Irish Government Frank Ferguson Fellowship in Engineering 2025/2026 for Zambian Students

The Irish Government, in partnership with the Engineering Institution of Zambia and the National University of Ireland, Galway, have established a Frank Ferguson Fellowship award that will fund one successful Zambian candidate each year to study on a master’s level engineering programme in Ireland.

Application Deadline: 31st July 2024

Eligible Countries: Zambia

To be Taken at (Country): Ireland

About the Award: This fellowship is in recognition of the achievements, and in memory of Frank Ferguson who was an engineer and innovator who dedicated fifty years of his life to promoting development in Zambia through numerous high-quality infrastructure projects.

Frank Ferguson Fellows should be prepared with the potential to make significant contributions to the development of Zambia.

Eligible Courses: Applicants must select from the following list of courses offered by the National University of Ireland, Galway:

1. Master of Civil Engineering (1MEC1) 
2. ME in Energy Systems Engineering (1MEES1)
3. MSc in Mechanical Engineering (1MSME1)
4. ME in Electrical & Electronic Engineering (1MEEE1) 
5. MSc in Marine and Freshwater Resources: Management (1MFR1)

Type: Masters

Eligibility: To be eligible for an Ireland Fellows Programme – Frank Ferguson Fellowship award commencing at the beginning of the academic year 2024, applicants must:

• Be a resident national of Zambia.
• Have a minimum of three years’ substantial work experience that is directly relevant to your proposed programme(s) of study.
• Be a member of the Engineering Institution of Zambia.
• Hold a Degree in Engineering or related discipline with Merit or higher from an accredited and government-recognised higher education institution.
• Have achieved the necessary academic standard to be accepted onto a Master’s level programme of studying in Engineering at the University of Galway.
• Not already hold a qualification at master’s level or higher. Not currently undertaking a programme at master’s level or higher, or be due to start a programme at master’s level or higher in the academic year 2023/24.
• Be applying to commence a new programme at master’s level in Ireland no sooner than August 2024.
• Be able to demonstrate the following: leadership abilities and aspirations; a commitment to the achievement of the SDGs within your own country; and a commitment to contribute to building positive relationships with Ireland.
• Have identified and selected two programmes relevant to your academic and professional background from the list of engineering programmes at the University of Galway (see page 7).
• Have a clear understanding of the academic and English language proficiencies required for all programmes chosen.
• Must not have applied to the Ireland Fellows Programme on more than one previous occasion.
• Be in a position to take up the Fellowship in the academic year 2024/2025.

Applicants will be required to submit a research proposal in an area linked to a social problem in Zambia. Applicants who are shortlisted by the Engineering Institution of Zambia will be invited to present their research proposal to the Embassy of Ireland and will be subject to further screening.

Number of Awards: 1

Value and Duration of Award: The scholarship award covers course fees, required flights, accommodation, monthly allowances, insurance and other incidental expenses. Eligible masters programmes in Ireland commence in the period August to September each year and, depending on the course, scholarships will run for between 10 and 16 months.

How to Apply: Please read the Applicants Guidance Note carefully before completing as eligibility criteria may differ from country to country. 

The application process consists of three stages:

• Stage 1   Preliminary Application;
• Stage 2   Detailed Application (including research proposal);
• Stage 3   Interviews.

All applicants who are selected to go forward to second stage will be required to sit an IELTS exam, unless they are already in possession of an IELTS certificate that is dated 2022 or later at the time of application which shows the applicant has achieved the necessary score for the course they intend to apply to. Early preparation for the IELTS exam is strongly advised, even for native English speakers.

Please email your completed Stage 1 application form to the Embassy of Ireland in Zambia. 

Please include “Frank Ferguson Fellowship” in the subject line of all emails, and on the envelope of any postage sent to the Embassy.

• It is important to go through all application requirements in the Award Webpage (see Link below) before applying.
• GOODLUCK

Visit Award Webpage for Details