M.Sc Scholarship Programme for Students of IDB Least Developed Member Countries

M.Sc. Scholarship Programme in Science and Technology for students of IDB Least Developed Member Countries

Course(s) Offered: Several fields (see 'Fields of study' below)
Course Level: Postgraduate (Masters)
Provider: Islamic Development Bank
Country to Study in: Several countries (see below)

Scholarship Description
The programme was launched in the year 1419H (1998) for 20 selected IDB Least Development Member Countries (LDMCs) to support development of their human resources in science and technology at intermediate level and to enable their candidates to participated in the IDB Merit Scholarship Programme. The day-to-day implementation of the Programme is undertaken by the IDB Scholarship Division under the guidance and supervision of the IDB Management.

Eligibility
The Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Be a citizen of any of an Eligible Member Country.
• Age not over 30 years.
• Be a graduate in science/technology with a grade above Good in his/her academic career.
• Be nominated by an academic research institution of his/her country.
• Be determined to return home at the end of his/her studies.
• Not in receipt of another scholarship.
• Be medically fit and be willing to undergo medical tests after selection.

Applicants for Statistics, Demography and related disciplines such as Applied Statistics, Demography and Econometrics must meet the following requirements in addition to the above:

• Be in possession of a B.Sc. degree or its equivalent in statistics or related disciplines.
• Must have a working experience of at least one year as statistician permanently employed by an institution in a member country.
• Be determined to return home at the end of his/her studies.

Eligible groups
List of Eligible Member Countries: Afghanistan; Benin; Burkina Faso; Chad; Comoros; Djibouti; The Gambia; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Maldives; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Niger; Palestine; Sierra Leone; Somalia; Togo; Uganda; Yemen.

Place of study / Participating Institutions
Selected candidates are to pursue their study at reputable institutions of study in member countries only

Fields of study
Students may apply only for Science, Engineering, Technology, Medical Sciences, Statistics, Demography, Econometrics, Operational Research and other related fields.

Scholarship benefit
The scholarship covers the following benefits and entitlements:

• All academic expenses
• Living allowances
• Health Insurance
• Round trip air-tickets to and from place of study
• Conference Participation allowance
• Computer allowance

Method of Application (How to Apply)
Application form can be downloaded here (pdf).
The applications must be submitted to the Office of the IDB Governor for the country. It is the Office of the IDB Governor that will forward the applications to the IDB and not the individual applicants or the nominating institutions. Applications sent directly to the IDB will not be considered.

Selection procedures:
All the applications submitted to the IDB Governor’s Office are to go through the following process:

1. Screening by the IDB Governor’s Office to forward to IDB the most eligible applications.
2. In-house scoring and short-listing at the IDB.
3. Final selection by the IDB.

Obligations of the partners:

1. Candidates awarded the scholarship must:
   
   1. Sign the Surety Bond stating their commitments to studies, to return to their countries upon completion and resume work in their home institutions.
   2. Devote themselves to their studies on a full-time continuous basis and provide the IDB with periodic reports on their academic progress.
      
   3. Not seek or accept other scholarship or remunerated work during their studies, unless agreed to in writing by the IDB.
      
   4. Respect the laws of the country of study while maintaining good personal and professional conducts consistent with the objectives, rules & regulations of the Programme and the overall mission of the IDB as an Islamic institution.
2. Nominating Institutions As a partner in the joint effort with the IDB, the institutions nominating candidates are expected to:
   1. Nominate suitable candidates; assist them in all aspects of the documentation preparation and in securing the necessary endorsement from the Office of the IDB Governor for the country.
      
   2. Assist the selected students in preparation of their departure for study and place them on study-leave maintaining their pay-roll status.
      
   3. Help resettle them and support them in their research and equipment needs, on their return to the institution.
3. Offices of the IDB Governors As the channel of announcement and initial processing of the applications, the Offices of the IDB Governors are expected to:
   1. Announce the Programme as widely as possible among the scientific and research communities in the country.
      
   2. Disseminate information and application forms to all relevant scientific, research institutions, and interested scholars in the country.
      
   3. Screen and pre-process applications to ensure eligibility and completion of documentation against requirements.
      
   4. Pre-select and submit to the IDB only those who are most qualified and in the proposed fields of study that are most needed for the development of the country.

DEADLINE:
Usually 31 December every year. Programme announced every year through the IDB Governors' Offices in the countries concerned.

Application Deadline: 31 December (annually)
Open for International Students: Yes

Resources:

• Contact List of IDB Governors' Offices
• Frequently Asked Questions

More Scholarship Information and Application

Related: IDB Scholarships for Young Needy Muslim Students in Non-Member Countries