Candidates are invited to apply for the Queen Elizabeth Scholars-West Africa 3rd and 4th cohorts at the University of Ghana (UG). The program has funded NetInks, a 3-year collaboration between McGill University, University of Ghana (Accra), and Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo (Ouagadougou), to strengthen the capacity of researchers who work with farmers, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and local institutions to develop solutions to enhance equity and sustainable inclusive growth in rural communities.

NetLinks will support the 3rd and 4th cohorts of exceptional scholars from diverse disciplines in a 5-week on-site professional development program at the University of Ghana’s Nutrition Research and Training Centre in Asesewa (Eastern Region), Ghana. The program targets Canadian citizens or permanent residents and citizens of an eligible African country who are doctoral students (completed courses and qualifying exams), post-doctoral fellows, and early career scientists. The QES Netinks program is a 5-week professional development program at the University of Ghana’s Nutrition Research and Training Centre (NRTC).

The program will be carried out in English; some language assistance will be available for Francophones, with the expectation that Anglophone Scholars expand their Francophone capabilities, and vice-versa. The program’s team works with private and public institutions to (i) improve inter-institutional coordination of services, (ii) enhance women’s access to financial, technical, and health services, (iii) increase women’s leadership opportunities and decision-making in businesses and communities, (iv) augment women’s voices in communities and with institutions, and (v) decrease gender inequities.

Program Details

• Host institutions: University Of Ghana (UG), Ghana.
• Area: Health equity and sustainable inclusive growth .
• Number of fellowships : Not specified.
• Duration : Cohort 3 (Feb – Mar 2024), Cohort 3 with research project stipend (Feb – Aug 2024), and Cohort 4 (August – September 2024).
• Eligible countries: Open to citizens of the following countries : Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d’ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo.

Queen Elizabeth Scholars West Africa at UG Benefits

All international and in-country travel, accommodations, and meals will be paid directly by the program. Personal expenses related to visas, vaccines, COVID testing, and airport transfers will be reimbursed in Ghana. The program does not provide stipends or salary compensation. Furthermore, this program includes:

• Training on leadership, ethics, communications/social media, gender equity, research methods, data management, and grant management;
• A collaborative research project with a Research Placement Partner (RPP), located in Canada or an eligible African country, for at least 11 days of the 35 days of the programs. This will be in-person and/or virtual. The RPP may be a for-profit business, a non-governmental organization, or an independent research institution and will be chosen a priori in consultation with the scholar;
• Engagement activities with the local community;
• Networking with other QE Scholars and project resource persons;
• The program will be in English; some language assistance will be available for Francophones.

Queen Elizabeth Scholars-West Africa at UG Eligibility

To apply for this Canada Africa program, candidates must be Anglophone or Francophone with one of the following profile:

• All-but-dissertation (ABD) doctoral student (completed coursework and PhD qualifying exams).
• Postdoctoral researcher (PhD, conducting research under mentorship of a principal investigator).
• Early career researcher (PhD, independent researcher who has led her/his own laboratory or research project for 4-6 years or is in a tenure-track position).

Furthermore, candidates must meet the following requirements:

1. Citizen of one of the eligible African countries or Canadian citizen or a Canadian permanent resident.
2. Able to commit to a 5-week on-site training in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
   • There will be two sessions cohort 3 (Feb-Mar 2024) and Cohort 4 (Aug-Sep 2024).
   • For Feb-Mar session only: Early career scholars may also apply for a research project stipend (completion by Aug 30, 2024).
3. Meets all health entry requirements for Ghana, including yellow fever and COVID-19 vaccinations.
4. Interested in health equity and sustainable inclusive growth.

Selection criteria for the QES-WA

• Potential to benefit from the training and research experience.
• Potential to contribute long-term to institutional capacity development.
• Potential to strengthen collaborations among institutions within eligible African countries and with Canada.
• Candidates who are currently collaborating or planning collaborations among institutions in eligible African countries are encouraged to apply.
• Candidates from Canadian institutions are encouraged to apply.
• Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Similar opportunities

1. Douglas College Scholarships for International Students;
2. NTHU International Student Scholarship to study in Taiwan;
3. Friedrich Ebert Foundation Scholarship for International Students.

How to Apply for the Queen Elizabeth Scholars-West Africa at UG

Interested candidates in this Canada – Africa program should click on the apply button below and follow given instruction to submit their application. Before you begin the application, ensure you have the following documents in one pdf file.

1. Maximum one-page statement on your interest in community development/ entrepreneurship/ gender equity.
2. Maximum one-page statement of the value of the proposed training for your career.
3. Current curriculum vitae (maximum 3 pages).
4. Letter of support from supervisor (doctoral, post-doctoral) or department chair (early career).

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the program at [email protected] or [email protected].

Applications will be reviewed starting on 1st September 2023 and applicants will be admitted on a rolling basis until all positions are filled. For more details on the Queen Elizabeth Scholars-West Africa 3rd and 4th Cohorts at the University of Ghana, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.