The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) Scholarship Award 2009-2010

OFID Scholarship Award 2009-2010

OFID Scholarship will be awarded to support an undergraduate student from any developing country, to pursue higher education in a relevant field of development, in any recognized university/college in the world.

Through its scholarship scheme, OFID aims to help highly motivated, highly driven individuals overcome one of the biggest challenges to their careers – the cost of advanced professional or graduate training.

The winner of the OFID Award will receive a scholarship of up to US$100,000 The funds will be spread over a maximum of two years, toward the completion of a Master’s degree, or its equivalent, at an accredited educational institution, starting in the autumn of the academic year 2009/10.

Eligibility

To be eligible the candidate must meet ALL of the following criteria:

Must be between the ages of 23-32 at the time of submitting his/her application.
Must be a graduating student with a Baccalaureate from a four-year, accredited college/university, or its equivalent.Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 rating system, or its equivalent.

Must be matriculated at an accredited university for the upcoming academic year starting September 2009, and must maintain full-time status for the duration of the Masters Degree
Must be a national of a developing country (please see list of eligible countries).

Must select a subject of study that pertains to OFID’s core mission, such as: economics of development (poverty reduction, energy and sustainable development), environment (desertification), or other related science and technology fields.

PLEASE NOTE: Please read ALL of the directions below before proceeding with the application process.

Applicants are responsible for gathering and submitting all necessary information.
Applications will be evaluated based on the information provided. Therefore, all questions should be answered as thoroughly as possible. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Once an application has been submitted, no changes will be allowed on it.

OFID will not consider applications received through a third party. Please do not call or email OFID to ask if your application has been received, or to inquire about your status.Please note that only the winner will be notified.

All materials submitted become the property of OFID and will not be returned to the applicant.Applicants must complete the on-line application form and essay requirement, and must email the required materials to OFID’s email address provided below.
All materials including the on-line application, recommendations, and other required information must be received no later than June 30, 2009.

Applicants should submit required documents via scholarship@ofid.org

Disbursement of the Scholarship Fund

The terms and conditions of payment will be determined in coordination with the student upon his/her selection in accordance with the following guidelines:

The tuition fees, including any supplementary examination fees, as may be required by the academic institution, will be paid by OFID directly to the academic institution. Health insurance will be paid in accordance with the institution’s own standard medical scheme.
A monthly allowance to cover living expenses, books and accommodation, will be transferred to the student’s own personal bank account on a quarterly basis.

Prior to the start of his/her first year studies, the student will be paid a relocation grant, equal to two-month allowance. OFID will also pay for travel costs from the nearest airport to the student’s place of residence, to the nearest airport to the chosen place of study. Upon completion of the studies, the student will be paid the cost of one-way air ticket to his/her home country.

Required documents

A completed on-line application form.
A scanned copy of the last university degree or certificate.
A scanned letter of acceptance from your chosen educational institution, confirming your admission, subject of study and duration of the Master’s degree program (must not exceed a maximum of two years).
A proof of meeting any prerequisites, including language proficiency.
A short essay – of about 250 words in English – giving reasons for applying for OFID’s scholarship, explaining your educational goals, and clearly describing how you will use the experience gained from your Masters degree studies to help in the development of your home country.
Two letters of recommendation from professors and/or lecturers at applicant’s present university.

Eligible Countries

The OFID member countries are as follows: Algeria, Gabon, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, GSP Libyan, AJ Nigeria Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab, Emirates, Venezuela

* In addition to nationals of OFID Member States, nationals of the following countries are also eligible:

Africa :Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d`lvoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome& Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Asia and the Middle East:

Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Korea DR, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

Latin America and the Caribbean:

Antigua Barbuda , Belize, Barbados, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Grenada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Haiti, , Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Panama, St. Christopher, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Europe :Albania , Bosnia Herzegovina

To apply online go to: http://www.ofid.org/scholarship/application.aspx
Official announcement can be obtained at:
http://www.ofid.org/Scholarship_Default/ScholarshipApplication2009.aspx
Re-reported by: (Ameen Amjad)

Postgraduate Training Fellowships for Women Scientists

Postgraduate Training Fellowships for Women Scientists from LDCs

Postgraduate Training Fellowships for Women Scientists from Sub-Saharan Africa and Least Developed Countries (LDC) at Centres of Excellence in the South is being offered. The Fellowship is offered to women scientists to pursue postgraduate research in the following fields of basic sciences: basic biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics. NEW! Deadline for applications: 31 July of each year.

