What OWSD PhD Fellowships for Women Scientists from Science and Technology-Lagging Countries actually covers.
The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) PhD Fellowships support women scientists from Science and Technology Lagging Countries (STLCs) to undertake PhD research in the Natural, Engineering, and Information Technology sciences at a centre of excellence in a developing country outside the applicant's own country. OWSD is a UNESCO programme unit based at The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in Trieste, Italy. The fellowship provides comprehensive funding including stipend, travel, research costs, and other necessary support for the duration of the PhD programme. The programme targets women who have been unable to access quality PhD education in their home countries due to limited resources or opportunities. African women scientists from eligible STLCs are a key target group for this fellowship. Fellows gain access to world-class research facilities, mentoring from leading scientists, and the OWSD global network of women in science. The 2026 fellowship cycle focuses on sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy (SDG7), though specific thematic focuses vary by annual call.
Who can apply.
Open to phd applicants. Eligible nationalities are listed below.
46 more eligible countries — full list available on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
Four steps to a complete application.
Scholar Africa is a discovery and tracking platform — the application itself is submitted directly through the official provider site. The steps below mirror our HowTo schema.
Check eligibility
Confirm your nationality, academic level, and field of study match the criteria above.
Eligibility checklist
Prepare documents
Transcripts, recommendation letters, personal statement, and a valid passport.
Document checklist
Submit the application
Submit before August 31, 2026 via the official portal.
Submission checklist
Track your application
Use your Scholar Africa dashboard to monitor status and deadline reminders.
Post-submission checklist
What we checked, when we checked it.
Scholar Africa runs a link-liveness check on every listing before it goes live. Five additional checks (contact, organisation, winners, third-party, manual review) are on the roadmap. OWSD PhD Fellowships for Women Scientists from Science and Technology-Lagging Countries currently scores 4.0/10.
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Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.