Deadline: 30 September 2020
Open to: African women researchers with a PhD and at least 3 years of post-doctoral professional experience
Benefits: living allowance of EUR 2.400 gross per month + return flight

Description

The Women for Africa Foundation (FMxA), in line with its mission of contributing to the development of Africa through the drive of its women, is launching the 6th Edition of SCIENCE BY WOMEN programme, with the aim to promote African women’s leadership in scientific research and technology transfer and to foster the capacity of the research centres in their home countries. The main goal is to enable African women researchers and scientists to tackle the great challenges faced by Africa through research in health and biomedicine, sustainable agriculture and food security, water, energy and climate change.

Considering the exceptional challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, some of the fellowships are focused on the research and innovation carried out by African women scientists from the diverse and interdisciplinary approaches.

Women’s lives are significantly affected by the repercussions of uncontrolled development; however, social, structural and economic barriers limit their capacity to tackle the great challenges faced by the continent. The gender disparities in science and technology in both the public and private spheres affect Africa’s population as a whole. Narrowing this gap, which has severe consequences on the balanced and sustainable development of African countries, is vital to achieve long-term progress and equal growing.

The programme´s ultimate goal is to enable African women researchers to play a leading role in the transition of Africa to a knowledge-based and innovation-led economy through research that can be transferred into products, processes, services and technologies having impact on people´s lives.

To achieve this ambitious goal, FMxA collaborates with the Spanish Centres of Excellence, whose prestige is unanimously recognized throughout Spain and internationally, thereby ensuring excellence in scientific research in various fields. In this 6th edition our associated research centres are:

• Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO)
• Vall d´Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR)
• Institute for Neuroscience (IN)
• Kronikgune Research Center
• Biocruces Bizkaia
• DeustoTech
• Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO)
• Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII)
• Donostia International Physics Center
• Spanish National Center of Biotechnology (CNB)
• Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT)
• Centre for Genomics Regulation (CGR)
• Barcelona Graduate School of Economics (BGSE)
• Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias  (IAC)
• Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN)
• Biomedical and Health Research Institute at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) 
• The Basque Center for Applied Mathematics – BCAM
• Basque Center for Macromolecular Design and Engineering POLYMAT Fundazioa
• Materials Physics Center (MPC-CFM)

Each of these centres will host 1 senior woman researcher with at least 3 years of post-doctoral experience for a six-month fellowship. Applications will be subjected to a rigorous selection process, evaluating the academic merits and leadership of the applicants as well as the scientific quality and expected impact of their research projects. Selected candidates will receive training and integration in a dynamic, multidisciplinary and highly competitive working team, where they will be able to develop their research projects and acquire complementary skills, empowering them to transfer their research results into tangible economic and social benefits.

Eligibility

• Being a woman
• Nationality of an African country.
• PhD with at least 3 years of post-doctoral professional experience
• Contractual relationship with a university or a public or private non-profit organization based in Africa dedicated to significant scientific research in the areas indicated
• Excellent academic record and proven track of relevant research experience
• Solid working knowledge of English
• Proven experience leading a research group

Only for this 6th edition and in consideration of the exceptional circunstances due to Covid-19, African nationals with temporary residence in Europe can be eligible.

Beneficiaries of previous editions are not eligible. Candidates must have already identified the principal Investigador in the prospective host centre to confirm that the research proposal can be carried out in collaboration with those research groups and their laboratories.

Benefits 

In general, the duration of the research stays will be six continuous months. Nevertheless, depending on personal and professional needs, and with approval of the host research center, the planned research may be split in two stays within two years after the fellowship has been awarded.

Successful candidates will have access to the following benefits:

• Return flight from their centre of origin to the host institution
• Living allowance of EUR 2.400 gross per month to cover accommodation, personal expense and health and occupational accident insurance coverage.

How to Apply?

For more information, and in order to apply, please visit the official web page.