UNESCO is now accepting applications from young researchers in developing countries for the 2014-2015 UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme (UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowships Programme).
UNESCO designed the fellowships, which are sponsored by the government of Japan 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.
Objective of the Programme
The UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowships Programme (UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme) funded under the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the capacity-building of Human Resources will aim, in particular, to impact on capacity-building and research activities in the following areas:
- Environment (with particular emphasis on water sciences);
- Intercultural Dialogue;
- Information and Communication Technologies; and
- Peaceful conflict resolution.
No other research topics will be considered.
Dissemination of Research Outcome
- Once the Fellowship has expired, the beneficiaries will be encouraged to disseminate the results of their research.
- Selected beneficiaries will be required to submit an interim and a final report describing the results of the research undertaken. Fellows will be required to send UNESCO a one-page summary with their report that will be reproduced later in a leaflet and disseminated widely by UNESCO.
Eligibility and Conditions for Applications
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 in paragraph D.1 below. 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) * African researchers
- Candidates must be proficient in reading and writing the language of instruction in the proposed country of study/research.
Eligible Countries
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* •Zimbabdwe
ARAB STATES
•Algeria •Egypt •Iraq •Jordan •Lebanon •Mauritania* •Morocco •Palesltine •Sudan* •Syrian Arab Republic •Tunisia •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* •Nieu •Pakistan •Palau •Papua New Guinea •Philippines •Samoa* •Solomon Islands* •Sri Lanka •Tajikistan •Thailand •Timor-Leste* •Tonga •Turkmenistan •Tuvalu* •Uzbekistan •Vanuatu* •VietNam
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
•Argentina •Belize •Bolivia •Brazil •Chile •Colombia •Costa Rica •Cuba •Dominica •Dominican Republic •Ecuador •El Sarvador •Grenada •Guatemala •Guyana •Haiti* •Honduras •Jamaica •Mexico •Nicaragua •Panama •Paraguay •Peru •Saint Kitts and Nevis •Saint Lucia •Saint Vincent and the Grenadines •Suriname •Uruguay •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 •Ukraine
ASSOCIATE MEMBER STATE
•Tokelau
Conditions for Application
- 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
- Peaceful Conflicts Resolution
Duration of Proposed Research: Minimum: 3 months; Maximum: 9 months. Research is expected to begin earliest March 2014 and must be completed by December 2015.
Place of study: In one or two countries abroad. It should be understood that at the end of the Fellowship, the beneficiary must agree to return to his/her home country so that knowledge acquired may be put to good use in local research and training programmes.
Study arrangements: Research must be carried out under the auspices of an academic supervisor in a host institution
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 Fllowships Section UNESCO, 7, Place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP and an advance copy may be sent by fax to: 33.1.45.68.55.03 or by e-mail: a.zaid(at)unesco.org; l.zas-friz(at)unesco.org
Important: Check their website via the link below for detail information about applying.
Application Deadline: August 30, 2013
Click here for more information and to download the application form to apply