Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) for Short Courses

Overview

NFP fellowships for short courses can be used for a number of selected courses and are offered by education institutions in the Netherlands. The institutions provide professional training at post-secondary level in several fields of study. The courses lead to a Dutch certificate or a diploma and their duration varies from two weeks to twelve months.

The list of selected short courses can be downloaded below. Please note that this is a provisional list and that information is subject to change. Please regularly check the Nuffic website for the latest information.

Download an overview of short courses (243 kB)

Download the changes in the course list (74 kB)

The fellowship

An NFP fellowship is intended to supplement the salary that the fellowship holder should continue to receive (at least partially) during the study period. The allowance is considered to be a contribution towards the cost of living for one person, whether in the Netherlands or in another country. It should be noted that NFP allowances are not sufficient to support family members, either in the home country or in the Netherlands.

The fellowship can cover the costs of tuition fees, visas, travel, insurance and thesis research, as specified in the NFP booklet ‘Rules and regulations for fellowship holders’. Different conditions may apply to e-learning courses or programmes. These conditions are also listed in the Rules and Regulations booklet.

Download the rules and regulations for fellowship holders (187 kB)

Download the addendum of the rules and regulations (113 kB)

An NFP fellowship is granted for the duration of the programme. Whilst the individual candidates are selected for a fellowship, the grants are awarded to the Dutch higher education institutions to enable the fellowship holders to pursue the chosen sub-programme.

Eligible Candidates

A candidate applying for an NFP fellowship for a short course must:

be a mid-career professional with at least three years' work experience;
be a national of and working and living in one of the developing countries on the NFP country list valid at the time of application;
be nominated by his or her employer, who pledges to continue paying the candidate’s salary and guarantees the candidate will be able to return to an equivalent position at the end of the fellowship period. Partial payment of salary can sometimes be allowed as an exception to the rule. It is up to the Dutch embassy to decide if an agreement between the employer and the candidate about partial continuation of payment of salary is acceptable. It should be noted, however, that NFP allowances are not sufficient to support family members, either in the home country or in the Netherlands;
have been unconditionally admitted by a Dutch institution to one of the short courses on the course list 2011-2012. This means that the applicant must have met all the requirements set by the Dutch institution;
not have received more than one NFP short course fellowships;
not have received an NFP short course fellowship in the year prior to the fellowship application;
not be employed by:
- a multinational corporation (e.g. Shell, Unilever);
- a large national and/or commercial organisation;
- a bilateral donor organisation (e.g. USAID, DFID, Danida, Sida, BuZa, FinAid, AusAid, ADC, SwissAid);
- a multilateral donor organisation, (e.g. a UN organisation, the World Bank, the IMF, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, IADB);
- an international NGO (e.g. Oxfam, Plan, Care).
have completed and submitted an NFP short course application form including all the required documentation before the fellowship application deadline;
be employed in an area to which the study will make a relevant contribution;
have a clear-cut, functional relationship with a relevant organization and be in a position to introduce the newly acquired skills and knowledge into that organization;
be available for the entire period of the course and be physically and mentally able to take part in the entire course;
endorse the objective and the aim of the NFP. The aim of the NFP cannot be reached if the fellowship holder does not return to his or her own country. Nuffic would like to urge fellowship holders to return to their home country upon finishing the course or programme to meet the NFP aim in the most effective way;
comply with country-specific rules set by the Netherlands embassy (for more information please contact the Netherlands Embassy or consulate in your home country).

Application Procedures

To be eligible for a NFP fellowship, candidates need to be admitted to the short course for which they would like an NFP fellowship.

Candidates must apply for a course or programme on the NFP course list.

Download the course list (243 kB)

Download the changes in the course list (74 kB)

Obtaining admission

You first apply for admission directly to the Dutch institution that offers the short course of their choice. The Dutch institution assesses the application and decides whether or not to admit you to the short course.

You will receive a letter from the institution informing you if you have been admitted. Nuffic has no part in the academic application process. Admission must be unconditional in terms of your education and language proficiency. Admission may be granted conditionally, subject to you finding suitable funding for the course.

You are strongly advised to apply as early as possible for admission to a Dutch institution to allow these institutions enough time to process all the applications for admission in time. For information regarding the admission you should contact the Dutch institution.

Applying for a fellowship

You may submit either a digital or a paper application. However, you are strongly encouraged to apply online through the Scholarships Online (SOL) application tool. Those who have very limited or no access to the internet can submit a paper application. However, submitting an application online has many advantages. Submitting an application online is much quicker and it is usually less expensive. In addition, you can check the status of your application in SOL at any time.

Please also note that only one version should be submitted: either digital or on paper. Submitting two versions will certainly delay the selection procedure.

You can only apply for a fellowship for one short course per fellowship application deadline. Being admitted to more than one course with the same fellowship application deadline means that you will have to choose one course before applying for a fellowship.