Programme Details

This fellowship programme is for female students from Sub-Saharan Africa or Least Developed Countries (LDCs) who wish to pursue postgraduate training leading to a doctorate degree at a centre of excellence in the South outside their own country.

Only women scientists from Sub-Saharan Africa and/or one of the Least Developed Countries can apply. Host institutions must be located in a developing country. Applications that are incomplete or illegible cannot be considered. Please make sure all the requested enclosures are submitted together with your application.

Purpose

The Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) with funds generously provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), has instituted a fellowship programme for female students from Sub-Saharan Africa and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), who wish to pursue postgraduate training leading to a Ph.D., at centres of excellence in the South (developing countries), outside their own country.

The general purpose of the scheme is to contribute to the emergence of a new generation of women leaders in science and technology, and to promote their effective participation in the scientific and technological development of their countries.

The specific aims of the scheme are:

To improve access to educational and training opportunities in science and technology for young and talented women graduates from Sub-Saharan Africa and LDCs.
To increase the scientific productivity and creativity of women scientists in Sub-Saharan Africa and LDCs.
To empower a new generation of talented women to assume a leadership role in science and technology and their application to sustainable development.

Conditions

The scheme provides fellowships to young female students from Sub-Saharan African countries and/or LDCs, to enable them to pursue postgraduate studies leading to Ph.D., degrees, at centres of excellence (renowned research institutions/universities). The institute must be in a developing country other than the applicant<$#$>s home country. The fellowship is offered to carry out postgraduate research in the basic sciences, i.e. chemistry, mathematics, physics and basic biology. Research projects in applied sciences will not be accepted.

Each fellowship will be offered for three years and will cover travel expenses, a modest monthly living allowance, the amount of which will be determined in consultation with the host institution.
The applicant can enroll as a full-time research student at an institution outside her country, in this case the fellowship will provide support (travel, accommodation and living expenses) for 3 years.

Alternatively, an applicant who wishes to register as a PhD student at her home institute can choose a sandwich option, whereby part of the research programme is undertaken at a host institute in another developing country. In this case the fellowship provides support (travel, accommodation and living expenses) only while at the host institution. The minimum period abroad is six months. The fellowship does not provide support while the applicant is at the home institute.

The host institution will be expected to provide the necessary facilities such as tuition, training, supervision, laboratory supplies etc. Accompanying persons are not eligible for support.

Host Institution

Applicants should select renowned institutes in developing countries, from outside their own country, and are encouraged to apply for postgraduate admission in advance. When submitting the application to TWOWS, however, it is not obligatory that the applicant has either applied and/or obtained admission at the host institute.

In case of difficulty in selecting host institutes, TWOWS can provide a list of centres of excellence in the South, compiled by TWAS. This information will be provided if the applicant informs TWOWS of the precise field of proposed research (see next paragraph).

Eligibility

The fellowships are open to qualified young women science graduates (generally below 40 years of age) from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and/or LDCs.
The minimum qualification of applicants is an M.Sc. degree (or equivalent), or an outstanding B.Sc. honours degree, in the following fields of natural sciences:

basic biology
chemistry
mathematics
physics

Applicants already on site in the host country will not be considered eligible. The host institute where the applicant wishes to pursue her doctorate degree must be in a developing country other than her own. The applicant must be willing to return to her own country after completion of the fellowship.

List of Least Developed Countries (LDC)

Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros Islands, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zambia. Note: Sub-Saharan African countries that are not in the list are eligible under the programme.

