Study Subject (s): Applicants for the IRO Doctoral Scholarship Programme may choose a research topic proposed by one of the KU Leuven Doctoral Schools: Humanities and Social Sciences Science, Engineering and Technology Biomedical Sciences or applicants may propose their own research topic.
Course Level: Scholarship is available for pursuing PhD degree at KU Leuven.
Scholarship Provider: Catholic University of Leuven
Scholarship can be taken at: Belgium

Eligibility:
1.The applicant must be a citizen of one of the countries on the OECD DAC table that are listed under the following categories: Least Developed Countries, Low Income Countries or Low Middle Income Countries. The applicant must not possess dual citizenship, where the second citizenship is from an EU country.
2. The time period between the date of completion of your MA degree and the date of submission of your scholarship application can be no more than ten years.
3. Excellent academic results
4. Excellent research project
5. Proof of embedness in the South and motivation in the framework of development cooperation
6. Excellent recommendations

Scholarship Open for International Students: The student of one of the countries on the OECD DAC table that are listed under the following categories: Least Developed Countries, Low Income Countries or Low Middle Income Countries (Afghanistan, Kenya, Armenia, Angola, Korea, Dem. Rep., Belize, Bangladesh, Kyrgyz Rep., Bolivia, Benin, Tajikistan, Cameroon, Bhutan, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, Congo, Rep., Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cambodia, Egypt, Central African Rep., El Salvador, Chad, Fiji, Comoros, Georgia, Congo, Dem. Rep., Ghana, Djibouti, Guatemala, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Eritrea, Honduras, Ethiopia, India, Cuba, Gambia, Indonesia, Guinea, Iraq, Guinea-Bissau, Kosovo1, Haiti, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Micronesia, Federated States, Laos, Moldova, Lesotho, Mongolia, Liberia, Morocco, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Malawi, Nigeria, Mali, Pakistan, Mauritania, Papua New Guinea, Mozambique, Paraguay, Myanmar, Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Niger, Swaziland, Rwanda, Syria, Samoa, Tokelau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tonga, Senegal, Turkmenistan, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, Solomon Islands, Uzbekistan, Somalia, Vietnam, South Sudan, West Bank and Gaza Strip, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zambia) can apply for the scholarship.

Scholarship Description: As one of its contributions to development cooperation, KU Leuven offers each academic year scholarships to deserving students from developing countries to do their PhD in the largest university of Flanders, Belgium. The programme is organized and managed by the Interfaculty Council for Development Cooperation. The IRO Doctoral Scholarship Programme has supported more than a hundred PhD graduates over the past ten years. After obtaining their doctorates at KU Leuven, these PhD holders are now valorizing their degrees in their home countries either in university academic research or in various sectors of industry. KU Leuven, which is situated at about 20 kilometers from Brussels, the capital of both Belgium and Europe, is the oldest university of the Low Countries. As such, it has a long-standing tradition of hospitality towards students and scholars from abroad. At present, almost 7,000 international students (about 15% of the total number of students at KU Leuven) have found their home away from home in Leuven.

Duration of award(s): The IRO Doctoral Scholarships are only granted for doctoral programmes for a maximum period of 48 months and eventually for one pre-doctoral year as preparation period for the doctoral programme. Applicants who have already been enrolled as self-supporting doctoral students at KU Leuven can only be granted the IRO doctoral scholarship for 4 years minus the number of years enrolled as doctoral student.

What does it cover? The scholarship includes monthly basic amount € 1,383 (75% of the net salary of an assistant) for doctoral students and € 900 for Pre-doctoral students, Housing allowance of € 200/month with accompanying partner (and children), Social security covering health insurance, child allowance, occupational hazard and occupational illness, Tuition fee, Affiliation with a Belgian Health Insurance company, Third-party liability insurance (private life), Professional and accident insurance coverage; third party liability insurance (study related matters and for professional liability) and Return flight tickets for the whole family after completion of the doctorate.

Notification: In April-May 2014, the International Admissions and Mobility Unit of KU Leuven will prepare and send the official admission letters and scholarship attestations to the selected candidates.

How to Apply: The mode of applying is online.

Scholarship Application Deadline: The deadline for applications is 15 January 2014.

Further Official Scholarship Information and Application