To stand by its commitment to supporting women scientists in African research institutions and universities, the UGent- VIB International Plant Biotechnology Outreach (VIB-IPBO) has organized the Open Doors Fellowship Program for Women Researchers in Africa for the academic year 2023-2024.

The applicants must be post-doctoral female scholars or in mid-career positions who have experienced challenges in their careers due to restricted access to training, infrastructure, and international networks to be considered. The selected candidates will be awarded a fully-funded short research stage of three months in Belgium. 

The UGent- VIB International Plant Biotechnology Outreach (VIB-IPBO), established in 2000, is a non-profit scientific organization. The organization was started as a partnership of the Vlaams Instituut Voor Biotechnologie (VIB) based in Flanders, Belgium, which is world-leading life sciences research institute. The vision of VIB-IPBO is to ‘contribute to the participatory engagement of agricultural communities and local actors in LDE to new sustainable agricultural systems, to enable a healthy planet with a sound social, cultural, economic and environmental development. The organization also contributes to overthrowing some of the main barriers identified in transferring agro-biotechnological innovations and knowledge. This promotes food and nutrition security for male and female smallholder farmers in the least developed economies (LDE).

Application Deadline: The open doors fellowship 2023-2025 call is now open and will close on the 10th of January 2023.

Brief Description

• University or Organization: UGent- VIB International Plant Biotechnology Outreach (VIB-IPBO)
• Department: NA
• Course Level: Postdoctoral
• Award: Research support 
• Number of Awards: NA
• Access Mode: Online
• Nationality: African
• The award can be taken in Africa

 Eligibility

• Eligible Countries: Students from Benin, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda can apply. 
• Eligible Course or Subjects: The students can take up a post-doctoral position at an African institute or university.
• Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible, the applicants must meet all the following/given criteria:
• The applicants must be post-doctoral or mid-career women from Africa. 
• The applicants must have an active employment contract in a High Education institution or an (inter)national research center in any of the eligible countries. 

How to Apply

• How to Apply: The candidates must first secure admission at their desired university. The applications to participate in the fellowship program must be sent to [email protected] in the attachment of all the below-listed documents.
• Supporting Documents: The students are required to present the following documents to the university:
• A duly filled application
• A motivation letter from the candidate
• A maximum 3-page CV. Please note that a CV with more than three pages will not be reviewed.
• Soft copies of the academic transcripts of the PhD and the diploma.
• A list of publications, including papers, book chapters, technical reviews in indexed journals, and patents
• A signed letter from the applicant’s direct supervisor to indicate how she/he intends to support the fellow in completing her training program
• An official signed letter from the Human Resources Office of the applicant’s institution to prove that the applicant has a valid contract in SSA for the duration of the fellowship.
• A signed letter from the research centre in Belgium supporting the applicant’s short research stay (only for Modality B applications).
• Admission Requirements: The applicants must meet the criteria to participate in the fellowship program. 
• Language Requirement:The applicants must meet the language requirements of tehri respective universities of institutes. 

Benefits

TheUGent- VIB International Plant Biotechnology Outreach (VIB-IPBO) will provide the fellowship winners a fully-funded short research stage of three months in Belgium. 

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