Scholarship details
TWAS was founded in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists from the developing world, under the leadership of Abdus Salam, the Pakistani physicist and Nobel laureate. They shared a belief that developing nations, by building strength in science and engineering, could build the knowledge and skill to address such challenges as hunger, disease and poverty. From the start, the Academy had essential support from Italian scientists and political leaders.
The Third World Academy of Sciences, as it was originally known, was inaugurated officially in 1985 during a ceremony attended by United Nations Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar. Initially, TWAS had 42 elected fellows, nine of them Nobel laureates. The name was changed twice: in 2004, to “The Academy of Sciences for the developing world.”
In 2012, to the current one, “The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries”. Today, TWAS has 1,296 elected fellows — some of the world’s most accomplished scientists and engineers — representing more than 100 countries; 11 of them are Nobel laureates. About 84 per cent come from developing nations, and the rest are scientists from the developed world whose work has had a significant impact in the South. TWAS fellows are the foundation for all of the Academy’s work.
For four decades, TWAS mission has remained consistent, the foundation has curated it’s daily work and continues to adapt to current circumstances and situations:
- Recognize, support and promote excellence in scientific research in the developing world
- Respond to the needs of young scientists in countries that are still developing in science and technology
- Promote South-South and South-North cooperation in science, technology and innovation
- Encourage scientific research and sharing of experiences in solving major challenges facing developing countries.
TWAS and its partners offer over 600 fellowships per year to scientists in the developing world who want to pursue a doctoral degree and postdoctoral research. TWAS prizes and awards are among the most prestigious given for scientific work in the developing world. The Academy allocates almost $1 million in research grants every year to individual scientists and research groups. It also supports visiting scientists and provides funding for regional and international science meetings.
While this is surely not the only postdoctoral scholarship a student should apply for, there are multiple scholarships aimed at this specific criteria.
TWAS is an autonomous international organization founded in Trieste, Italy, in 1983.TWAS in collaboration with National Council for Scientific and Technological Development in Brazil, Brazil, offers fellowships to young scientists from developing countries for pursuing postdoctoral research in a field of natural sciences at research institutions in Brazil. TWAS Postdoctoral Fellowships are available at research institutions in Brazil.
Eligibility
- Must be a young scientist from a developing country
- Must be pursuing a postdoctoral research in a field of natural sciences at research institutions in Brazil.
- Applicants cannot be from Brazil or a native of Brazil
- This scholarship is for international students only
- Both male and female candidates may apply
- Must not hold a visa for permanent or temporary residency in Brazil or in a developed country
- Hold a PhD degree in a field of the natural sciences
- Be a regular employee in a developing country (other than Brazil) and hold a research assignment there
- Provide evidence that he or she will return to her/his home country on completion of the fellowship
- Not take up other assignments during the period of her/his fellowship
- Provide an official acceptance letter from the host institution
- Present a detailed research plan agreed by her/his host supervisor
- Be financially responsible for any accompanying family members
- Applicants must not have a prior criminal offense or else their application will be dismissed
Subject areas that fit into the requirements for this scholarship are:
- Agricultural Sciences
- Structural, Cell and Molecular Biology
- Biological Systems and Organisms
- Medical and Health Sciences incl. Neurosciences
- Chemical Sciences
- Engineering Sciences
- Astronomy, Space and Earth Sciences
- Mathematical Sciences
- Physics
Requirements
Applicants must prove their knowledge of Portuguese or provide a certificate of proficiency in Spanish or English.
Also, all applicants must provided their most up-to-date CV/resume before submitting their application.
Typically, a lot of science based fields are picked to receive this research program scholarship since science provides headway towards new discoveries. However, this scholarship is not solely limited to choosing only science postdoctoral majors.
How to Apply
The only way for applicants to apply is online. And the program will not accept anything else outside of submitting the online application form.
Applicants should submit the Acceptance Letter from a CAPES-listed institution to the program when applying. Without preliminary acceptance, the application will not be considered for selection.
Applicants should be aware that they can apply for only one fellowship per year. With the exception of the Visiting Scientists program, all other fellowship programs offered by TWAS and OWSD are mutually exclusive.
If a student insists on sending their application through the post, their application will be denied and tossed.
Reward – Extra Benefits
The Fellowship is for or a minimum period of six months to a maximum of 12 months‚ and provides a standard monthly allowance to cover for living costs, accommodation, food and health insurance. The monthly stipend will not be convertible into foreign currency.
This amount can easily exceed $12,000 USD in total.
Deadline
Since this is an Italy/Brazil program research scholarship students will need to contact via the e-mail provided to ensure what their deadline date will be. Some students actually have separate deadline dates from others based on where they are from.
Open Submission Window Time Frame
The open submission window time frame is actually quite extensive, since the program allows students from developing countries to pick the deadline that works best for them. This is based on the fact, that students in developing countries will need to secure a student visa to be able to travel and study. Applicants should contact the e-mail provided to have more information on what times work best to submit their applications.
Annual
This is an annual scholarship that happens only once a year. Students can bring family members as long as their is enough fudging to cover entire family expenses.
