Scholarships, grants and other resources for education and research

Scholarships and grants

Several institutions provide scholarships and other forms of funding for education and research to LDC nationals. Please note that many of these programmes are not offered on an annual basis and depend on the availability of funding.

• The IPCC Scholarship Programme is available for young scientists from developing countries working on issues related to climate change. The programme gives priority to students from LDCs and SIDS who are not studying in their home country.
• Under UNESCO's Fellowships Programmes there are several opportunities for nationals of developing countries. Some are exclusively for nationals of LDCs, others prioritize them (periodicity varies - please check the website): 
  • The TWAS-SIDA PhD Scholarships for Climate Research for Students from LDCs are awarded to promising candidates from LDCs for study in areas relevant to climate change.
  • The TWAS-Samira Omar Innovation for Sustainability Award recognizes scientists from LDCs. It carries a cash award of USD4,000. 
  • The TWAS-Abdool Karim Award in Biological Sciences honours women scientists in African LDCs for achievements in biological sciences. It carries a cash award of USD5,000.
  • The TWAS-ISDB Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme supports early career researchers from the LDC member countries of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). The fellowships support research related to the SDGs. 
  • The TWAS-FAPESP Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme for LDCs offers postdoctoral fellowships to researchers from LDCs in natural, applied and social sciences. Fellowships will be developed in host institutions in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. 
  • The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Research Professors Programme provides institutions and research groups located in LDCs with the opportunity to establish long-term links with TWAS members to assist in research activities and advanced training and so help develop the local scientific capacities. TWAS Members are appointed to institutions in LDCs for a period of five years, during which they visit the host institution three times for a minimum stay of one month each time.
• Under the programme agreement called PACTs (ProgrAmme of CollaboraTions with LDCs), the UN Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries, TWAS and ICGEB  offer early-career scientists from LDCs, aged 45 or under, exchange visits of up to 6-months at the ICGEB laboratories in Trieste (Italy), New Delhi (India) and Cape Town (South Africa). Students work in the fields of biomedicine, biotechnology and agriculture. The Programme also includes a scheme to provide training in biotechnology policy and regulatory science by ICGEB experts.
• The International Design Education (IDE) Program provides scholarships for students from LDCs for a Master's degree in industrial design engineering at Zheijang University. The scholarship was launched in 2021 by the UN Technology Bank, the World Eco-Design Conference and Zheijang University. 
• The Organization for Women for Science for Developing World (OWSD) has a fellowship programme for female students from LDCs and a list of another 19 countries who wish to pursue postgraduate training leading to a Ph.D. outside their home countries.
• The University of California Berkeley Law School LDC Scholarship grants a waiver of half of the tuition for LL.M. programmes for nationals of LDCs.
• See also Diplomatic training | LDC Portal - International Support Measures for Least Developed Countries.

Other resources for education and research

• In the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA), member states agreed to explore the possibility of establishing an online university or other equivalent platforms to support online graduate and post-graduate university-level science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in LDCs and recently graduated countries. The process is ongoing.
• Local, not-for-profit institutions from LDCs (and a group of other countries) may register for free or low-cost access to tens of thousands of peer-reviewed international scientific journals, publications, and databases through Research4Life: Access - Research4Life. 
• The Least Developed Countries (LDC) Universities Consortium on Climate Change (LUCCC) aims to capacitate LDCs to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and explore win-win options for mitigation.

22/08/25