The MoBreed Intra-Africa Mobility Scholarship Grant is open to all students from any of the partner universities (Target Group 1) and secondly to students from other African universities (Target Group 2). Currently, 24 MSc scholarships and 9 Academic/Administrative staff exchanges are available.
MoBreed, the research aims at increasing quality information on the use and conservation of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) and crop wild relatives (CWR) in Africa, specifically food crops such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, root and tubers, and cereals.
Funded by the Intra – Africa Mobility Scheme, a mobility program developed by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACAE) of the European Union, MoBreed aims at harmonizing training programs among its founding partners on plant breeding and educating high profile breeders who can promote the underutilized crops in Africa to tackle food security issues on the continent. Through this mobility program, students will receive high-quality training on the latest technologies of plant breeding.The consortium mainly intends to:
- produce 10 high profile plant breeders (Ph.D. holders) that will address current and future challenges related to climate change and agriculture with a focus on at least 10 promising underutilized plant species of Africa,
- train a new generation of 38 scientists (M.Sc. holders) and 6 academic staff with a strong capacity to increase knowledge and prospects on the selected orphan crops used in Africa for food and nutrition security and the crop production and seed industry.
- harmonize seven MSc and six Ph.D. training programmes and research agenda on the use of neglected and underutilized crops to increase the resilience of food production systems
MoBreed, as part of the curriculum and professional mobility of academic staff and students of Master and Ph.D. levels in plant breeding and seed biotechnology, offers a new approach that frontally addresses the lack of human resources to advance knowledge on orphan crops, also known as underutilized species of Africa.
The investigation and expertise revolve around all key areas of germplasm collections and uses, modern plant genetics and breeding, plant genomics and biotechnology. We focus our research on useful resources of tropical Africa, recognized by the African Orphan Crop Consortium (AOCC) as priority crops.
Other potential food crops not listed by AOCC are also included in our investigation. We value collaboration with seed companies and private enterprises involved in cultivar development and share the hope that the seed industry in Africa will expand as new cultivars are developed from indigenous genetic resources adapted to local ecological conditions.
What You Need To Know About The MoBreed Intra-Africa Mobility MSc and Doctoral Scholarship
MoBreed fosters diversity and gender equity at the workplace. Therefore, women and persons from underprivileged groups are especially encouraged to apply.
Level / Field of Study:
MoBreed Intra-Africa Mobility Scholarships are available to pursue Doctoral and MSc programs awarded in plant breeding and seed biotechnology.
Host Nationality
The scholarship is being taken in Africa. If you are an international student and you wish to study in the UK, this is for you: Complete Guide to Getting A UK Tier 4 Student Visa For International Students.
Eligible Nationality
The MoBreed mobility grant is open to all students from any of the partner universities (Target Group 1) and secondly to students from other African universities (Target Group 2).
Read also if you wish to study outside your home country Simple and Detailed Answers about Applying and Winning a Scholarship.
Number of Scholarships
Currently, 24 MSc scholarships and 9 Academic / Administrative staff exchange are available
Scholarship Benefits
- The scholarship includes subsistence and settling-in allowances, participation costs, and contribution to research costs, insurance, and travel in line with Agreement with EACEA. It will cover:
- Roundtrip flight ticket and visa costs (using a preferred travel agent and calculated against direct linear distance);
- Direct participation costs such as tuition fees, registration fees and service fees where applicable;
- Comprehensive travel insurance (Health, Accident, and Travel)
- A monthly subsistence allowance for the mobility period.
The MoBreed Intra-Africa Mobility MSc and Doctoral Scholarship Eligibility:
Eligible Countries: The MoBreed mobility grant is open to all students from any of the partner universities (Target Group 1) and secondly to students from other African universities (Target Group 2).
Target Group 1:
This category includes students from all partners universities as follows:
- University of Abomey-Calavi; Benin
- University of KwaZulu-Natal; South Africa
- University of Namibia; Namibia
- Jimma University; Ethiopia
- Ebonyi State University; Nigeria
Target Group 2:
All other African countries.
Entrance Requirements: Applicants must meet the following criteria:
To be eligible for a scholarship (i.e. financial support to third parties), master students as well as doctoral candidates referred to as ‘’students’’ must comply with the below criteria at the time of the application for a scholarship:
- Be a national and resident in any of the eligible countries covered by the Intra-Africa Mobility programme of the EACEA and
- Be registered/admitted in or having obtained an HEI degree (or equivalent) from
- one of the HEIs included in the MoBreed consortium (Target group 1)
- an HEI not included in the No breed consortium but established in an eligible country (Target group 2) and
- Have sufficient knowledge of the language of the courses in the host countries.
Students can only benefit from one scholarship under the Intra-Africa or Intra-ACP academic mobility scheme (regardless of the type of mobility or the funding project).
Students have benefited from scholarship(s) under the previous intra-ACP Academic Mobility Scheme cannot receive the scholarship under the Intra-Africa academic mobility.
In order to meet the general selection requirements for MSc Mobility Grant (maximum 12 months’ scholarship mainly for research), the applicant must have completed the first two semesters of a Master of Science course in Agronomy, Biology or any related fields in his home country. Students with Genetics, Biotechnology, and plant breeding background are highly encouraged to apply. It is obligatory that the students have their first year MSc Academic transcripts.
Students considering studying in South Africa should also send their qualifications to SAQA for evaluation. UKZN will only accept the students if their qualification is rated as equivalent to a South African honors degree by SAQA. Access the SAQA website at www.SAQA.org.za. The form is also uploaded on the Mobreed website.
For Academic/ Administrative staff, applicants should hold an MSc or Ph.D. degree in Genetics, Biotechnology, Plant Breeding, Agronomy, Biology or any related fields. The person with Genetics, Biotechnology, and plant breeding background are highly encouraged to apply.
How to Apply For The MoBreed Intra-Africa Mobility MSc and Doctoral Scholarship
- Applicants should submit completed application and all supporting documents by email to lydia.sognon-at-gmail.com with a copy to mobreed.uac-at-gmail.com by 5th October 2022.
- They should indicate in the subject line (if submitting by email) or superscribe the envelope (if submitting by post) ‘Application for MoBreed MSc/Staff exchange program ‘.
- Incomplete applications will be rejected. Admission regulations for Doctoral and MSc Studies are to be found from the prospective HEIs website. This application is for MoBreed Project scholarships only.
- The Scholarship application form together with other required documents should be sent as a unique PDF attachment to emails indicated above. You may download the MS Word version of the application form, and complete it before sending it.
- Important also is the student proposal that should be sent together within the application as ONE SINGLE DOCUMENT, preferably PDF. Other required documents are listed in the application form and include:
- Cover letter
- Scholarship Application form (this document)
- Student proposal (guidelines available online)
- National ID or Copy of Passport Data page
- Certificate of degree
- Transcript records
- Support letter from sending HEIs
- Recommendation letter of home supervisor (mandatory for all applicants)
- Enrollment proof in degree course from home institution (for MSc applicants)
- Curriculum Vitae.
- Employment certificate (only for staff)
- Certificate of English or French language skills
- Proof of socio-economic vulnerability (if available)
Application Deadline
Application Deadline for MoBreed Intra-Africa Mobility Scholarship for African Students 2022 is October 5, 2022
