IRO Doctoral Scholarship Programme for Developing Countries in Belgium, 2015

Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) annually invites applications for IRO doctoral scholarship programme available for students from Developing Countries. The IRO Doctoral Scholarships are only granted for doctoral programmes for a maximum period of 48 months and eventually for one pre-doctoral year as preparation period for the doctoral programme. Applicants may choose a research topic proposed by one of the KU Leuven Doctoral Schools: Humanities and Social Sciences Science, Engineering and Technology Biomedical Sciences or applicants may propose their own research topic. The application deadline is November 10th 2014.
Note: The call is open form 1 September 2014.
Study Subject(s): Applicants for the IRO Doctoral Scholarship Programme may choose a research topic proposed by one of the KU Leuven Doctoral Schools: Humanities and Social Sciences Science, Engineering and Technology Biomedical Sciences or applicants may propose their own research topic. Course Level: Scholarships are available for pursuing PhD degree at KU Leuven. Scholarship Provider: Catholic University of Leuven Scholarship can be taken at: Belgium
Eligibility: The applicant must be a citizen of one of the countries on the OECD DAC table that are listed under the following categories: Least Developed Countries, Low Income Countries or Low Middle Income Countries.
-The applicant may not possess dual citizenship, where the second citizenship is from an EU country.
-The candidate must have been awarded his master’s degree or an immediately contiguous master’s degree no more than ten years prior to the 1st of October 2015 (including the ongoing calendar year).
-The candidate must hold an academic qualification at least with distinction or equivalent.
-Research project of excellent academic quality, taking into account the development relvance of the proposal.
-The candidate must demonstrate a development oriented motivation.
-Excellent recommendations.
-In order to ensure embeddedness of the research within the context of the home country, a local co-promoter must be appointed.
Scholarship Open for International Students: Students of one of the countries on the OECD DAC table that are listed under the following categories: Least Developed Countries, Low Income Countries or Low Middle Income Countries (Afghanistan, Kenya, Armenia, Angola, Korea, Dem. Rep., Belize, Bangladesh, Kyrgyz Rep., Bolivia, Benin, Tajikistan, Cameroon, Bhutan, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, Congo, Rep., Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cambodia, Egypt, Central African Rep., El Salvador, Chad, Fiji, Comoros, Georgia, Congo, Dem. Rep., Ghana, Djibouti, Guatemala, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Eritrea, Honduras, Ethiopia, India, Cuba, Gambia, Indonesia, Guinea, Iraq, Guinea-Bissau, Kosovo1, Haiti, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Micronesia, Federated States, Laos, Moldova, Lesotho, Mongolia, Liberia, Morocco, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Malawi, Nigeria, Mali, Pakistan, Mauritania, Papua New Guinea, Mozambique, Paraguay, Myanmar, Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Niger, Swaziland, Rwanda, Syria, Samoa, Tokelau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tonga, Senegal, Turkmenistan, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, Solomon Islands, Uzbekistan, Somalia, Vietnam, South Sudan, West Bank and Gaza Strip, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zambia) can apply for this IRO Doctoral Scholarship Programme.
Scholarship Description: As one of its contributions to development cooperation, KU Leuven offers each academic year scholarships to deserving students from developing countries to do their PhD in the largest university of Flanders, Belgium. The programme is organized and managed by the Interfaculty Council for Development Cooperation. The IRO Doctoral Scholarship Programme has supported more than a hundred PhD graduates over the past ten years. After obtaining their doctorates at KU Leuven, these PhD holders are now valorizing their degrees in their home countries either in university academic research or in various sectors of industry. KU Leuven, which is situated at about 20 kilometers from Brussels, the capital of both Belgium and Europe, is the oldest university of the Low Countries. As such, it has a long-standing tradition of hospitality towards students and scholars from abroad. At present, almost 7,000 international students (about 15% of the total number of students at KU Leuven) have found their home away from home in Leuven.
Duration of award(s): The IRO Doctoral Scholarships are only granted for doctoral programmes for a maximum period of 48 months and eventually for one pre-doctoral year as preparation period for the doctoral programme. Applicants who have already been enrolled as self-supporting doctoral students at KU Leuven can only be granted the IRO doctoral scholarship for 4 years minus the number of years enrolled as doctoral student.
What does it cover? The scholarship includes monthly basic amount € 1,415 (75% of the net salary of an assistant) paid at the end of each month for doctoral students and €1000 paid at the beginning of each month for Pre-doctoral students, Housing allowance of € 200/month with accompanying partner (and children), Social security covering health insurance, child allowance, occupational hazard and occupational illness, Tuition fee, Affiliation with a Belgian Health Insurance company, Third-party liability insurance (private life), Professional and accident insurance coverage; third party liability insurance (study related matters and for professional liability) and Return flight tickets for the whole family after completion of the doctorate.
Notification: Selection of the candidates will be in November 2014 – February 2015. The International Admissions and Mobility Unit of KU Leuven will prepare and send the official admission letters and scholarship attestations to the selected candidates in March 2015.
Online Applications: The mode of applying is online. Documents to upload and submit:
-The form of your Research Proposal signed by the appropriate professors. If you have chosen a research topic proposed by one of the KU Leuven Doctoral Schools, the promoter of that Research Topic does not need to sign your elaboration form. (Applicants who are already enrolled in a doctoral programme at KU Leuven will only need to prepare the detailed progress report as defined in their Doctoral School. The report must be signed by the promoter and the members of the examination committee of the doctoral student.)
-Your personal motivation and the development relevance of your research proposal making use of this form. No other format will be admitted. Herein the applicant must explain how the research proposal can be approached and treated in a manner relevant to development cooperation. -CV of the local co-promoter.
-Two letters of recommendation by persons other than your (prospective) promoter and local co-promoter, who are qualified to assess your academic capabilities. The two letters of recommendation should be submitted in sealed envelopes and sent directly by the referees to: IRO committee. International Admissions and Mobility, KU Leuven, Atrecht College, Naamsestraat 63 – bus 5410, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. We should receive the letters on the 10th of November 2014, at the latest. -Certificate of English proficiency, for instance a TOEFL score or an IELTS score or results of an equivalent test (only for new students who have not yet been enrolled at KU Leuven). The TOEFL or IELTS score should be sent to International Admissions and Mobility by ETS or by The British Council, respectively, before November 10th 2014. -Only for applicants for the doctoral programme in economics or applied economics: a GMAT or GRE score and arrange for an original score card to be sent directly to International Admissions and Mobility by ETS or GMAC, respectively, before November 10th 2014.
-Copies of applications for other scholarships, if any.
Scholarship Application Deadline: The deadline for applications is November 10th 2014.
Further Official Scholarship Information and Application