The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brasilia, Brazil, and TWAS offer up to fifty fellowships per year to young scientists from developing countries (other than Brazil) who wish to pursue research leading towards a PhD in natural sciences.

The following is additional information concerning the TWAS-CNPq Postgraduate Fellowship Programme tenable in Brazil. It is an integral part of the information given here: TWAS Fellowships for Postgraduate Research.Programme Details

1. TWAS-CNPq Postgraduate Fellowships are tenable at research institutions in Brazil for a period of up to four years and are awarded to students from developing countries (other than Brazil) to enable them to pursue all or part (SANDWICH or FULL-TIME) of their research leading towards a PhD degree in the natural sciences.
2. The academic year in Brazil usually begins on 1 March and the second semester in early August of each year. Candidates will enrol for their PhD at the host institution and must observe the academic calendar of the host institution and be ready to start their Fellowship on the first day of classes/courses (most likely in Portuguese).
3. A list of research institutions in Brazil where TWAS-CNPq Fellowships are tenable (CAPES-Conceito 5, 6 and 7) is available here: CAPES List.
4. CNPq will provide a standard monthly allowance which should be used to cover living costs, such as accommodation, food and health insurance. The monthly stipend will not be convertible into foreign currency.
5. Information about living conditions, such as possibilities of accommodation, transportation, and any other issues related to the candidate's stay in Brazil must be obtained locally, directly from the host institution. Neither TWAS nor CNPq can provide this information.
6. The language of instruction is Portuguese for most institutions, and in a few institutions English.

Eligibility

Applicants for these fellowships must meet the following criteria:

• Be a maximum age of 35 years on 31 December of the application year.
• Be permanent residents in a developing country (other than Brazil).
• Hold a Master's degree in a field of the natural sciences.
• Provide evidence that s/he will return to her/his home country on completion of the fellowship.
• Not take up other assignments during the period of her/his fellowship.
• Provide an official acceptance letter from the host institution (please refer to the sample available at http://www.cnpq.br/editais/ct/2011/twas.htm) and be willing to register for a PhD degree in the natural sciences at a participating CAPES-listed Brazilian institution (see point 3 above).
• Prove knowledge of Portuguese or provide a certificate of proficiency in Spanish or English (if these languages are not the candidate's mother tongue).
• Have an updated Curriculum Vitae on CNPq’s Lattes Platform.
• Present a detailed research plan.
• Be financially responsible for any accompanying family members.

For sandwich postgraduate fellowship applicants only:

• Be officially registered as a PhD student in her/his home country for at least 12 months before presenting her/his candidacy to the sandwich postgraduate fellowship.
• Have a letter of agreement of her/his supervisor in her/his home country.

Submitting your application

Applications to the TWAS-CNPq Fellowships must be submitted online only.

The call for applications where you will find the programme details, eligibility criteria, required documents and certificates as well as the online application form is available at http://www.cnpq.br/editais/ct/2011/twas.htm Applicants must be aware that CNPq and TWAS will not accept applications submitted by any other means except via the online application form.

The deadline for receipt of 2011 applications is 30 June of each year. No applications will be accepted after the deadline. Therefore, it is recommended to submit your electronic application as early as possible.

Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Applicants should submit the Acceptance Letter from a CAPES-listed institution to CNPq when applying. Without preliminary acceptance, the application will not be considered for selection.

Queries concerning the call for applications to the TWAS-CNPq Fellowships programmes should be directed to: twas.ascin@cnpq.br

Applicants should be aware that they can apply for only one fellowship per year. With the exception of the fellowships "for research collaboration", all other fellowship programmes offered by TWAS and TWOWS that are mutually exclusive. 

Further Scholarship Information and Application