TWAS Research Grants Programme in Basic Sciences for individual Scientists (USD 15,000 grant)

Application Deadline: 14 April 2021.

Under this scheme, grants are awarded to promising high-level research projects in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics carried out by individual scientists in one of the S&T-lagging countries identified by TWAS.

The TWAS Research Grants Programme in Basic Sciences was established in response to the needs of researchers in developing countries, particularly those attached to institutions that lack appropriate research facilities. Under this scheme, grants can be awarded for research projects in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics either to individual young researchers, or to research units in the science-and-technology-lagging countries (S&TLC) identified by TWAS, to enable them to purchase the research facilities they need to enhance their productivity.

Programme Details

• TWAS Research Grants are awarded to high-level promising research projects in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics carried out by individual scientists in the S&T-lagging countries  (S&TLC) identified by TWAS.
• Research Grants to individual scientists amount to a maximum of USD 15,000.
• The grants, which are normally provided for a period of 24 months, may be used to purchase scientific equipment, consumables and specialized literature (textbooks and proceedings only). They do not cover salaries of researchers and/or students, field expenses, or travel expenses. In addition, the purchase of laptops, tablets, drones and laboratory animals is not supported.

Eligibility

• Individual applicants must be nationals of developing countries. They must hold a PhD, be at the beginning of their careers, but already have some research experience. They must hold a position at a university or research institution in one of the S&TLCs and be under 45 years of age.
• Applicant must at the time of application NOT have an active research grant with TWAS or OWSD Early Career Women Scientists (ECWS) Fellowship.
• Applications from women scientists and those working in Least Developed Countries are especially encouraged.
• You must submit a strong Research Proposal, you may find further information on how to wrtire a strong proposal by visiting AuthorAID.
• Individual scientists who submit a satisfactory final report on a previous grant may apply for a renewal.
• Please be advised that applicants may apply for only one programme per calendar year in the TWAS and OWSD portfolio. Applicants will not be eligible to visit another institution in that year under the TWAS Visiting Professor programmes. One exception: The head of an institution who invites an external scholar to share his/her expertise under the TWAS Visiting Professor programmes may still apply for another programme.

Agreement

• If selected, a trilateral written agreement is drawn up between TWAS, the individual grantee and the home institution. The institution undertakes to administer the grant according to the agreement and to provide laboratory space, salaries and other facilities necessary for the project. Equipment, consumables and literature provided for the project through the TWAS Research Grants Programme remain the property of the home institution after the project is completed.
• In general, the grant funds are kept at TWAS for the purchase of items requested by the grant holder. TWAS places the orders with the supplier(s) upon receipt of proforma invoices submitted by the grant holder in accordance with the approved itemized budget.
• The agreement will also provide details on how to activate other benefits of the grant such as support for travel for young scientists to attend international scientific meetings, and support for publishing in Open Access journals.
• Grant holders must submit a final report within one year of receipt of the last purchase.

How to apply

• TWAS Research Grant applications can ONLY be submitted online now by clicking on the “Apply Now” tab at the bottom of this page.
• Please note that a researcher may only submit one application at a time and for only one kind of grant (either as an individual applicant, as a research unit, IsDB or the OWSD Early Career Women Scientists (ECWS) Fellowship). Applicants cannot apply for other TWAS programmes i.e. Postdoctoral, Visiting Scholar and Visiting Researcher programme within the same year in order to be present in their home country throughout the duration of the grant.
• For any queries please contact Ms. P. Patel, e-mail: researchgrants@twas.org.

When to apply

• The deadline for receiving applications is 14 April 2021. We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the deadline but submit the application as early as you can to enable us to process your application as quickly as possible.

Notification

• Please note that the assignment meetings of the TWAS Research Grants Committees will be held by the end of the year. Applicants will be notified of the outcome shortly after the meeting.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the TWAS Research Grants Programme in Basic Sciences