Selection

The fellowships are highly competitive, and the selection will be based on scientific competence and merit. The applications will be reviewed by a panel of eminent scientists, appointed by the Executive Board of TWOWS.

Application

Applicants should complete all parts of the application form, and enclose copies of all university degree certificates, and the university-issued transcripts, which should include grades, courses taken, etc. If the applicant has already gained admission at an institution of excellence in the South (i.e., in a developing country), a copy of the letter of acceptance from the institution must be enclosed.

If the applicant is registered for a doctorate degree at an institution in her home country, and wishes to pursue part of her research at another institution under a "sandwich programme", a letter of recommendation from the home institute supervisor must be enclosed.

Two referee letters from senior scientists familiar with the applicant's studies must be enclosed with the application in sealed envelopes OR must be sent by email to info@twows.org.
Applications must be clearly typewritten in English and completed in all parts; TWOWS will not process incomplete and/or illegible applications. TWOWS will inform the applicant as soon as the application is processed. The application form is available both as a MS Word document and as a PDF file.

Application Form (MS Word version)
Application Form (PDF version)
Sample research outline

Applications should reach the TWOWS secretariat by 31 July of each year.
The article published by sciencediv.

Fullbright Scholarship for Pakistani Students and Researchers

Fullbright Scholarship for Pakistani Students and Researchers has been offered by the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan. USEFP administers a number of scholarship programs, including the Fulbright, the U.S. government’s flagship scholarship program. The Fulbright program in Pakistan is the largest in the world, with more than 200 scholarships for advanced degrees planned for 2009. Scholarships are also available for teachers, mid-career professionals and scholars.

This program is designed to award Pakistani citizens the opportunity to study for a master's or Ph.D. degree program at a US university beginning in fall of 2010. Applicants must be citizens Pakistan who permanently reside in Pakistan. Persons who have a completed 16 years of formal education to be eligible to apply for a master’s. Those with 18 years of formal education can apply for the Ph.D. All disciplines except for clinical medicine are eligible to apply.

Because one of the major goals of Fulbright programs is to promote mutual understanding between the people of the United States and Pakistan, in addition to academic work, persons selected for Fulbright programs are expected to share information about Pakistani life and culture with their U.S. colleagues and with community groups in the U.S. On returning to Pakistan, Fulbright grantees are expected to share their U.S. experiences with colleagues and community groups in Pakistan. All Grantees are contractually bound to return to Pakistan immediately upon the completion of their programs.

The Fulbright organization especially seeks applications from individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who would not otherwise have such an opportunity. Women, minorities and people with disabilities are also especially encouraged to apply. Approximately 100 grants will be awarded for master’s degrees and 60 for Ph.D.s. The grant also funds tuition, textbooks, airfare, a living stipend, and health insurance.
The GRE is a requirements in Pakistan. Applications without a valid GRE score report attached will not be considered. Short-listed applicants will be required to take the TOEFL within two weeks of being notified. The minimum requirement is 300 on each section of GRE. If you are asked to take the TOEFL, you will need a minimum score of 90.

Further information cab be obtained from: http://www.usefpakistan.org

Scientists have vital role to play in swine flu outbreak

Scientists' role in swine flu outbreak control

Scientists can help communicate the risks and uncertainties of a swine flu pandemic, says an editorial in Nature — and the greatest danger posed by the emerging disease is not hyping the threat, but underplaying it.

Communicating the risks of a pandemic is a delicate business, says the editorial, especially because influenza viruses evolve quickly and it is extremely difficult to predict what will happen just a few months from now.

Peter Sandman, a risk communication consultant in Princeton, United States, says that health agencies such as the WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control have done a good job of highlighting this uncertainty and emphasising what it means — that advice may change, local strategies will vary and there may be inconsistencies.

But the importance of local communities taking action for themselves has been absent from current communication by governments and health authorities, says the editorial. Many governments have some plans in place to cope with a pandemic if it comes but many of these will rely on local action. Scientists can help make these plans work by informing their communities of the risks and uncertainties, and pointing people to credible pandemic-planning resources.

