ICGEB EMPOWER Fellowship Programme – Now Open
ICGEB EMPOWER Fellowship Programme – Now Open. UNOSSC and ICGEB launch EMPOWER Fellowships: a South-South and Triangular Cooperation programme for women scientists from developing countries.
The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) under its Youth4South initiative and the ICGEB have partnered to offer early-career female scientists from the Global South, aged 45 or under, exchange visits of 6-months at the ICGEB laboratories in New Delhi (India) and Cape Town (South Africa) or at other institutions based in an ICGEB Member State, to perform research work on biotechnology and related fields, including Health (Infectious Diseases and Non-Communicable Diseases), Sustainable and Effective Agriculture, Industrial Biotechnology and Renewable Energy.
The Call, opened today, is open for applications until 30 September 2021, and offers
- Stipend, health insurance and travel
- Applying the latest techniques and methodologies to the applicant’s chosen research topic
- Opportunities for mentoring, peer-to-peer learning and complementary skills
- Immersion in a top class international scientific environment
Further information, guidelines and to apply, see: https://www.icgeb.org/activities/fellowship/empower/
The Official signing of the agreement between the ICGEB and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation took place in a virtual signing ceremony on 28 June 2021.
Dr. Lawrence Banks, ICGEB Director-General at ICGEB HQ in Trieste, Italy, and Mr. Adel Abdellatif, Director ai. at UNOSSC, New York, USA, signed the agreement that represents the burgeoning, mutually beneficial activities between the two Organisations, to provide capacity building, networking, and exchange platforms.
Dr. Banks expressed his delight at the wonderful collaboration developed with the UNOSSC over the course of the last year, leading to “a range of mutually beneficial activities including the promotion of good practice in South-South Cooperation”. UNOSSC Director ai., Mr. Adel Abdellatif stated: “We believe it is important to promote, support and share the success stories of young women champions from the Global South to highlight their contributions in Science & Technology.”
Chaired by Ms. Xiaojun Grace Wang, UNOSSC, Ms. Marianna Maculan, ICGEB Chief, External Relations, and Ms. Ragini Malik, UNOSSC Programme Analyst, presented the details of the fellowships, to be provided to early-career women researchers from the Global South, in particular from the LDCs, to perform their research at the ICGEB Components in Cape Town, South Africa or New Delhi, India, or at any other recognised institution based in an ICGEB Member State.
At the outset, 5 fellowships to support women scientists will be awarded. The Governments of India, Italy, and South Africa are also all at advanced stages of discussion to promote parallel initiatives.
Besides scientific training in the field of the life sciences, the fellows will also have access to training in complementary soft skills, such as Intellectual Property, grant application writing, and scientific communication.
The program will create a pool of female scientists collaborating on biotechnology and will foster gender-balanced STI communities in the Global South. These women scientists will serve as champions in their own home institutions and in their national scientific communities and will nurture a community of Southern young women researchers, to fill the gap for role models, while strengthening scientific research for South-South cooperation.
EMPOWER Fellowships – Guidelines for Application
The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) under its Youth4South initiative and the ICGEB have partnered to offer early-career female scientists from the Global South, aged 45 or under, exchange visits of 6-months at the ICGEB laboratories in New Delhi (India) and Cape Town (South Africa) or at other institutions based in an eligible ICGEB Member State*, to perform research work on biotechnology and related fields, including Health (Infectious Diseases and Non-Communicable Diseases), Sustainable and Effective Agriculture, Industrial Biotechnology and Renewable Energy.
Closing Date for Applications for ICGEB EMPOWER Fellowship Programme: 30 SEPTEMBER 2021
Guidelines for Application
| To Apply | Applicants should contact the ICGEB Group Leader of their choice in New Delhi or Cape Town or the Principal Investigator of the identified hosting laboratory in one of the eligible ICGEB Member States* by sending a motivation letter and an outline of the proposed research project (2 pages maximum), to determine availability of laboratory space and define the proposal that will form integral part of the application. Proposed projects must be innovative and fall within ICGEB research domain namely Infectious Diseases, including research on SARS-CoV-2, Non-Communicable Diseases, Medical Biotechnology, Industrial Biotechnology, and Plant Biology and Biotechnology (please see https://www.icgeb.org/science/ and ICGEB laboratories in New Delhi and ICGEB laboratories in Cape Town). The written statement from the Principal Investigator who is willing to support your project is mandatory to apply. |
| Eligibility | – Applicants must be nationals of an eligible ICGEB Member State*, although priority will be given to candidates from Least Developed Countries – Applicants may not apply for fellowships to be undertaken in their country of origin unless working abroad at the time of application – Pre-doc and postdoc researchers may apply, although preference will be given to scientists having already completed their PhD/Master or equivalent – No age limit applies, but preference will be given to candidates below the age of 45 – Good working knowledge of English is mandatory for fellowships at ICGEB New Delhi and Cape Town |
| Financial support | Duration: 6 months Monthly stipend: US$ 1,800 or equivalent Travel: the fellowship includes provision for travel expenses from the participant’s home country to the host lab at the beginning of the fellowship and a return travel provision upon completion of the fellowship. Medical health insurance coverage is provided for the duration of the fellowship. Visa/permit of stay application and renewal costs are reimbursed. ICGEB makes no financial provision, nor can it provide administrative support for family members of participants in the programme |
| Submission | Please complete this application online. You will be allowed to complete a portion of the application form and return later to finish the rest. Before starting the application online, kindly carefully read the call guidelines and FAQ. Only one application per call is accepted for each candidate |
| Documents to be uploaded | Please note that you will be requested to upload the following documents in pdf format: (i) Your full CV (ii) Written Statement from the ICGEB Group Leader or CV of the Principal Investigator of the identified hosting laboratory (iii) A valid identification document (passport or identity card) (iv) For visits to ICGEB Component laboratories, English Certificate (TOEFL, Cambridge or similar), if available. This document is not requested when scholastic education has been undertaken in English. Different language certificates might be requested by other host institutions. |
| Selection | The ICGEB Fellowships Selection Committee will evaluate complete applications received by the closing date. The candidates will be notified of the outcome by e-mail as soon as possible following the closing date for applications. The main criteria for selection include the scientific excellence of the project, the qualities of the candidate’s CV and the potential benefit in terms of mentoring and acquisition of new expertise. |
| Accommodation | ICGEB New Delhi: a Guest House is run on campus, on a twin-share basis, for a nominal rate. ICGEB Cape Town: accommodation support is provided to fellows. Arrangements are agreed prior to arrival. For other ICGEB Member States, please get in touch with the hosting institution |
| Info and contacts | For additional information or clarification on the EMPOWER Call for Fellowship or the application procedure, please refer to the Call Guidelines, the Call FAQ or write to the address [email protected] |
* Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova (Republic of), Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam, Zimbabwe
