ACTG Academic Scholarship 2021: (Deadline 14 August 2021)

Eligibility:

These are the conditions to be met by scholars applying for available scholarships from the African Center for Translational Genomics (ACTG)

• • Nationality
    Open to African graduates with a passion for research and excellent academic results.

• • Degree level/Type
    This scholarship is for students enrolled in full-time PhD programs and who are committed to the completion of their program within the three or four year period of their study as defined by their academic institutions.

• • Subject
    Applicants admitted to study molecular genetics or genetic epidemiology or related fields.

• • Application and Admission
    All applicants must be bonafide students of any University located in Africa, having gained admission through procedures defined by such Universities. ACTG would neither facilitate nor influence admission of applicants into any University.

• Equality
  The ACTG is committed to equality of opportunity. No applicant will be treated less favourably than another on the grounds of gender (including gender reassignment), marital or parental status, race, ethnic or national origin, colour, disability, sexual orientation, religion or age. The primary consideration in the selection of Scholars will be applicants’ ability to meet the selection criteria for each scholarship.

Selection criteria:

All applicants that meet the eligibility criteria at the close of application deadline, will be shortlisted for an interview. At the interview stage, successful awardees would be selected based on the following criteria:

• • Outstanding academic record
    As the ACTG’s aim is to empower the next generation of African genomics researchers, a good academic record is a must-have for scholarship recipients. This can be demonstrated through the final graduation points received by the applicant from an undergraduate degree.
    An exceptional performance in a master’s degree can compensate for a moderate first degree performance. Other evidence of high academic achievement may include individual marks on student transcripts; evidence of previous university prizes or awards; information on your overall position within your cohort; and publications. We expect that program chairs or supervisors would only support applications from the most outstanding students for this scholarship.

• • Applicant’s aptitude for the program and potential for genomics leadership in the future
    Consideration is given to an applicant’s future academic potential and aptitude of the proposed PhD program. This may be assessed by reviewing references and research proposals to determine evidence of an applicant’s aptitude for research, and the likelihood of contributing significantly to the field of study. Direct PhD applicants (and MPhil/PhD applicants) will need to contact a potential supervisor with whom they will develop a research project, a summary of which is part of the application. Publications from the applicant’s Master’s degree dissertation especially in the area of genomics will be an advantage.

• Student motivation
  This is assessed through evidence of the applicant’s commitment to the proposed course as well as evaluation of the personal statement and the referees’ reports.