UNISFERE University Research Fellowship 2023
Deadline to apply: Dec 31, 2022 – 12:00 PM Central European Time
Unisfere – together toward sustainable development is pleased to launch University Research Fellowship for university students and recent graduates in Afghanistan.
Fellowship description:
University Research Fellowship is one of the two academic research programs of Unisfere to enhance academic research skills of university students and recent graduates and promote research culture in Afghanistan. The aim of the fellowship is to make students and recent graduates conduct academic research on the community challenges in support of sustainable development. This way youths will be equipped with research knowledge and skills while publicization of the research can influence decisions and actions of decision makers, donors, and the public to contribute to the sustainable development which is the mission of Unisfere.
University Research Fellowship is for students and recent graduates who can conduct an academic research in their desired areas of research while addressing community challenges and aligning with sustainable development topics. Fellows can be based in their home city and university for the entire process of fellowship. They will be guided through regular online meetings by mentors who have academic and research backgrounds. Fellows will be selected in an open call for applications and in a competitive process in Afghanistan. The fellowship is structured in different phases including call for application phase, learning workshops (including topic selection and proposal development) phase, research phase, defense phase, and support upon graduation phase.
In the first two weeks of the fellowship, fellows participate in a series of online learning workshops on research, research methodology, and topic selection. In the research phase, fellows conduct their research and write a research report for a period of two and half months with guidance from the assigned mentors through regular online meetings. Mentors supervise fellows research progress and provide necessary instructions on the next steps and writing process of the research.
After successfully conducting the research and writing the research report, fellows present and defend their research in a graduation session where a panel of academic judges evaluate the defenses. Finally the research articles will be published on Unisfere research Journal with profile of fellows and will be shared across social media of Unisfere to influence decision makers and public toward a sustainable change. Upon successful completion of the fellowship the fellows will be provided with a certificate of participation and an official link of their research on Unisfere’s research journal. In addition, after successful completion of the program, fellows will be guided in a mentorship process on their higher education journey and applications by our higher education and scholarship experts.
Eligibility:
- Students in Afghanistan who are currently enrolled in bachelor’s degree or recent graduates (not more than two years) in any field of study in Afghanistan willing to learn and experience the academic research process.
- Have a good level of English to write a research report and communicate in English.
- Demonstrate commitment to conduct a research which aligns with broader Sustainable Development topics and addresses a community challenge.
- Be under the age of 35 years old at the start of the program.
- Have access to email and the internet to participate in the online part of the program and communicate with mentors.
Benefits:
- Getting research knowledge, skills, and experience.
- Conducting academic research with supervision of international academic researchers.
- Alumni fellows will be instructed on their higher education journey, scholarships, and applications by our higher education and scholarship advisors.
- Alumni fellows will be enrolled in paid or unpaid internships with our partner NGOs and institutions related to their research topic to gain work experience.
- Financial support (subject to fund during the fellowship).
Selection criteria:
- Motivation to conduct academic research.
- A good level of English to write the research report and communicate in English.
Fellowship phases:
- First phase: research workshops, topic selection, and proposal development.
- Second phase: conducting the research and writing the research report.
- Third phase: presentation and defense.
- Fourth phase: Alumni fellows will be instructed on their higher education journey, scholarships, and applications by our higher education and scholarship advisors.
Mentors:
- Mentors are academic researchers from different parts of the world mostly with a Ph.D degree or higher.
- Mentors guide and provide feedback to fellows on their research process and research report.
- Mentors will be in contact with their assigned fellows through regular online meetings (at least two times per month), email, WhatsApp or any other way of communications that they agree on.
- Mentors and fellows can organize their meetings themselves in times which are convenient for both of them.
Unisfere Research journal:
Research of fellows will be published on Unisfere research journal with profile of fellows and special link to the research articles. Research journal of Unisfere was recently created on the Unisfere website with an aim to publish research articles related to sustainable development in the areas of Water, Education, and Health.
The application must be filled out in English.
For questions about the application, please send us an email: info@unisfere.com
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications by the first week of January 2023.
How to apply
to apply for the fellowship please fill the online form in the Apply option with your information. You will hear from us about the outcome of your application via the official Unisfere’s email addresses.
