Candidates may select one of two study plans:

a full-time fellowship with a maximum financing period of four years, where the research is carried out fully at a host institute in another underdeveloped South Asian nation.

a sandwich fellowship, in which the applicant must be a PhD student in good standing in her own nation and complete a portion of her coursework in a host institution in another developing nation.
A minimum of one and a maximum of three research trips at the host institute are covered by the sandwich fellowship. The initial visit must last at least six months. A maximum of 20 months may not be spent at the host institute in total. The maximum financing duration is four years.

The OWSD fellowship covers:

• A monthly allowance to cover basic living expenses such as accommodation and meals while in the host country
• A modest support allowance to be used at the student’s discretion to support their research environment (i.e. personal or family expenses and/or research-related costs)
• A return ticket from the home country to the host institute for the agreed research period
• Visa expenses
• Annual medical insurance contribution
• The opportunity to attend regional science communications workshops, on a competitive basis
• Study fees (including tuition and registration fees) in agreement with the chosen host institute which is also expected to contribute

Eligibility Criteria