If you submit more than one application per fellowship deadline for a course in the same application deadline the last received application will be regarded as valid. If an online and a paper application are submitted, the online application will be regarded as valid. Excess applications will be regarded as not received.

What does an NFP short courses fellowship application consist of?

The application consists of:

either a digital application submitted online or a paper application form submitted directly to Nuffic;
a letter from the candidate’s employer endorsing the candidate’s study plans and guaranteeing that while the candidate is absent the salary will continue to be paid and his/ her job will be held;
a copy of a valid passport or other official identity document;
a Statement of Government Authority (if applicable).

The fellowship application you submit must be complete. You cannot make any adjustments or additions to your fellowship application after you have submitted it, even if the fellowship deadline has not yet passed.

Download the requirements of the Employer's Statement (24 kB)

Download the requirements of the Statement of Government Authority (19 kB)

Online fellowship application

Online applications can be submitted through Scholarships Online (SOL). Through SOL you can apply for fellowships and check the status of your application online. All correspondence with you will be done by email. Other parties such as the Dutch institutions, the embassies and consulates will use SOL to add information about an NFP fellowship application. The embassies and consulates will also use SOL to assess NFP fellowship applications.

Scholarships Online (SOL)

Use the links below to read more about SOL, prepare an application or, if you have already submitted your application, check the status in your personal account.

Paper fellowship application

Paper application forms are not available at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country. Please note that in the new NFP procedure a complete application (including required documents) must be sent directly to Nuffic by regular mail and not forwarded to the Netherlands embassy or consulate.

Your complete application must be received by Nuffic before the application deadline. Make sure you send your complete application to Nuffic well before the applicable paper fellowship application deadline. Applications received after the deadline will not be taken into consideration. Please note that your paper application must be sent to Nuffic by post or by courier. Finally, bear in mind that Nuffic is closed during weekends. On these days no post will be delivered.

Download a paper application form

Cancellation

If a course or programme is cancelled by the Dutch institution for whatever reason, your application or fellowship will be cancelled. You cannot claim the fellowship for another course or programme at any point in time. Nuffic is not responsible for the cancellation of courses by the Dutch institution.

If your application or fellowship is cancelled and you wish to apply for a fellowship for another course or programme, another deadline or another NFP sub-programme, you must submit a new application accompanied by required uploads or documents. Cancelled applications cannot be reused.

Selection Procedures

What happens after an application is submitted?

The Dutch institution that offers the course will indicate in Scholarships Online if you have been admitted. Each application will be assessed against the eligibility criteria and, if formulated, against the country-specific criteria. Paper applications will also be assessed on whether the application was submitted before the fellowship application deadline and whether the course is on the NFP Course List 2011-2012.

Selection procedure

Both the Dutch institution and the embassy or consulate will assess the fellowship application. The Dutch institutions will focus on academic qualities while the embassies and consulates will look at the relevance of the application for the development of the employing organization or country. If applicable, the application also needs to comply with country-specific criteria. These assessments will lead to a selection of candidates.

Timeframe

The selection procedure has very strict timeframes. When the selection approaches candidates have to respond to the availability request within a very short period. Therefore, candidates who have submitted an application should carefully examine the timeframe of the selection procedure.

X	Fellowship application deadline
X + 3 weeks	Decision on admission
X + 6 weeks	Decision on eligibility
X + 10-16 weeks	Candidates confirm their availability

X is the fellowship application deadline. X + indicates after the number of weeks after the fellowship application deadline when a certain decision is taken about the progress of the selection procedure.

For example: 6 weeks after the fellowship application deadline you can check in SOL whether your application is considered eligible or not.

The scholarship

Finally, Nuffic awards the grant to the Dutch institution to cover the costs as specified in the rules and regulations booklet. After the selection the Dutch institution will contact you to make arrangements for your participation in the course or programme. The Dutch institutions will make the logistical arrangements and pay you a monthly allowance for the duration of the master programme. They will also administer your fellowship and give you guidance.

Application Deadline

Academic application deadline

This indicates the latest date that the Dutch institution will accept applications from candidates who also wish to apply for an NFP fellowship. The academic application deadlines for admission to short courses vary per programme and can change throughout the year.

For this reason, you are advised to contact the Dutch institution directly for up-to-date information. Occasionally, the Dutch institution’s deadline for applying for admission to a programme is later than the NFP deadline for fellowship applications. Nevertheless, to be eligible for an NFP fellowship, candidates need to be admitted to the master’s degree programme for which they would like an NFP fellowship.

On the short courses NFP course list, the academic application deadline is listed for each entry.

Fellowship application deadline 1 October 2011

Paper application deadline 1 September 2011

Source: http://www.nuffic.nl/international-students/scholarships/scholarships-administered-by-nuffic/the-netherlands-fellowship-programmes/fellowships-for-short-courses

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Thursday, August 4, 2011