European Union (EU) Tropical Forestry Doctoral Research Scholarship 2021 for International Students

This call for applications is part of the program called: “Sustainable management of tropical ecosystems, based on knowledge”, funded by the Instrument for Development Cooperation (DCI) N ° 41928 of the European Union . The program includes several components, including the project “Capacity building for practitioners in biodiversity,

Application Deadline: 15th August 2021

About the Award: This call for applications is part of the program called: “Knowledge-based sustainable management of tropical ecosystems”, under the funding of the EU-Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) No. 41928.
The program has several components, including “Capacity-building of biodiversity practitioners, scientists and policymakers for the sustainable management of protected areas and forest ecosystems in Africa”. The project’s overall objective is to “Support environmental policies and investments for the sustainable, participatory and equitable management of protected areas and forest ecosystems in Africa”. The specific objective is “To contribute to the capacity-building of biodiversity practitioners, scientists and policymakers in the production and use of information for the sustainable management of protected areas and forest ecosystems in Africa. “The project’s target group is “biodiversity practitioners, scientists, CSOs and the private sector, as well as policymakers. “The project area covers the Congo Basin and West Africa and is implemented by AGRINATURA-EEIG (European Alliance on Agricultural Knowledge for Development) and the Ecole Régionale Postuniversitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrés des Forêts et Territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT). AGRINATURA-EEIG has also delegated the management of the project activities – dedicated to it – to the University of Liège (Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech)

Type: PhD

Eligibility: The present application is addressed to candidates with the following profile:

• Hold a Master-2 degree or a Diplôme d’Études Approfondies – Master of Advanced Studies (DEA) or an equivalent degree, obtained with at least 70% of the marks in the last year of training (cf. transcripts and a copy of the Master-2 diploma or equivalent); or to hold a Master-1 degree from ERAIFT with at least distinction, and later to justify a Master-2 diploma with at least distinction (at least 70% of the marks); application of the systems approach will allow for holders of Master degrees from all disciplines relevant to protected area development and management (not only directly related to environmental sciences such as agronomy, forestry or geography but also human sciences such as sociology or law) to apply;
• Present both in English and French its research protocol following the systems approach, and which includes a logical framework, coherent planning of activities over four (4) years as well as budgetary estimates to carry out this work, and to have a supervisor and/or co-supervisor from member institutions of AGRINATURA (North) and ERAIFT (South); even if the candidate does not have a supervisor from the North, he/she will still be able to apply; in this case, if selected, a supervisor from the North will be assigned to him/her;
• Fill out an identification form for doctoral registration according to the ERAIFT guidelines on its website www.eraift-rdc.org;
• Be under 40 years of age at the time of application;
• Present certificates of birth, physical fitness, nationality and good conduct or equivalent;
• Provide a handwritten cover letter, in French and English (one page each);
• Submit a letter of acceptance of supervision and application support from a Northern supervisor, member of the academic staff of an AGRINATURA member institution and eligible as a supervisor (advisor) of a doctoral thesis according to the regulations of his institution; the command of the French language by the Northern supervisor is considered an asset; when the candidate does not yet have a Northern supervisor, he/she can still submit his/her application; in this case, if selected, a supervisor from the North will be assigned to him/her;
• Submit a letter of acceptance of support for the application from a Southern supervisor – teaching at ERAIFT ;
• Demonstrate sufficient bilingualism (ability to work and publish in both French and English);
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

It is worth noting that research with another source of funding (e.g., a doctoral fellowship) is not eligible for this scholarship. The organization of the doctoral training will be done in tandem between ERAIFT and the various AGRINATURA partner institutions. Once enrolled in the Ph.D. program, the following conditions must be observed:

• Take a double registration, at ERAIFT and another partner institution member of AGRINATURA (the North supervisor academic institution); each academic year one should renew its registration in the two institutions (thesis of co-tutorship leading to two degrees from both relevant institutions) ;
• Regularly attend doctoral seminars at the institutions involved in the Ph.D., and validate the credits provided;
• Regularly submit partial reports of the evaluation of its doctoral research to the member institutions that supervise the thesis;
• Valorize research data by publishing at least two scientific articles in credible international peerreviewed journals, preferably with an impact factor.

Eligible Countries: International

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award:

Monthly allowance for stays in Europe
Housing Subsidies in Europe
Return airfare
Administrative/academic fees (registration, visa, insurance, etc.)
Research costs (field, conferences, publications, etc.)
Supervisory costs (for northern host labs)
Advisor/Supervisor mission

As an international mobility scholarship, the Ph.D. researcher will stay in the Northern supervisor’s institute for three months every year.

Duration of Award: The duration of the scholarship is limited to 4 years.

How to Apply: Apply below

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

Visit Award Webpage for Details