Dr Sylvia Meek Masters Scholarship for African Students to Study in Nigeria or South Africa 2018
The scholarship, established in Sylvia’s honour by Malaria Consortium, will empower a new generation of public health entomologists and malaria staff in Africa and Asia. Given the limited number of field-oriented vector biologists, and the challenges African countries face in achieving malaria elimination, this scholarship is a great opportunity to support the next generation of public health entomologists in support of this quest.
Malaria Consortium is delighted that University of Nigeria is hosting recipients of the scholarship. University of Nigeria is the first indigenous university established in 1960, following the country’s independence. It is a land-grant university and according to webometric ranking (2017), University of Nigeria ranks among the top five universities in Nigeria.
The University of Nigeria will be accepting two scholarship students in 2017 for a two-year Master’s program in Entomology at the Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, starting mid-October.
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA-ELIGIBILITY
Nationals from the following countries can apply: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Applicants need to have successfully completed a Bachelor’s degree
Applicants should have good knowledge of English (the language of instruction)
Applicants should demonstrate an interest in, and commitment to, entomology and the control of vector borne diseases.
Mid-career applications will be considered along with fresh graduates.
Application and Selection Procedure
First step
Applicants should apply for their studies at University of Nigeria by submitting the following documents to the Dean of the postgraduate school, Professor P Osadebe (patience.osadebe@unn.edu.ng) and to the Deputy Vice Chancellor, James Ogbonna (james.ogbonna@unn.edu.ng):
An application letter, stating the area of entomology you intend to specialiZe in
Bachelor’s degree certificate
Bachelor’s degree academic transcript (grade report where the completed courses are listed)
For those applicants from countries where English is not the official language: English proficiency test result or any other proof of proficiency in English
University of Nigeria will screen, pre-select and shortlist applicants. The shortlist will be submitted to a scholarship selection panel comprising of University of Nigeria and Malaria Consortium vector control experts.
Second step
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to send to the scholarship selection panel the following:
Personal statement written in English of no more than 500 words indicating why you would like to study entomology
Two recommendations (can be professional or academic references)
Shortlisted applicants will be informed of the outcome of the selection process by Friday 15th September 2017.
Third step:
Selected students will start the academic year mid-October.
BENEFITS
The Dr Sylvia Meek Scholarship for Entomology will cover all tuition fees, a research study allowance, upkeep costs such as accommodation and board, an allowance to travel to Nigeria (if non-national) and return home after the course, health insurance and stationery costs for the duration of the MSc. degree, i.e. a maximum of two years, by which time the students should finish their degree.
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
Malaria Consortium is delighted that the University of Pretoria is hosting recipients of the scholarship. University of Pretoria is one of the leading higher education institutions on the continent. The university’s origins go back to 1908, and while building on a century of experience, it has transformed into the multicultural, multiracial university offering high-quality education it is nowadays.
The University of Pretoria will be accepting one scholarship student in 2018 for a two-year Master of Science in Entomology based in and supervised by academic staff in the Department of Zoology and Entomology. The MSc in Entomology offered by the Department of Zoology and Entomology is a research-only programme that does not include a coursework component. The successful applicant will start their MSc programme before the end of March 2018.
ELIGIBILITY
Nationals from the following countries can apply: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Applicants need to have successfully completed an Honours degree or equivalent in Entomology or a related discipline
Applicants should have good knowledge of English (the language of instruction)
Applicants should demonstrate an interest in, and commitment to, entomology and the control of vector borne diseases
Applicants should be no older than 35 at the time of submission
Application and Selection Procedure
First step
Applicants should send an application to Dr Heike Lutermann at the University of Pretoria (hlutermann@zoology.up.ac.za), including the following documents:
A cover letter not exceeding one A4 page, stating your educational background, the area of medical entomology you intend to specialise in, and
A preliminary proposal of no more than 2 pages (including relevant references) for your research project, including project title, background and justification, objectives, methodology, and budget (no more than ZAR50 000 over two years, +/- £3,000) with brief justification. The preliminary proposal must focus on public health entomology.
Bachelor’s and Honors degree certificates
Bachelor’s and Honours degree academic transcripts (grade report where the completed courses are listed, including interpretation of grades when not numeric)
English proficiency test result or any other proof of proficiency in English for applicants from countries where English is not the official language
It is advised that applicants contact Dr Lutermann before submitting their application so that she can suggest a suitable supervisor who can help to refine the preliminary proposal.
Please submit these documents no later than 17:00 (Johannesburg time; GMT+2) Friday 29 September 2017.
The University of Pretoria will screen and shortlist applications based on (1) the quality of the preliminary proposal and (2) eligibility for the MSc in Entomology programme. The shortlist will be submitted to a scholarship selection panel comprising of University of Pretoria and Malaria Consortium vector control experts.
Second step
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to send to the scholarship selection panel the following:
Personal statement written in English of no more than 500 words indicating why you would like to study public health entomology
Two letters of recommendation (can be professional or academic references)
Shortlisted applicants will be informed of the outcome of the selection process by Friday 27 October 2017.
Third step:
The successful applicant will be invited to submit an online application for the MSc in Entomology program at the University of Pretoria. An admission letter will be processed, which can then be used by successful non-South African applicants to apply for a study visa in preparation for the start of the 2018 academic year. The successful applicant must be registered and commence the MSc in Entomology program before 31 March 2018.
BENEFITS
The Dr Sylvia Meek Scholarship for Entomology will cover all tuition fees, a research allowance to the total value of ZAR50 000, +/- £3,000, upkeep costs such as accommodation and board, an allowance for travel to South Africa (if non-national) and return home after completion of the program, health insurance, and stationery costs for the duration of the MSc program, i.e. a maximum of two calendar years, by which time the students should finish their degree.
