2013-2014 Louis Dreyfus PhD Scholarships, Oxford University

Louis Dreyfus Foundation funded PhD scholarships in Food Security (crop science, biodiversity, conservation) at Department of Plant Sciences in Oxford University. The students from Africa, Asia and South America are eligible to apply.  These scholarships will cover tuition fees and living expenses for three years.
Applications are to be submitted online. The application deadlines will be 18th January 2013 and 8th March 2013. If places will remain available after the 8th March deadline the university will consider applications up until August 2013. 
About Scholarship: Providing early-career support to promising young developing country researchers has been the mandate of the International Foundation for Science (IFS) for many years. Building on this experience, the new IFS Strategy 2011-2020, launched in 2011, emphasizes three approaches:
-Individual Research (this call)
-Collaborative Research
-Contributing Innovation
In the Individual Research Approach, IFS continues its commitment to support excellent individual research and to build capability of early-career scientists in the developing world to undertake research on the sustainable management of biological and water resources.  Applicants are encouraged to tackle research issues linked to these areas, and to develop solutions that are relevant to local contexts. By encouraging local researchers to work in their home countries, generating cutting-edge and locally relevant knowledge, we hope to contribute to strengthening their countries’ research capability and ultimately contributing to a global research community aimed at reducing poverty and supporting sustainable development. 
Study: Food Security (crop science, biodiversity, conservation)
Course Level: PhD degree
Scholarship By: Louis Dreyfus Foundation
Location: UK 
Eligibility:
- Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or to have achieved a first-class or an upper second class undergraduate degree (or equivalent international qualifications) in Biological Sciences or a related subject.
- For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA we seek is 3.5 out of 4.0. However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have achieved a first-class or an upper second class undergraduate degree (or equivalent international qualifications) in an appropriate subject.
- Applicants should supply academic references / letters of recommendation, which support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, and ability to work in a group.
- Applicants whose first language is not English are usually required to provide evidence of proficiency in English at the higher level required by the University 
Duration: The scholarships are offered for three years.
Value: Scholarships will cover tuition fees and living expenses. 
Selection Criteria: This will be assessed for: your reasons for applying; the coherence of the proposal; the originality of the project; evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study; the ability to present a reasoned case in English; the feasibility of successfully completing the project in the time available for the course (a maximum of 4 years); commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course; preliminary knowledge of research techniques; capacity for sustained and intense work; reasoning ability; ability to absorb new ideas, often presented abstractly, at a rapid pace. 
Scholarship Open for: Outstanding students from Africa, Asia and South America are invited to apply. 
Apply: Online 
Deadline: There will be three main application deadlines: 16th November 2012, 18th January 2013 and 8th March 2013. If places are still available after the 8th March deadline the university will consider applications up until August 2013. 
Further Information: http://www.plants.ox.ac.uk/plants/students/postgraduates/Louis-Dreyfus.aspx