The UNOSSC Youth4South & ICGEB Empower Fellowship Program

Apply for the UNOSSC Youth4South & ICGEB (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology) Empower Fellowship for candidates from countries from the global South. This programme is made possible through a partnership between the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), under its Youth4South initiative and the ICGEB. This programme dedicated to early-career female scientists from the Global South.

Through this programme, selected applicants will get the opportunity to attend a 6 months exchange experience at the ICGEB laboratories in New Delhi (India) and Cape Town (South Africa) or at other institutions based in an eligible ICGEB Member State. As fellows, you will have the chance to perform research work on biotechnology and related fields. Fellows will be working on different projects in the fields of Health (Infectious Diseases and Non-Communicable Diseases), Sustainable and Effective Agriculture, Industrial Biotechnology and Renewable Energy.

The programme is dedicated to female candidates under the age of 45 who have obtained a Master’s degree or PhD in one of the programme fields of interest. Applicants must also be coming from one of the selected participating countries

This fellowship programme runs for a duration of 6 month and selected applicants will receive the following benefits

• You will receive a monthly stipend worth US$ 1,800 to cover your daily expenses
• The fellowship will provide selected fellows coverage for travel expenses from their home countries to the host lab.
• At the end of your stay, you will be provided with a return travel ticket for the journey back to your home country.
• Fellows will receive coverage for Medical health insurance for the entire duration of the fellowship.
  Costs related to Visa, residence permit application and renewal costs will also be covered by the programme
• Fellows who will be stationed in New Delhi will be housed in a Guest House is run on campus, on a twin-share basis, for a nominal rate.
• Those who will be stationed in Cape Town will receive support to find proper accommodation

Eligibility

To apply for this fellowship programme, you must meet the following conditions

• Applicants must be residents/ Nationals of one of the following eligible countries (Please see full list here).
• Candidates must apply for a fellowship hosted in a country other than their home country.
• Applicants must have completed a Master’s degree or a a PhD in one of the programme fields of Interest
• Candidates who are scholars and Researchers at Pre-doc and postdoc levels may also apply
• Although there is no age limit requirement, preferred candidates are those under the age of 45
• Applicants must demonstrate sufficient proficiency in English if they are to be considered

If you are interested in applying for this fellowship, you are advised to contact the ICGEB Group Leader in ether Delhi or Cape town, depending on your location of choice. You may as well get in touch with the Principal Investigator of the identified hosting laboratory your home country.

You may contact any of the above mentioned people by mail and you are advised to include a motivation letter as well as a short proposal for a potential research project. Up on recipient of your information, the Leader or Principal Investigator will determine the availability of laboratory space and define the proposal that will form integral part of the application.

They will also issue you with a written statement stating that they are willing to support your project. At this stage, you are ready to apply for the fellowship. You application will require the following documents.

• You must submit a recent CV
• Applicants must include a Written Statement from the ICGEB Group Leader or CV of the Principal Investigator of the identified hosting laboratory
• You must also submit a valid identification document like a passport or identity card.
• Applicants must submit proof of English language proficiency in form of a Test result for example TOEFL, Cambridge or similar