition of the endowment programme. For this year, there are 20 endowments on offer. Young researchers pursuing doctoral or post-doctoral studies can avail the funding. They must be involved in one of the fields of study mentioned below:

Formal Science (physics, chemistry, mathematics, statistics, computer science)
Life and Environmental Sciences
Material Sciences
Engineering Sciences
Technological Sciences

Of the 20 available endowments, 15 are for doctoral students and are valued at €10,000 each. The rest five endowments are for post-doctoral students, valued at €15,000 each.

The amount will be transferred directly to the school or research institution they’re studying at. Once awarded, it cannot be used for other purposes or exchanged with a third person.

Other than financial assistance, students will also get trained in the following aspects:

Leadership
Management
Negotiation
Communication

These will increase the women’s chances of becoming true changemakers in the Sub-Saharan African region.

Eligibility Criteria

There are specific eligibility criteria for this endowment programme. Anyone applying for the funding must fulfill all of the criteria to be selected.

Eligibility requirements for doctoral students:

Pursuing a doctoral degree
Belong to one of the 48 eligible Sub-Sahara African countries and carrying out doctoral studies at one of the 49 countries (including South Africa) OR belong to one of the 49 eligible Sub-Sahara African countries and enrolled in a doctoral study programme in one of the 48 eligible countries (in other words, applicants from South Africa studying at a South African institute are not considered)
The research area must be in one of the approved scientific fields, as mentioned on this page
Have not been supported by other national or regional Women in Science programmes previously

In addition to the above requirements, the eligibility requirements for post-doc students are:

Secured a doctorate in one of the areas mentioned on this page
Defended their thesis no earlier than February 2017 (date is bought forward by one year for each child, in case the applicant has children)
Conducting their post-doc research in one of the fields mentioned on the page

Please note that the national programme dedicated to South Africa is currently closed. Only the South African nationals studying/researching in one of the other 48 countries are eligible for this programme.

How to Apply?

If you’re interested in the endowment programme, consider applying for it.

To get started, you must create an account on the official application page. Click on Login and then Register to create your account. Fill out the details as per the instructions and complete your profile.

Next, you’ll have to submit the following documents:

ID documents
Updated CV
A research summary in 200 words
Letter from the thesis director
Letter of acceptance issued by the lab reception team

In the letters/documents, you must be able to demonstrate the following:

The complete research plan, including the methodology, scope, novelty, and expected outcomes
The research you’re carrying out is important, has economic and social scope, and contributes to the current knowledge in the research area
Evidence of your creativity involved in the project
You’re fluent in English and can communicate effectively

Review your application and ensure you’ve provided all the details. Then, submit it for review.

Closing Date

The last date of application is 25 March 2022.

Contact Details

For more details regarding the endowment programme, go through the FAQ section.

Please do not send any questions after the closing date. View our other bursaries open for application here: https://allbursaries.co.za/notice/

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