University of Groningen Talent Grant: Eric Bleumink Fund

Scholarship Overview

•  Since 2000, the Eric Bleumink Fund (EBF) has provided graduate scholarship to talented students and young researches from developing countries.
• Overall, the EBF grant aims to provide these students the opportunity to develop their skills and to eventually make valuable and innovative contributions to their homeland.

Host School

•  The host school for the EBF grant is the University of Groningen, a reputable academic institution of the Netherlands founded on 1614.

Fields of Study

•  The EBF covers all the available graduate programs of the University of Groningen.
•  Specifically, the grant is given to scholars pursuing their Master (MSc/MA/LL.M.) and Ph.D. levels at the University of Groningen.

What does the scholarship cover?

• The grant is usually awarded for a maximum of 2 years for a Master’s degree programme  and a maximum of 4 years for a Ph.D.
• The grant covers the tuition fees plus the costs of international travel, subsistence, books, and health insurance.  For Ph.D., part of the research should be conducted in the home country and part in Groningen. The grant will cover expenses incurred in travelling to and from the Netherlands (4 times, at most) and the living costs during the stay at the University. A moderate research budget can be granted if judged necessary by the academic supervisor.

How many scholarships are given?

• The call is open annually but only two candidates can be nominated per study programme.

Which countries are targeted?

• Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Angola
• Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Replublic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, China, Colombia
• Djibouti, Dominican Republic
• Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, East Timor
• Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana
• Haiti, Honduras
• India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq
• Jordan
• Kiribati, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
• Laos, Lesotho, Liberia
• Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Moldova, Mongolia, Macedonia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Morocco
• Nepal, Niger, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Namibia, Niue
• Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Autonomous Palestinian Territories
• Rwanda
• Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, South Korea
• Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu
• Uganda, Uzbekistan, Ukraine
• Vanuatu, Vietnam
• Wallis and Futuna
• Yemen
• Zambia, Zimbabwe

Am I Eligible to Apply?

Before applying for the grant, the candidates for the EBF grant should meet the following requirements:

• Be nationals of and have their permanent residence in a developing country
• Have a good command of the English language
• Be in good health so that health insurance in the Netherlands can be arranged
• Be available for the whole period of the fellowship and be able to take part in the entire study programme
• Have no other means of financing the study in question

In general, the following criteria have to be met before applying to the grant:

• Academic excellence of the candidate shown by his/her academic performance and may be attested by lletters of recommendation from university professors;
• Contribution of candidate’s education in terms of strengthening the scientific capacity in the candidate’s home country;
• Perspectives to a long-term linkage between the home institution and the University of Groningen.

 How to Apply – Next Steps

Applications for student scholarships can be submitted to the University of Groningen. To be nominated the student needs to be (conditionally) admitted to one of the Master’s programmes.  The following lists a step-by-step guide for the Master’s and Ph.D. degree progammes:

Master’s degree programmes:

•  Apply for admission to a study programme at the University of Groningen
• Indicate on the application form that his/her study performance is excellent and that he/she wishes to be nominated for an Eric Bleumink Fund scholarship.
• If the study programme agrees with the candidacy for an EBF scholarship, they will send a standard application form including the motivation of the candidate to the Board of the Eric Bleumink Fund prior to 1 March. Per study programme only two candidates can be nominated.
• The Board of the Eric Bleumink Fund will take a decision during their meeting in March.
• The study programme and the candidate will both be informed on the decision taken by the Board.
• If a candidate is selected, the coordinator will contact the candidate regarding the details of his/her arrival. If necessary he/she can contact the Board of the Eric Bleumink Fund for extra assistance.

Ph.D. programmes:

• Applications for research grants may only be submitted by individuals from developing countries if endorsed by a professor of the University of Groningen and with the support of the student’s home institution/partner university.
• An application form can be found in the Rules and Regulations of the University of Groningen for the EBF grant.
• An elaborate research proposal or pre-proposal  which includes the following details:
  • Project title and outline
  • Composition of the research group
  • Detailed description of the project
  • Relevance of the project the selected developing country
  • Timetable
  • Publication details
  • Other sources if financial assistance
• Information and qualification of the candidate/ researcher, especially related to research

 Closing Date

• Call for applicants starts on October 15th, 2013.
• The deadline for the application is on January 15th, 2014.

 How do I get more information?

For more information, interested applicants can go to the following links:

• University of Groningen
• The Eric Bleumink Fund Grant
• The EBF postal address:

Eric Bleumink Fund
University of Groningen
P.O. Box 72
9700 AB Groningen
The Netherlands

• E-mail   bleuminkfonds@rug.nl and msd@rug.nl

 

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