Australia Awards PhDs for Agriculture (AFRICA)

Overview

The Australia Awards initiative was announced by the Australian Prime Minister in 2009 and aims to maximise the benefit of the Australian Government’s extensive scholarship programs, and to support enduring ties between Australia and our neighbours. The Australia Awards initiative brings the Australian Government’s scholarship programs together under the one Australia Awards brand.

Scholarships provided through the Australia Awards program play an important role in fostering and sustaining friendship and cooperation between Australia and developing countries. These awards are a central part of the Australian Government's development cooperation program in Africa. By providing people with the knowledge and the skills to promote development in their home country, the program aims to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Africa while promoting Australia as an active partner in African development.

Application Process:

1. Carefully read the information given in PhD Application Pack 2012 Intake – click here to download it in Microsoft Word 1997-2003 format, or click here for PDF format.
2. Review the attached supporting documents: PowerPoint Presentation with Advice for PhD Applicants; and Excel Spreadsheet containing the Sample Budget and Template for Contribution to Research Costs.
3. Check your eligibility against the ‘Desired Applicant Profile’ requirements outlined on the second page of the Information Pack.
4. Submit the documents shown in (2) below to the Australia Awards Program Manager at the details given in (6) below by 31 July 2011. Incomplete applications will be rejected.
5. Send a ‘proof of submission’ email to GRM-ADS as instructed at the bottom of the Preliminary Application Form (PAF) once you have submitted your complete application. You can download the PhD PAF from (2) below.
6. Candidates directly associated with agricultural research and development efforts supported by one or more of the four Australia-Africa Agricultural Partnerships being funded under the Australian Food Security Program in Africa (ACIAR – CIMMYT/SIMLESA; CSIRO – CORAF/BecA; ACTESA (with a focus on regional market integration, trade and biosecurity).
7. Eligible nationals of the following countries may apply:
8. Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique or Tanzania for the ACIAR- CIMMYT / SIMLESA partnership;
9. Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania or Uganda for the CSIRO – BecA partnership; and
10. Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, The Gambia for the CSIRO –CORAF partnership
11. PhD Applicants should carefully read the guidelines set out in the ADS Handbook (download from here in MS Word formatand here in PDF format) and familiarise themselves with the conditions and criteria for a PhD.
12. GRM International (the independent contractor engaged by the Australian Government to assist in implementation of the program) will receive applications from interested candidates by 31 July 2011.
13. Compliance checks and short-listing of candidates for subsequent interview will be undertaken in August. Short-listed candidates will then be interviewed during late August or early September 2011, either in Accra or Nairobi.
14. After the interviews, all interviewees will be given an information session explaining the rest the ADS and visa application processes.
15. Successful awardees will then submit final university and visa applications to GRM International by 30 September 2011;
16. A pre-departure briefing for awardees will occur in September/October 2011 (in Abuja, Accra, Pretoria or Nairobi depending on their country of residence);
17. Awardees will ideally depart in January 2012 in time for the Introductory Academic Program of their institution.

(2) Application Documents

Eligible applicants are invited to forward the following documents for consideration:

• a completed PhD Preliminary Application Form (PAF);
• all other supporting documents as set out in the PAF.

Please click here for the MS Word format PhD PAF for paper-based submissions (i.e. if you wish to fill it out by hand and submit it by post, courier or fax), or click here for the PDF format version.

If you wish to submit your application electronically, please click here for the MS Word electronic submission version.

Failure to complete the application form and submit all documentation requested will lead to automatic disqualification. No undergraduate or Masters degree nominations will be considered.

(3) ADS Category

Targeted. The targeted category of scholarships is intended to strengthen targeted areas of capacity in Africa. Please see the DAP for details.

(4) Priority Sectors

• Agricultural Research.
  
  

(5) Closing date for Receipt of Applications

31 July 2011

(6) Address for Application Submissions

Postal Address:Australia Awards Program Unit ManagerAustralian Development ScholarshipsGRM InternationalBag X38, HatfieldPretoria 0028

SOUTH AFRICA

Physical Address (for courier):Australia Awards Program Unit ManagerAustralia Awards for AfricaGRM International1140 Prospect StreetBuilding 3, 3rd Floor, Hatfield SquareHatfield, Pretoria, 0083

SOUTH AFRICA

Note: If you are going to send your documents by courier, please use the Physical Address, not the Postal Address. Most courier companies will not – and should not – allow you to specify a PO Box or Bag No. as the delivery address.

Fax: +27 86 602 3719.

Note: Please ensure that each page of your application has your surname and the phrase “PhD Application” written on it should you submit it by fax.

Email: application@adsafrica.org

Note: please remember to put your name, country and the words “PhD Application” in the subject line of ALL emails if you submit your application by email. Please also ensure that the filenames you use for attachments are properly descriptive, to ensure they can be easily filed as part of your application.

(7) English Language Proficiency:

To gain admission to an Australian University, applicants will need to prove a level of English language competency as indicated by the following scores in an IELTS or TOEFL test:

(i) for IELTS, an overall band score of 6.5 or above with no individual band less than 6.0; (ii) for internet-based TOEFL (iBT), an Overall score of 90 or above, with a written score of no less than 23;

(iii) for paper-based TOEFL (pBT), an Overall score of 577 or above, with a written of 5.0.

An English Language Training (ELT) award may be considered for students that do not meet the English standards above, but meet at least the following minimum standards:

(i) for IELTS, an overall band score of at least 6.0 with no individual band less than 5.5, or in exceptional circumstances, an overall score of 5.5 with no band less than 5.0;(ii) for internet-based TOEFL (iBT), an Overall score of 60 or above, with a written score of no less than 16;

(iii) for paper-based TOEFL (pBT), an Overall score of at least 490, with a written of at least 4.0.

The ELT Awards will usually be full time, take place in a third country, and last between three and six months. If students achieve the minimum English standards accepted by most Australian Universities in the test at the end of the course, they may be awarded a full Award. If they fail to achieve this minimum level, they may not progress to the full Award.

If a candidate does not meet the minimum standards for an ELT award, their English standard is considered too low to reasonably meet Australian University standards even with the available English training. An award will not be offered. No other tests are currently valid.

Regardless of the test type, it must have been taken since September 2009. Older test results will not be considered current by Australian Universities and will not be valid.

Alternatively, candidates may provide one of the following proofs of English language proficiency.

1. Candidates that have studied at a University within the last five years which instructed in English may present an official letter from that institution indicating that the medium of instruction was English. Click here for an example.
2. Candidates that have been out of University for longer than five years, but have worked recently in a professional environment that used English as the main language, may present a letter signed by their employer confirming that English was the medium of interaction in the workplace. Click here for an example.

In certain cases, Australian Universities may require proof of English even in situations where letters from the University or workplace have been provided. These English requirements are the policy of the Universities and are not controlled or influenced by AusAID.

For further Information on IELTS click here. For further information on the TOEFL test, click here.

http://www.adsafrica.com.au/countryAgriculture.php



Please quote Scholarization.blogspot.com on your application when applying for this scholarship

Other Recommended Scholarships

Join us and fill in the form below with your email address to get free scholarship information:

Privacy Guarantee: we will not share your personal information with anyone.