Reported by Scidev.net from Nature
Link to full article in Nature

Experts highlight lack of swine flu diagnostics

Developing countries lack capacity to fight swine flu

Many developing countries have "extremely limited capacity" to diagnose diseases such as swine flu and are likely to remain this way for decades, according to a public health expert specialising in pandemic preparedness.

There has been substantial investment in developing countries to support animal and human health surveillance, says Richard Coker, professor of public health at the UK-based London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). But they still lack resources and face logistical issues.

"Thus new emerging infectious diseases may be extremely challenging to identify," he told SciDev.Net. "And existing diseases that pose a pandemic threat may not be identified in a timely manner to support containment efforts."

He predicts that it could be "decades, if ever" before every country has diagnostic capacity, especially as donors reduce funding in light of the global financial crisis.
His comments come as the WHO rushes kit to diagnose swine flu — officially known as influenza A (H1N1) — around the world.

The WHO has both National Influenza Centres (NICs) reference laboratories in over 60 countries. Those equipped to carry out a procedure called reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) will receive the reagents they need to detect swine flu in the next few days, Nikki Shindo, a medical officer in the WHO's Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response Department, told SciDev.Net.

These reagents, or 'primers', are short stretches of genetic material that help identify the virus. Without them, laboratories cannot detect the virus, says Shindo. But with them, RT-PCR should confirm the virus' presence in about two hours.

The NICs monitor seasonal influenza circulation for the WHO through the Global Influenza Surveillance Network. Not all have the capacity to do RT-PCR, but those that do not have been linked to those who do so they can send their samples to them, says Shindo.

Similarly, entire countries that lack RT-PCR capacity will send their samples to other countries for analysis using the WHO courier system.

Enrique Paris, a member of Chile's medical expert advisory committee dealing with the swine flu situation, says that the lack of diagnostic capacity in developing countries is hindering the detection of cases.

In Mexico itself, a lack of RT-PCR equipment could be behind the confusion over the number of cases and deaths caused by the virus. Authorities had been reporting around 150 deaths but only 29 have been confirmed so far to be from swine flu.

The country received 15 machines to carry out RT-PCR only last week (30 April). Until then scientists had been relying on more basic tests that distinguish between influenza subtypes but do not definitively diagnose the specific virus, according to Celia Alpuche, adjunct director general of the Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference.

Shindo agrees that there are legitimate concerns about delayed diagnosis and says that the WHO is constantly communicating through the Global Influenza Surveillance Network to prepare for the potential spread of the H1N1 virus.

Diagnostic capacity in developing countries has nevertheless increased in recent years, particularly after the 2003 SARS outbreak and emergence of H5N1 bird flu.

Some developing countries — particularly in Asia — have developed some influenza laboratory capacity either independently or with the support of organisations such as the US Centers for Disease Control or the France-based Pasteur Institute, Sandra Mounier-Jack, lecturer in health policy and expert in pandemic preparedness at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told SciDev.Net.

And the WHO has a long-term strategy to strengthen surveillance and diagnostic capacity in developing countries as part of the International Health Regulations, which were formulated in 2005 and require that countries strengthen capacity to report newly emerging infections. The WHO strategy will be "strengthened" in light of the current emergency, says Shindo.

Reported by: Katherine Nightingale, Paula Leighton and Aleida Rueda for scidev.net

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Kicks off

Young scientists descend on Reno in hopes of winning scholarships and other prizes

More than 1,500 high school students are trying their luck in Reno, Nev., this week at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. While some students will hit the jackpot, they all have already won big — previously taking top prizes at 500 or so science fairs for ninth- through 12th-graders held across the country and globe. Now the young scientists will present their projects in Reno, competing for nearly $4 million in scholarships, tuition grants and scientific trips and equipment.

Some of the students have been working on their projects for months, others for years. Categories include energy and transportation, cellular and molecular biology, physics and astronomy, medicine and health, microbiology, engineering and mathematics. After a week of showcasing their projects, interviewing with judges and attending talks and events, three of the students will be awarded $50,000 scholarships.

