Deadline: 6 May 2014
Open to: students from more than 50 Netherlands Fellowship Programmes countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe with professional experience
Scholarship: tuition fees, visas, travel costs, insurance and thesis research
Description
The Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) are demand-driven fellowship programmes designed to promote capacity building within organizations in 61 developing countries by providing training and education to their mid-career staff members. The NFP is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the development cooperation budget.
The overall aim of the NFP is to help increase both the number and the competencies of skilled staff at a wide range of governmental and non-governmental organisations. You have to be nominated by your employer to be eligible for the fellowship. There also has to be a clear need for training within the context of your organisation.
After completing your training you return to your original workplace. This ensures the training is embedded within your organisation.
Candidates will improve your knowledge and skills, learn about relevant global developments in your field and build an international network. The result is twofold: for your employing organisation, it represents a direct investment in staff development; for you as a professional, the training is a valuable asset in your further career.
Eligibility
A candidate applying for an NFP fellowship must:
- be a professional with at least three years’ relevant work experience. The number of years is calculated from the year you have started working until the deadline for which you have applied;
- be a national of, and working and living in one of the countries on the NFP country (see below) valid at the time of application;
- be nominated by your employer, who pledges to continue paying your salary and guarantees that you will be able to return to the same or an equivalent position at the end of your fellowship period;
- have been unconditionally admitted by a Dutch institution to one of the Master’s degree programmes or Short courses on the course list. This means that you must have met all the academic requirements set by the Dutch institution;
- not be employed by a multinational corporation, a large national or a large commercial organisation, a bilateral donor organisation, a multilateral donor organisation, or an international NGO;
- have completed and submitted an NFP master’s degree programme or short course fellowship application, including all the required documentation, before the applicable fellowship application deadline;
- be employed in a subject area to which the study will make a relevant contribution;
- have a clear-cut, work relationship with a relevant organisation and be in a position to introduce the newly acquired skills and knowledge into that organisation;
- be available full-time for the entire period of the programme or course and be physically and mentally able to take part in the entire programme;
- endorse the objective and the aim of the NFP and use your new knowledge and skills to support your employing organisation and your country. Nuffic urges you to return to your home country upon finishing the course or programme to meet the NFP aim in the most effective way.
NFP countries are Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, Djibouti, DR Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Macedonia, Mali, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Surinam, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Fellowship
An NFP fellowship is intended to supplement the salary that you should continue to receive during the study period in the Netherlands. The allowance is a contribution towards your costs of living, the costs of tuition fees, visas, travel, insurance and thesis research, as specified in the NFP Rules and Regulations for fellowship holders. If applicable, the fellowship holder is expected to cover the difference between the actual costs and the amount of the personal NFP allowances.
Application
The deadline for application is 6 May 2014.
As stated above, 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. It is important to realize and consider that:
- Applying for an NFP fellowship often takes time and effort and costs money, but might not lead to an NFP fellowship as Nuffic receives thousands of applications each year;
- Applying for a fellowship numerous times does not increase your chances of receiving a fellowship.
Before you start your NFP fellowship application you must read all information available on the ‘How to Apply‘ webpage.
For more information, please contact the Netherlands Embassy or Consulate in your home country. More details can also be found on the official website.
