British Council Fellowships for Women in STEM (Southeast Asia)

We’re offering four STEM fellowships to women from East Asia, in partnership with the British Council.

Funding: Grade 6.1 (£33,309)
Academic year: 2022/23
Open to: Researchers from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam who have received their PhD within 3 years of applying
Qualification level: Postgraduate research
Number available: 4

Applications for 2022/23 are now closed.

This year the British Council has allocated four Early Academic Fellowship Grants for women that have recently been awarded their PhD (0 to 3 years postdoctoral) and wish to have a research experience at a UK university or research institution, convert their doctoral work into publications or other academic outputs, and establish new research relationships.

The gender gap in STEM is well documented. Not only do women make up a fraction of the workforce and research teams in STEM, they are published less, paid less and are less likely than their male counterparts to reach positions of leadership, despite being proven to be on average 8 per cent more productive.

The British Council Women in STEM Academic Fellowship Programme will:

significantly increase the number of opportunities for women from the eligible countries in 2022/23 academic year
increase research partnership opportunities for women in East Asia with the UK
ensure fellow selection will be based on an individual’s academic potential and demonstrated case for financial support. We will be particularly encouraging of women whose identities include multiple intersecting factors, including race, class, and religion, and women who are mothers
provide the selected fellows with a foundation to launch their careers in higher education and research in their home country
enable individuals to promote and enhance science and innovation in their home country through their exposure to the expertise in the UK’s renowned STEM research sector
ensure fellows create strong and lasting connections with the UK through active engagement in the alumni network, directly contributing towards/supporting the success of this programme in future iterations of the Fellowship
provide a platform for the countries included in this call and the UK to work together to address the significant challenge of the gender gap in STEM.

This call seeks proposals from Fellows, with a focus on the following programme areas:

Health and Life Sciences
Climate Change, Environment and Risk Reduction
Energy Transition
Agriculture
Industry 4.0/Digital Transformation

Please consult the University of York eligibility criteria to ensure your interests align with our Departments' expertise before contacting a host supervisor.

We have four participating Departments:

We strongly encourage all candidates to contact their host supervisor to discuss their project.

How to apply

Application deadline: Applications for 2022/23 are now closed.

Please see British Council Women in STEM for more information about the scheme. In order to make an application, please complete this application form. Note you will need to provide:

A letter of application which contains all required personal information and states which host supervisor at the University of York you are applying to work with, and:

an academic CV
a case for supporting the fellowship
a letter of recommendation your PhD institution
a letter of recommendation from your proposed host supervisor at the University of York

You must:

demonstrate a plan and a passion to engage other women and girls in STEM from their home country
agree to their personal data being shared with the British Council as a condition of applying for the fellowship.

If you are awarded the fellowship, you must agree to maintain contact with the British Council and act as an ambassador for the UK and engage with activities as part of a Fellowship for Women in STEM alumnus during and after their studies in the UK.

A Steering Committee, composed of academic reviewers from the University and Programme Leads from the British Council will select the candidates through a points-based system, encompassing the programme’s criteria.

Eligibility

Open to researchers from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam who have received their PhD within 3 years of applying.

The following guidelines should be considered for the selection of fellows. Fellows must:

identify as a woman
be a passport holder and permanent resident of one of the eligible countries
obtain a letter of support from the host supervisor or department
demonstrate case for financial support/socio-economic need
not be in receipt of financial support or funding towards their study programme in the UK from any other source
have not previously studied at degree level or higher in the UK or lived recently in the UK
meet the English language requirement of the UK HEI
be active in the field with work experience or with a proven interest in the proposed subject area
be willing to demonstrate future contribution to capacity-building and socio-economic advancement through the benefits achieved after graduating from UK higher education

Employees of the British Council, the UK government or Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish governments are not eligible to be awarded fellowships.