Students from the Least Developed Countries are Highly Encouraged to Apply for the TWAS PhD and Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Natural Sciences

Science, technology and innovation are critical tools towards achieving sustainable development goals in the least developed countries. Scientific knowledge enables full utilization of newly acquired and existing technologies and promotes the local capacity to address local needs on a sustainable basis for research and development. The UN Technology Bank, as a focal point on science, technology and innovation for least developed countries, is dedicated to promoting their much-needed science education opportunities.

The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries (TWAS) is a programme unit of UNESCO and mandated to support sustainable prosperity through research, education, policy and diplomacy. In 2021, the UN Technology Bank and TWAS, in collaboration with ICGEB launched the ProgrAmme of CollaboraTions with LDCs (PACTs) that provided South-South and North-South programmes on laboratory exchange training for young biotechnology researchers from the least developed countries. PACTs also launched a regulatory framework course on biotechnology for policymakers from the least developed countries.

To help build a foundation for scientific strength and human prosperity in developing countries, and especially in the least developed countries, our partner TWAS offers more than 200 PhD and Postdoctoral fellowships a year at some of the most respected institutions in the developing world. Postdoctoral fellowships are offered to enable scientists from developing countries to gain invaluable experience working with prominent colleagues in other developing countries.

As a partner of TWAS who shares the same vision in science education, the UN Technology Bank encourages students from the least developed countries to apply for the TWAS PhD and postdoctoral fellowships. In addition, female applicants are highly encouraged to apply. We also actively share these opportunities with our extensive network in the science, technology and innovation fields in the least developed countries to join advocacy efforts and place science education in the least developed countries at the forefront of the development agenda.

Each fellowship programme has its own eligibility criteria and application requirements, for details on each, please see the links below:

• TWAS’s PhD fellowships: https://twas.org/opportunities/fellowships/phd
• TWAS’s Postdoctoral Fellowships: https://twas.org/opportunities/fellowships/postdoc

TWAS science field categories: 

1. Agricultural Sciences 
2. Structural, Cell and Molecular Biology 
3. Biological Systems and Organisms 
4. Medical and Health Sciences incl. Neurosciences 
5. Chemical Sciences 
6. Engineering Sciences
7. Astronomy, Space and Earth Sciences 
8. Mathematical Sciences 
9. Physics 
10. Social and Economic Sciences 
11. Computing and Information Technology

Science and technology lagging countries (STLC): TWAS set these 66 countries as priority countries for support. All 46 least developed countries are included in the science and technology lagging countries. For the full STLC list, please visit here.