KU Leuven IRO Doctoral Scholarships in Belgium for Students from Developing Countries

Doctoral Scholarships provided by the Interfaculty Council for Development Cooperation (IRO)

Course(s) Offered: Soc. sci, Humanities, Sci., Eng., Tech., Biomed Sci.
Course Level: Graduate (PhD)
Provider: K.U. Leuven
Country to Study in: Belgium

Scholarship Description
As one of its contributions to development cooperation, KU Leuven offers the IRO Doctoral scholarships every academic year to exceptional students from developing countries to pursue their PhD studies in the largest university of Flanders, Belgium.

The IRO Doctoral Scholarships Programme is organised and managed by IRO, the University's Interfaculty Council for Development Cooperation (or in Dutch, called Interfacultaire Raad voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking).

This IRO scholarships programme is intended for the student to do his or her whole research at KU Leuven; therefore, any other type of agreement (e.g. Sandwich programmes, etc) are not envisioned. Women are encouraged to apply for the doctoral scholarship.

Eligibility
General Eligibility Conditions:

1. The applicant must be a citizen of one of the countries on the OCDE DAC table that are considered as: Least Developed Countries, Low Income Countries or Low Middle Income Countries.
2. The applicant may not possess a citizenship from an EU country. The applicant may not posses 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 October 1st, 2017 (including the ongoing calendar year).
4. The candidate must hold an academic qualification at least equivalent to a high distinction. Degrees obtained with a final score equivalent to second class second/lower division will not be taken into consideration.
5. The research project must have excellent academic quality, with a special focus on the development relevance of the proposal.
6. The vacancies that are published on the KU Leuven website are already funded and thus, cannot participate for this scholarship.
7. The candidate must demonstrate a development-oriented motivation.
8. The candidate must be supported by a KU Leuven promoter.
9. The candidate must be supported by a local co-promoter at the candidate's home country to ensure embeddedness of the research within the country's context.
10. The candidate must be supported by excellent recommendations from relevant referees.
11. The candidate must follow the application procedure as outlined on the official website.

Please do not submit your application unless it fulfills the conditions enlisted above. Incomplete or late applications will not be taken into consideration without exception.

Eligible group
Citizens of Developing Countries. See the OCDE DAC table (considered as: Least Developed Countries, Low Income Countries or Low Middle Income Countries)

Participating Institution(s)
Katholieke Universiteit (KU Leuven) in Flanders, Belgium

Fields of Study
Doctoral level studies -- applicants must have their own formal research topic proposal (original and innovative, clear, goal-oriented and its completion feasible within maximum of four years) and must get in touch with professors at KU Leuven (i.e. promoters) to agree if research project is suitable.

Please visit the websites of the Doctoral Schools at KU Leuven to find out about the research topics of each of the professors:

• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Science, Engineering and Technology
• Biomedical Sciences
• Alternatively, you may also visit the websites of the faculties or departments in order to look for a promoter with one of the faculty members having similar research interests. The professors’ contact information is provided accordingly.

Number of Awards
Not specified. The scholarship programme has supported over one hundred Ph.D graduates over the past ten years

Sponsorship duration
If you are starting your PhD, the scholarship covers for 48 months (4 years); however, if a Predoctoral programme is needed, you can be covered for up to 12 extra months (1 year). The scholarship is renewable each year but its renewal depends on the annual evaluation of your progress report by the Promoter and Doctoral Commission.

If you are already doing your PhD at KU Leuven, the amount of months that you have already used for your research is subtracted from the 48 months.

Scholarship benefits
The scholarship offers a monthly allowance, housing allowance, waived tuition fee, health insurance, accident insurance, return tickets and other allowances. For complete details, see What does the IRO scholarship include?

Method of Application
You must meet the eligibility conditions to apply. It is the sole responsibility of every candidate to complete their online application file. Follow accurately the online application instructions.

It is important to pay special attention to the conditions listed on the Application Procedures page, and also to visit the official website (link to it is below) for complete information on how to apply for this scholarship.

DEADLINES:
Applications start 1st September 2016. You must complete the online application form and submit supporting documents not later than 13th November 2016.

PLEASE NOTE:
Any applications that do not meet the requirements and any incomplete or late applications will not be accepted. KU Leuven does not acknowledge receipt of inadmissible applications.

Situated in the heart of Western Europe, KU Leuven has been a centre of learning for almost six centuries. Founded in 1425 by Pope Martin V, KU Leuven bears the dual honour of being the oldest extant Catholic university in the world and the oldest university in the Low Countries.

Application Deadline: 13 November 2016
Open to International students: Yes

More Scholarship Information and Application

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