IWMI Ph.D. Scholarship program

Introduction

IWMI is seeking simultaneously to strengthen its own field research capacity and make a strong contribution to professional development of water resources researchers, especially those from developing countries. Having recently announced a program for post-doctoral scientists, this document explains the program for attracting and supporting excellent Ph.D. student researchers, in cooperation with interested universities.

The Program

Our program has two "tracks":

1. long term strategic partnerships with a limited number of universities that are willing to enter into a sandwich-program with IWMI, i.e., with joint university-IWMI responsibility for the PhD students and their research; and
2. students from other recognized universities on a case-by-case basis.
   

Long term strategic university partnerships

IWMI wishes to establish partnerships with interested university departments, faculty and professors having a long term interest and capacities in water resources and irrigation management. IWMI is a multi-disciplinary research institute; our partnerships will therefore be with a variety of universities and departments representing different disciplines. Partner universities may be in both developed and developing countries, but the former are expected to have students from developing countries. IWMI will work with these partner universities to develop a Ph.D. program to be operated by the university in collaboration with us.

In these programs, IWMI and its university partners will offer joint scholarships for a complete PhD program, covering coursework, living and travel expenses and research cost for the duration of the project at rates adjusted to the cost of living in the locations where the coursework and research is undertaken. Joint, appropriate funding and financing will be worked out on a case-by-case basis between the university and IWMI, but for students the essence is that they will be offered complete coverage scholarships. IWMI and its partners will advertise the Scholarships, which are often expected to be focused on specific subjects of interest - or even specific projects for which a Scholarship would be available, and jointly select the most suitable candidates. The students will go for coursework (where necessary) at the strategic partner university in question and do their field research as part of the IWMI research program. An IWMI researcher will normally be part of each student's PhD committee.

Other students

The large majority of IWMI's Ph.D. projects will be through strategic partner universities. Since the Scholarships at the partner-universities will be widely advertised the expectation is that this will provide opportunities to the wide audience of capable young people with a PhD ambition that IWMI wants to reach. In addition, IWMI could provide (limited or partial) support on a case-by-case basis to students from other universities that approach IWMI. Those students will normally already be accepted as a PhD candidate by their universities and will request partial support for carrying out their research.

IWMI "complete-package" support will be limited to the annual number of Scholarships with its strategic partners, budgeted and advertised annually and with competitive selection, i.e. IWMI will not start a continuous process of evaluating ad-hoc proposals.

Development of PhD research projects

IWMI staff will play a key role in choosing and shaping the research topic. The student's research is expected to be an integral part of IWMI's own research program, i.e., to contribute directly to the Institute's research objectives as well as to the student's professional development. Field research would normally be carried out in IWMI's research sites. This means that the student, university supervisors and IWMI should enter into discussions at an early stage of development of the student's research proposal.

IWMI will normally expect the student to spend sufficient time doing research to gain a deep understanding of the subject. For field researchers, this would normally involve a full year of field work. Before the end of her or his period of support, IWMI will expect the student to prepare at least one journal-length article whose quality will be sufficient for consideration to be published as an IWMI Research Report; co-authoring of papers with university professors, IWMI staff, and national partners is strongly encouraged. Where university rules permit, several such articles submitted to refereed journals or IWMI's Research Report series may form the basis for the Ph.D. dissertation itself.

IWMI staff will identify topics and formulate proposals for research that fits the ongoing research program in the adopted IWMI Research Themes, and 'advertise' these vacancies as "Ph.D. Scholarships." IWMI will also consider proposals from Ph.D. students who have their own topic in mind; but a major criterion for acceptance is that it must fit directly into our program.

Support IWMI Will Provide

Strategic partner universities

As noted above, this will be full scholarships to support the student for the course work phase as well as research phase, in principle jointly funded by the university (through its donors) and IWMI (through its donors). Amounts depend on living costs at the locations selected but will generally be in line with accepted amounts of scholarships offered by other similar institutions.

Other students

IWMI's support will normally be as follows:

1. The most important form of support will be intellectual guidance and supervision from IWMI staff members. In addition to this, IWMI is able to provide official sponsorship to ease national formalities, and logistical support through its excellent support services division. The student would therefore work as an integral part of the IWMI family.
2. For students from developing countries having no other source of support, IWMI will cover international and local travel costs, and research costs. "Research costs" may include such items as use of computers, field research assistants if needed, purchase of necessary equipment such as data loggers, local transport, and basic lodging and living costs. The latter will be in the form of a modest but adequate monthly allowance. IWMI will also provide health insurance. IWMI may provide international travel for a spouse if necessary, but will not be able to provide other family support. IWMI will not normally be able to cover university fees, board and lodging, and other costs associated with the student's course work period at the university.
3. The maximum period of support will depend on the research project but normally be 24 months, which is considered sufficient time for a full-time student to complete the research, including data analysis and writing of the dissertation. Extensions of up to an additional six months will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but are not guaranteed.
4. IWMI normally expects students who are citizens of developed countries to have access to sufficient funding for their research. IWMI will provide such students intellectual guidance and supervision, sponsorship and logistical support; but will normally expect them to cover all other costs of their research.
5. Disbursements will be made direct to the student. In cases where the student is enrolled at an University with which IWMI has a joint-support agreement in force, the terms of the agreement may require that IWMI reimburse or advance funds to the University for disbursement.

Applications

For the advertised scholarships, interested students should send to IWMI the following:

• A brief research proposal which describes the problem the student proposes to address including hypotheses to be tested, how the problem relates to IWMI's research program, the methodologies to be used, the proposed field location, and the expected time frame. In cases where the applicant is responding to a topic or proposal announced by IWMI, the applicant should explain how s/he proposes to tack the research, how the applicant's academic training both contributes to her or his capacity to carry out the research, and to her or his professional development;
• A detailed C.V.;
• A copy of the student's academic record showing course work completed and grades received;
• Evidence of English language competence, as well as competence in the field work language if needed;
• Names of three referees, one of whom may be the academic supervisor;
• A supporting letter from his or her academic advisor; and
• A cover letter explaining why the student wishes to work with IWMI, and what his or her long term career goals are.

Criteria for selection

Suggested criteria include the following:

• evidence of research capability/competence
• evidence of an understanding of IWMI's objectives and research program
• proven academic excellence
• good communication skills, written and spoken
• verified English language competence
• innovativeness of proposed research
• potential applicability and usefulness of research on completion to
• contribution to IWMI's program and objectives
• quality of academic support in associated university including the adequacy of support from the academic supervisors.

IWMI staff

The IWMI PhD Scholarship program will contribute directly to IWMI's research and is expected to have a major capacity building impact. The funds used for the Scholarships are funds intended for capacity building in the South. Therefore only individuals from the South will be eligible for the Scholarships.

IWMI national staff is eligible and encouraged to compete for the Scholarships available in the program. IWMI will assure objective evaluation of their applications in comparison to outside applications.

In addition to the PhD Scholarship program IWMI will have additional funds in its Training and Career Development budgets (part of its staff costs) that may be used to support, or partially support, IWMI staff that are interested to do a PhD in a field that fits IWMI's research programme.

Administration

IWMI's Training and Capacity Building Officer administers the capacity building program under the direct supervision of the Director General.

Introduction

The Program

Development of PhD research projects

Support IWMI Will Provide

Applications

Criteria for selection

IWMI staff

Administration