OFID Scholarship Award 2011 / 2012 - OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID)

The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) is pleased to announce that qualified applicants who have obtained or are on the verge of completing their undergraduate degree and who wish to study for a Master’s degree are welcome to apply for the OFID Scholarship 2011/2012.

The OFID scholarship will be awarded to support one student or candidate for Master’s degree studies. The applicant may be from any developing country,  and he/she must first obtain admission to pursue a Master’s degree studies in a relevant field of development, in any recognized university/college in the world.

Through its scholarship scheme, OFID aims to help highly motivated, highly-driven individuals overcome one of the biggest challenges to their careers – the cost of graduate studies. The winner of the OFID Scholarship Award will receive a scholarship of up to US$100,000. The funds will be spread over a maximum of two years, toward the completion of a Master’s degree, or its equivalent, at an accredited educational institution, starting in the autumn of the academic year 2011/2012.

» Application Guidelines
» Eligibility Criteria
» Disbursement of the Scholarship Fund
» Required documents
» Eligible Countries

Application Guidelines

STEP 1: Ensure that you fulfill the OFID Scholarship Award Eligibility Criteria.

STEP 2: Register within the OFID Scholarship Portal by using your email address. Please note you can log into the portal as many times as required.

STEP 3: Fill out the application form. Make sure to save data each time you update your application. Once you are logged in, if the page remains inactive for more than two hours, your session will time-out and you may lose unsaved data. Do not submit your application until you have completed the entire application process!

STEP 4: Upload necessary documents; CV, two recommendation letters, Bachelor’s certificate/transcript, acceptance letter into postgraduate program and essay.

STEP 5: When your application is complete, and all additional documents are uploaded, your application is ready to be submitted. As mentioned previously, once your application is submitted, you can no longer make any changes or upload any more documents.

The application deadline is June 4, 2011. Please do not call or email OFID to see if your application has been received (you will, in any case, receive an automated confirmation) or to inquire about your status. Only the winner will be notified by June 14 via our website at www.ofid.org.

I. Eligibility

• Must be between the ages of 23-32 at the time of submitting his/her application.
• Must have obtained or be on the verge of completing their undergraduate degree with a Baccalaureate from an accredited college/university, or its equivalent.
• Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 rating system, or its equivalent.
• Must be matriculated at an accredited university for the upcoming academic year starting August/September 2011, and must maintain full-time status for the duration of the Master’s Degree.
• Must be a national of a developing country (please see list of eligible countries below)
• Must select a subject of study that pertains to OFID’s core mission, such as: economics of development (poverty reduction, energy and sustainable development), environment (desertification), or other related science and technology fields.
  PLEASE NOTE: Kindly read ALL of the directions below before proceeding with the application process:

1. Applicants are responsible for gathering and submitting all necessary information. Applications will be evaluated based on the information provided. Therefore, all questions should be answered as thoroughly as possible. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Once an application has been submitted, no changes will be allowed on it.
2. OFID will not consider applications received through a third party.
3. Please do not call or email OFID to ask if your application has been received, or to inquire about your status.
4. Please note that only the winner will be notified.
5. All materials submitted become the property of OFID and will not be returned to the applicant.
6. Applicants must complete the on-line application.
7. Within the on-line application, applicants must upload the required documents as listed below in Section III. All materials including the on-line application, recommendations, and other required information must be received no later than June 4, 2011.

II. Disbursement of the Scholarship Fund

The terms and conditions of payment will be determined in coordination with the student upon his/her selection in accordance with the following guidelines:

1. The tuition fees, including any supplementary examination fees, as may be required by the academic institution, will be paid by OFID directly to the academic institution. Health insurance will be paid in accordance with the institution’s own standard medical scheme.
2. A monthly allowance to cover living expenses, books and accommodation, will be transferred to the student’s own personal bank account on a quarterly basis.
3. Prior to the start of his/her first year studies, the student will be paid a relocation grant, equal to two-month allowance. OFID will also pay for travel costs from the nearest airport to the student’s place of residence, to the nearest airport to the chosen place of study. Upon completion of the studies, the student will be paid the cost of one-way air ticket to his/her home country.

III. Required documents

1. A completed on-line application form.
2. A scanned copy of the last university degree or certificate.
3. A scanned letter of acceptance from your chosen educational institution, confirming your admission, subject of study and duration of the Master’s degree program (must not exceed a maximum of two years).
4. A proof of meeting any prerequisites, including language proficiency.
5. A short essay – of about 500 words in English – giving reasons for applying for the OFID scholarship, explaining your educational goals, and clearly describing how you will use the experience gained from your Master’s degree studies to help in the development of your home country.
6. Two letters of recommendation from professors and/or lecturers at applicant’s present university.
7. Curriculum Vitae (CV).

Eligible Countries

* In addition to nationals of OFID Member States (Algeria, Gabon, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, GSP Libyan AJ, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela), nationals of the following countries are also eligible:

Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Central African Republic,   Comoros, Congo  DR ,  Republic of Congo,  Cote d’lvoire, Djibouti, Egypt,  Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,  Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho,  Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania,  Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,  Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania,  Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Asia and the Middle East: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji,  India,  Jordan,  Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Korea D P R, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Maldives,  Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

Latin America and the Caribbean: Antigua Barbuda, Belize, Barbados, Brazil, Bolivia,  Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Grenada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Haiti,  Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala,  Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Panama, St. Christopher,  St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Uruguay

Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo

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