Global Minds Doctoral Scholarships Programme at KU Leuven 2023-2024

Here is Global Minds Doctoral Scholarships Programme at KU Leuven – open for application. Interested and qualified candidates are expected to check the scholarship guidelines below for eligibility, requirement, and how to apply.

The aim of the GM Scholarship is to give scholars the opportunity to conduct 4 years of PhD research in a ‘sandwich’ system, which means that maximum 50% of the research is financed by and takes place at KU Leuven, whereas at least 50% takes place and is financed by the home institution of the scholar, supported by a local co-promoter. Thus, as partners, both the KU Leuven and the home institution co-finance the research. KU Leuven, however, additionally offers a supervision allowance to the local co-promotor at the home institution and to the promotor at KU Leuven.

The scholarships are offered to excellent proposals that deal with a development-relevant research topic, preferably linked to one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Having obtained their doctoral degree from KU Leuven, the PhD holders are expected to mobilise their expertise at the university in their home country so as to help strengthen that institution’s capacity.

KU Leuven is situated at about twenty kilometers from Brussels, the capital of both Belgium and Europe. It is the oldest university of the Low Countries. As such, it has a long-standing tradition of hospitality towards students and scholars from abroad. Currently, more than 11,000 international students (about 18% of the total number of students at KU Leuven) have found their home away from home in Leuven.

Eligibility criteria for Global Minds Doctoral Scholarships Programme at KU Leuven

1. The applicant must be a citizen of one of the countries included in this list.

2. Candidates who hold citizenship of the EU will not be selected. The same applies to applicants with a long-term EU residence permit.

3. The candidate’s latest Master’s degree must have been awarded no more than ten years prior to 1 October 2023 (including the ongoing calendar year).

4. The candidate must have been awarded an academic grade equivalent to High Distinction or higher. Degrees obtained with a final score equivalent to second class second/lower division will not be taken into consideration.

5. The research project must be of excellent academic quality, with a special focus on the development relevance of the proposal.

6. The research project must have a clear time frame indicating how the research periods at KU Leuven and at the home institution will alternate (a maximum period of 12 months at the home institution should alternate with a maximum period of 12 months at KU Leuven).

7. The candidate must be formally affiliated to a university in the home country. In case the candidate has no such affiliation yet, she/he is eligible to apply to this scholarship programme but will only be granted the scholarship once such an affiliation is obtained.

8. The applicant’s home university must demonstrate sufficient financial support for the doctoral project, guaranteeing that the candidate receives financial means, through a fully funded full-time position including social security coverage similar to that of staff members at the same level and with the same qualifications within the home institution. The home institution must also guarantee, in writing, that the candidate can dedicate himself/herself sufficiently to conducting doctoral research during the periods spent at the home institution. As will be stipulated in the contract, at least 80% of the time spent at the home institution should be dedicated to conducting the doctoral research. Candidates who are not yet affiliated to a university in their home country should present a Letter of Intent from the home institution signaling that the candidate will be recruited and given the assignment to conduct the doctoral research at that institution. The scholarship will only be granted once the candidate is formally affiliated to a university in the home country and when, consequently, that university can demonstrate sufficient support.

9. Candidates who are already enrolled as PhD-students at KU Leuven and who are financed by KU Leuven are not eligible for this programme. They may be eligible for the PhD Scholarships for Researchers from the South though.

10. Candidates who have been employed before in an EEA country other than Belgium are not eligible for this scholarship. They may be eligible for the PhD Scholarships for Researchers from the South though.

11. The candidate must demonstrate a development-oriented motivation.

12. The candidate must be supported by a KU Leuven supervisor.

13. The candidate must be supported by a local co-supervisor at her/his home university.

14. The candidate must demonstrate excellent recommendations from at least two relevant referees.

15. The candidate must follow the 2-step application procedure. In order to be able to apply for a KU Leuven Global Minds Doctoral Scholarship, approval to enroll as a doctoral student at KU Leuven must be obtained first. We strongly recommend to start this procedure at least 1.5 months before the deadline (March 9, 2023), (procedures started too late may not be evaluated in time by the doctoral committees or doctoral schools!).

16. The application deadline is March 09, 2023 at 05.00 PM GMT. Applications are submitted using a digital application form (available as soon as possible – see the Scholarship Application Form). On this form you will find further specifications (about the number of pages, language, attachments, and so on).

17. The candidate has read and agreed to the Regulations, Obligations and Conditions for Terminating the KU Leuven Global Minds Doctoral Scholarship. The candidate must also conform to the Internal Regulations for the Awarding of PhD Scholarships at KU Leuven (please consult your promotor on this).

18. Candidates are asked not to submit their application unless it fulfils the conditions listed above. Incomplete or late applications will not be taken into consideration. No exceptions will be made.

Countries included in the scholarship country list include :

Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, D.R. Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa

Asia: Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Palestinian Territories, Vietnam

Latin America: Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Peru

Application procedures for the scholarship

1. Applying for admission to a doctoral or predoctoral programme

In order to be able to apply for a GM scholarship, candidates must first obtain admission to a (pre-)doctoral programme. Please follow the online application instructions accurately. Make sure to obtain admission early. We strongly suggest you obtain the admission 1.5 months ahead of the deadline of the PhD scholarship call (Marc 09, 2023). If the application procedure is started too late, the application file may not be evaluated in time. Incomplete applications will not be considered. No exceptions will be made.

2. Applying for a KU Leuven Global Minds Doctoral Scholarship

Once a candidate has received admission to a doctoral or predoctoral programme, his or her supervisor can apply for a KU Leuven Global Minds Doctoral Scholarship. The deadline is March 09, 2023 at 05.00PM GMT. Applications must be submitted by using the digital application form (online soon), wich is to be filled out by the supervisor. In this form you will find further specifications (about the number of pages, language, attachments, and so on).

The main elements of the scholarship application are include :

• The candidate’s CV, utilising the Europass format
• The candidate’s bibliography, utilising this form
• The local co-supervisor’s CV
• the research proposal (6 pages at the most)
• The motivation letter (3 pages at the most)
• The proof of the candidate’s affiliation to the home university
• The home institution must also guarantee, in writing, that the candidate can dedicate himself/herself sufficiently to conducting doctoral research during the periods spent at the home institution
• A certified copy of the candidate’s contract with the home institution
• Two recommendation letters by external, relevant referees.

Official Scholarship Website: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studywithus/international-applicants/scholarships-fees-and-finance/scholarships/masters-scholarships/dev-sol-masters.aspx

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Conclusions

We want to believe that this scholarship guideline was useful to you. If you have any comments, or questions to ask, please do well to make use of the comment box below and we will attend to all of them as soon as we see them.