TWAS 2023 OWSD Early Career Fellowship

The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) offers fellowships for women who have completed their PhDs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects and are employed at an academic or scientific research institute in a science and technology lagging country. Early Career fellows will be supported to establish an environment at their institution where they can maintain an international standard of research and attract scholars from all over the world to collaborate.

The Early Career fellowship for women scientists is a prestigious award of up to USD 50,000 offered to women who have completed their PhDs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and are employed at an academic or scientific research institute in one of the eligible Science and Technology Lagging Countries (STLCs). Early Career fellows will be supported build on their leadership and management skills, develop connections with a variety of public and private sector partners to potentially convert their research into marketable products or guarantee its impact on a broader scale. By improving their communication and outreach skills, fellows will also learn to effectively present their research to various audiences, thus attracting new collaborators and potential funders to ensure the sustainability of the research project.

• Table of Content
• About The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)
• TWAS OWSD Early Career Fellowship
• Aim and Benefits of TWAS OWSD Early Career Fellowship
• TWAS OWSD Early Career Fellowship Courses
• Requirements for TWAS OWSD Early Career Fellowship Qualification
• Documents Required for Application
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)

TWAS was founded in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists from the developing world, under the leadership of Abdus Salam, the Pakistani physicist and Nobel laureate. They shared a belief that developing nations, by building strength in science and engineering, could build the knowledge and skill to address such challenges as hunger, disease and poverty. From the start, the Academy had essential support from Italian scientists and political leaders. The Third World Academy of Sciences, as it was first known, was inaugurated officially in 1985 during a ceremony attended by UN Secretary-... continue reading

TWAS OWSD Early Career Fellowship

Aim and Benefits of TWAS OWSD Early Career Fellowship

The Early Career fellowship for women scientists is a prestigious award of up to USD 50,000 offered to women who have completed their PhDs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and are employed at an academic or scientific research institute in one of the eligible Science and Technology Lagging Countries (STLCs)

The Early Career fellowship is for three years. It provides funding for a wide range of expenses, including equipment, consumables, research visits, exchanges and programmes, teaching and assistance, information resources, product development and linking with industry, outreach, communications and networking, and other expenses. The fellowship does not provide for the fellow’s salary which must be guaranteed by the fellow’s institute. However, the Early Career fellowship can be used to cover the costs of assistance to the fellow for teaching duties not directly related to the fellow’s research in order for the fellow to focus on carrying her own research forward to an international standard.

TWAS OWSD Early Career Fellowship Courses

• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Requirements for TWAS OWSD Early Career Fellowship Qualification

All information regarding eligibility, selection, and how to prepare a successful application is available on the OWSD website. 

To be eligible to apply for the OWSD Early Career Fellowship applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Eligible countries

• Applicants must have been resident in one of the listed Science and Technology Lagging Countries (STLCs) for at least 5 years. The 5 years do not have to be consecutive.
• Applicants can be citizens of any country, provided that the above residence requirement is fulfilled.

2. Eligible employment

• At the time of application, applicants must provide proof of being employed at the university or research institute where the research project will be carried out. If employment has not yet commenced, a proof of employment offer and confirmation of acceptance is required.
• The institution where the research project will be carried out must be in one of the listed STLCs.
• Applicants must provide evidence that they will receive a salary from their university/research institute for the duration of the three-year fellowship.

3. Eligible STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)

• Agricultural Sciences
• Astronomy, Space and Earth Sciences
• Biological Systems and Organisms
• Chemical Sciences
• Computing and Information Technology
• Engineering Sciences
• Mathematical Sciences
• Medical and Health Sciences
• Neurosciences
• Physics
• Structural, Cell and Molecular Biology

Research project proposals from other fields (social science, education, etc.) are not eligible and will not be taken into consideration.

4. Eligible academic qualification

PhD in one of the above listed study fields.

• PhD awarded not more than 10 years prior to application.

Documents Required for Application

EC_2023_Call for Applications.pdf1002.58 KB

EC_2023_Eligible Countries.pdf432.24 KB

EC_2023_Eligible Expenses.pdf667.65 KB

OWSD Early Career pamphlet 2023_EN.pdf

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Please note that an applicant, at the time of application, must NOT have an active research grant or fellowship with The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) or have already submitted an application for a TWAS programme within the same given year. Only one application per year is possible across all TWAS and OWSD programmes. Applicants will not be eligible to visit another institution in that year under the TWAS Visiting Professor programmes. However, candidates can still apply to the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation awards (please note that previous OWSD-EF winners are also eligible).

For more details visit: TWAS website.