Society for Science & the Public, publisher of Science News, partners with Intel, which — along with dozens of other corporate, academic, government and science-focused sponsors — provides support and awards for the Intel ISEF each year.

Tune in all week for updates from Reno, and visit the Intel ISEF site for more information: http://www.intelisef2009.org/

Credit: The article was produced by Rachel Ehrenberg for sciencenews.org

Obama Proposes Unemployed Get Grants for More Education, Training

Unemployed US Citizens to Get Grants for More Education, Training

“US President Obama has outlined new aid to the jobless that allows unemployed workers to get more education and training while keeping their jobless benefits and directs the government to help pay for that training.”, SkyNews has reported quoting Associated Press.

Click here for Details:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/08/obama-offer-help-unemployed

OIC meeting on Water Suggests Conservation Policies

Recognizing the seriousness of threat to water resources in OIC member states, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) held a ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the 5th World Water Forum from March 16-22, 2009 in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey. The meeting suggested a balance between water consumption and its conservation in OIC member states.

Islamic Conference of the Water Ministers and experts highlighted the importance of serious approach towards solving water problems in the OIC member states. They declared the issue of water the most important and sensitive matter for the Islamic world and suggested mutual and international cooperation as a reliable approach towards solution.

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary general of the OIC also chaired a session in the international water forum and he also headed the ministerial meeting of the OIC member states. The theme of the OIC ministerial meeting was "water vision for OIC."

The OIC Secretary called for developing sustainable proposals aiming to address water problems. He said clean water is a requisite for good health and therefore the problem of water pollution should figure out more important among the proposals and action plans to address water problems.

Ihsanoglu called on the ministers in charge of water issues in the OIC member states to develop feasible proposals that would ensure a balance between water consumption and its conservation.
He pointed up the ramifications that might arise out of water scarcity that may aggravate the food problem in the OIC member states. He explained that the OIC member states face shortage in food, inducing most of them who import food staples from other countries. He emphasized that the global hike in food prices, coupled with drought in some OIC member states, requires urgent action on food security issue.

Serving as stepping-stones towards global collaboration on water problems, the World Water Forum is a unique platform where the water community and the policy and decision-makers from all regions of the world can link together, debate and attempt to find solutions to achieve water security.

World Water Forum by The World Water Council is organized every three years in close collaboration with the authorities of the hosting country and is the largest international event in the field of water. The forum was held in Morocco in 1997, the Netherlands in 2000, Japan in 2003 and Mexico in 2006. More than twenty-five thousand participants took part in the fifth forum held in Turkey. However, the OIC ministerial meeting was the first such event to dwell on water issues in the Muslim world.

The OIC ministerail meeting was earleir recommended during a special session arranged by COMSTECH Inter-Islamic Network on Water Resources Development and Management (INWRDAM), in cooperation with OIC General Secretariat and Islamic Development Bank in Amman, Jordan during October 18-19, 2008. The session was called to launch the OIC Water Vision process. It was attended by Professor Atta-ur-Rahman, Coordinator General of COMSTECH and Professor Anwar Battikhi, Secretary General of the Higher Council for Science and Technology, Amman, Jordan (HCST) in addition to more than tweleve esteemed water scientists from OIC member states institutions.

Reported by: Ameen Amjad

Technology Sharing Forum Launched for OIC Countries

COMSTECH Technology Sharing Forum for OIC Countries

Organization of the Islamic Conference Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) has launched a Technology Forum through which all OIC member states can offer their endogenously developed technologies to other countries of the OIC. The countries seeking some specific technology can also contact COMSTECH Secretariat for routing of their demand to other member states.

“There are a number of technologies which have been developed within the OIC member states and have been commercialized. These are available in various fields of engineering, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, biotechnology, medicine, agriculture, agro-food, energy etc. There may be many companies within the OIC member states who are willing to offer such technologies to other OIC countries on mutually acceptable terms of sharing of royalties or as joint venture partnerships. COMSTECH has therefore launched the “COMSTECH Technology Forum” which will allow member states having suitable technologies to offer to other OIC member states through this forum.” said the Program in-charge.

