Application Deadline: December 22, 2017 11:59 GMT
The International Support Network for African Development (ISNAD) is a pan-African initiative raising global and multi-stakeholder support for greener and climate resilient Africa through a multidisciplinary network of various stakeholders active in sustainable energy, environment, and climate change fields across the globe.
In pursuit of its mission to promote, support and improve the quality of academic and research on sustainable energy, environment and climate change in Africa, ISNAD is inviting applications from qualified and interested students (postgraduate and undergraduate) in African universities for the first cycle of its Mentoring for Research Programme (MRP). The mentoring programme will help students (mentees) complement the supervisory support they will receive from their institution-based supervisors.
The Mentoring for Research Programme is aimed at supporting postgraduate and undergraduate students in various disciplines who are or will be conducting their research on sustainable energy, environment, and climate change topics.
Through the MRP, ISNAD will be establishing structured mentoring relationships between successful applicants and experienced researchers and professionals from world-class institutions and organisations such as World Bank, Harvard University, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) among others. Successful applicants selected for the programme will be mentored by experienced researchers and professionals with fitting competences in the research area of the students. With the team of academicians, industry experts, professionals from think tanks, and other relevant stakeholders across the globe, the mentoring programme will help selected students structure their research to be innovative, problem-solving, industry-relevant, and carried out to global standards.
The initiative will also facilitate the presentation of the research outcomes to relevant stakeholders and the global community thereby creating visibility for work and the students.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants should be registered students in a university in Africa
- Postgraduate Students:
- Doctoral students
- Master’s students should have made a minimum of Second Class (Upper Division) from their undergraduate programmes
- Undergraduate Students should have outstanding academic records and possess Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) or grades equivalent to a First Class. Applicants with CGPA equivalent to a Second Class (Upper Division) will be accepted if they have demonstrated commitment to sustainable development
- Postgraduate Students:
- Successful applicants will be those who possess excellent research ideas aimed at solving a problem or an innovative approach on sustainable energy, environment or climate change
- Applicants should be carrying out their research in 2018. (Please note that the research may be a new or ongoing research, however, priority will be given to research projects that are at their early stages)
- Students from any discipline (Technology, Sciences, Arts, Law, Social Sciences, Environmental Design and Management, Agriculture, Health Sciences, ICT, among others) provided they will be conducting research on sustainable energy, environment or climate change topics in 2018.
Apart from the conventional research topics (such as energy access, renewable energy policy), innovative and non-conventional research topics such as climate photography, environmental journalism, among others, will be of special interest.
Selection Process:
Stage 1- Applications will be evaluated and shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend a six (6)-session online training with the Clean Energy Solution Center, an Initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial operated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory(NREL), United States.
Stage 2 –Based on the quality of applications and performances at the online training, the final selection will be made and successful applicants will be admitted into the one-year mentorship programme.
Application Procedure:
Qualified and interested applicants are invited to download the application form from the website. Completed application form and the required attachments (as stated in the application form) should be sent via email (mrp2018@isnad-africa.org , Cc: isnad.mrp@gmail.com) with applicant’s Last Name _MRP2018 on the subject line (example: Kappiah_MRP2018) on or before December 22, 2017 (11:59 GMT)
For inquiries, please contact us via: mrp2018@isnad-africa.org (Cc: isnad.mrp@gmail.com)
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the ISNAD Mentoring for Research Programme 2018