(ECWS) Fellowship Programme

The 2024 OWSD Early Career Women Scientists (ECWS) Fellowship Program is now accepting applications. A prestigious award of up to USD 50,000, the OWSD Early Career Fellowship is given to women who have completed their doctorates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and who work for academic institutions or scientific research centers in one of the listed Science and Technology Lagging Countries (STLCs). The OWSD Early Career fellows receive assistance in setting up settings at their institutions where they can continue to do research of a global quality and draw in scholars from around the globe to collaborate.

The deadline for applications is March 14, 2024

The fellowship program helps female scientists in their early careers spearhead significant research initiatives in nations that have been noted as particularly deficient in scientific and technology resources. The research projects for the fellows will be conducted in one of the qualifying nations, and candidates must show that they have lived there for a substantial amount of time—at least five years total. Additionally, applicants need to be assured of a job at the organization where they plan to conduct the research.

Qualifications:

The following requirements must be fulfilled for applicants to be eligible for the OWSD Early Career Fellowship:

1. Countries that qualify

Candidates must have spent at least five years as residents of one of the designated Science and Technology Lagging Countries (STLCs). The five years do not have to follow one another.
Candidates may be nationals of any nation as long as they meet the aforementioned residency criteria.

2. Qualifying employment

Applicants must present documentation at the time of application attesting to their employment status at the institution or research facility where the study will be conducted. Proof of employment offer and confirmation of acceptance is needed if work hasn’t started yet.
The research project’s host institution needs to be located in one of the STLCs on the list.
For the two years of the fellowship, applicants must show proof that their institution or research institute will pay them a salary.

3. STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects that are qualified

• Science of Agriculture
• Earth Sciences, Space, and Astronomy
• Living Systems and Entities
• Chemical Education
• Information Technology and Computers
• Science of Engineering
• The Sciences of Mathematics
• Health and Medical Sciences
• The neurosciences
• Structural, Cell, and Molecular Biology Physics

Proposals for research projects from other disciplines (social science, education, etc.) are not acceptable and won’t be reviewed.

4. Qualifying academically

PhD in any of the subject areas mentioned above.
Doctorate granted no more than ten years before application.

FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT:

The two-year OWSD Early Career Fellowship offers up to USD 50,000.

Please be aware that the fellow’s remuneration is dependent upon the fellow’s institution and is not covered by the OWSD Early Career Fellowship.

Any overhead or indirect expenses related to the research endeavor must be waived by the fellow’s institution. All direct costs for support from the university that will directly advance the research project, such as lab technician time, maintenance and utility costs, administrative officer time, etc., may be included by applicants in their budget breakdown.

The award includes an initial:

a 33% initial advance payment of the grant’s entire amount
reimbursement of costs incurred using money provided by the Administering Institute Assistance with direct purchases made on the fellows’ behalf by the OWSD Secretariat (only for purchases over USD 4,500)

Official Link