“Similarly OIC Member States which are interested in acquiring specific technologies can place their requirements on the COMSTECH website so that they can benefit through the expertise available in other Member States”, he added.

It is expected that COMSTECH Technology Forum will serve as an important open tool for the promotion of industrial and technological collaboration and cooperation among OIC member states through sharing of useful technologies for industrial production. Further information regarding how to share technology is available at COMSTECH website www.comstech.org.

Report by: Ameen Amjad
Islamabad, Pakistan

IDB and the University of Cambridge Launch a Joint Scholarship Program

IDB-Cambridge University Joint Scholarship Program

Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and Cambridge Overseas Trust have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on April 9, 2009 to launch the IDB-Cambridge International Scholarship Program. The signing ceremony as held in the Cambridge, England was attended by senior officials of the university and the IDB.

The joint program has been launched within the scope of IDB Merit Scholarship Program for Science and Hi-Technology to place talented and meritorious students from IDB member states and Muslim Communities in non-member countries for 3-year Ph.D. study and research at the University of Cambridge.

This joint program with the Cambridge University, the second top-ranked university of the world in research and higher education, would significantly contribute to the human resources development of IDD member states. In his speech during the ceremony, Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Ali, President of the IDB, stressed that such partnership with an outstanding institution of knowledge would help build future leaders in OIC member states.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge termed launching of this joint program as a new dimension of the university activities to reach-out emerging and developing countries. She emphasized that the university has a moral role to play to harmonize relationship between developed and developing nations to cater for world peace and stability. She hoped that this partnership is an important step to achieve that aim.

Science and Technology Office of the Islamic Development Bank has already in place a number of scholarship program for OIC member states. IDB-COMSTECH MSc Scholarship Program is one of these initiatives the Bank has taken to make science and technology the driving engine for development in the OIC region. In this regard, COMSTECH and IDB share the vision and have a greater level of cooperation.

Reported by: Ameen Amjad

Research Grants for Young Scientists in OIC Member States

Organization of the Islamic Conference Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) in collaboration with the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) has announced joint research grants for the young scientists of the OIC member states.

COMSTECH-TWAS Joint Research Grants are awarded to high-level and promising research projects carried out by young individual scientists in OIC countries. A sum of US $ 200,000/- has been pledged by TWAS and COMSTECH for the research grants under this program.

For young scientists, up to the age of 40 years who are living in OIC countries and working in science and technology will compete to receive the grant of US $ 15000/- each to enable them to purchase the research facilities they need to enhance their productivity.

COMSTECH and TWAS have set August 31, 2009 as the deadlines for submitting applications to either COMSTECH Secretariat in Islamabad, Pakistan or to TWAS in Trieste, Italy.

The program aims at encouraging the pursuit of scientific excellence in OIC member states by identifying and supporting the best young scientists in these countries.

It focuses reinforcing and promoting scientific research and strengthening the endogenous capacity in science and technology. The program also aims at counteracting the brain drain and reducing the exodus of scientific talent from the OIC countries.

A grant of US $ 15000/- is normally provided for a period of 18 months and is renewable once. The grant may be used to purchase scientific equipment, consumables and specialized literature (textbooks and proceedings only). The grant, however, does not cover salaries of researchers and/or students, field expenses, travel expenses and/or participation in international conferences.

The program provides support for research projects in the fields of science and technology including earth sciences, engineering sciences, information technology & computer sciences, materials science including nanotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences and renewable energy.

Application form and more information about eligibility conditions, requirements, and contact person’s phone numbers, email and postal addresses is available at http://www.comstech.org/ and http://www.twas.org/.

TWAS, The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World is an autonomous international organization founded in Trieste, Italy in 1983. Its principal aim is to promote scientific capacity and excellence for science-based development in the South. COMSTECH, OIC Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation as founded in 1981 and based in Islamabad, Pakistan is striving to promote science, technology and research in the OIC member states.
By: (Ameen Amjad)