Applications are open for the Commonwealth Professional Fellowships 2020.
The Fellowships are for mid-career professionals from low and middle-income Commonwealth countries to spend between six weeks and three months at a UK Host organisation working in their sector on a programme of professional development.
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Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Commonwealth Professional Fellowships provide talented and motivated professionals with the opportunity to enhance knowledge and skills in their given sector.
These Fellowships are offered under six development themes:
- Science and technology for development
- Strengthening health systems and capacity
- Promoting global prosperity
- Strengthening global peace, security and governance
- Strengthening resilience and response to crises
- Access, inclusion and opportunity
Host Programmes for 2020
The following organisations have been approved by the Commission to host Professional Fellowships for the current round. Information on each programme along with the eligibility criteria is available below for each organisation as well as a link to their Website for more information. Please note the eligibility criteria carefully as applications not matching the stated criteria will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered by the Host organisation.
- British Geological Survey
- Cardiff University, The Phoenix Project
- Central & North West London NHS Foundation Trust
- Conciliation Resources
- Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospital NHS Trust
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London
- Justice Defenders
- Knowledge for Change
- Liverpool John Moores University
- Meriden Family Programme
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Hallam University
- Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust
- The Law Society of England and Wales
- The Royal Veterinary College
- UK Statistics Authority
- University of East London- School of Health, Sport and Bioscience
- University of Salford
Host organisations reserve the right to make changes to the Programme (in discussion with selected Fellows) after selections have been made.
Benefits
Mid-Career professionals, under the Commonwealth fully funded Professional Fellowship 2020 scheme, are eligible for:
- Approved return airfare from the Fellow’s home country to the UK
- Stipend (living allowance) payable monthly (or pro-rata) for the duration of the award at the rate of £1,696 per month. Moreover, for fellowship based in the London Metropolitan Area, the fellows will receive the stipend of £2,104 per month. Exceptionally, depending on the program arrangement, a peripatetic living allowance may be payable.
- Arrival allowance of up to £953.45 at current rates, including an element for warm clothing and reimbursement of the standard visa application fee.
- Flat rate contribution of £800 to the costs of the Host organization relating to the administration and support of the Fellow, setting up of appropriate meetings, any materials required, and incidental travel for the Fellow during the award (payable to the Host organization on receipt of an invoice)
- Fees of up to a maximum of £2,000 for awards under two months and up to a maximum of £3000 for awards of three months (payable to the Host organization on receipt of an invoice)
Eligibilities
To be eligible for these fellowships, you must:
- Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
- Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
- Have at least five years’ full-time, or equivalent part-time, relevant work experience, in a profession related to the subject of the Fellowships programme, by the proposed start of the fellowship – voluntary work experience will not be counted towards this minimum
- Be in employment at the time of application that they will return to upon completion of the fellowship
- Not have undertaken a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship within the last five years (at the time of application)
- Not be seeking to undertake an academic programme of research or study in the UK. Academics are eligible to apply for the scheme, but only to undertake programmes of academic management, not research or courses relevant to their research subject
- Be available to undertake the Fellowship between 1 February 2021 and 15 March 2021. You should check exact dates with the prospective Host.
Application Process
- The closing date for the submission of references is 4pm (BST) on Monday 17th August 2020
- Your application must include at least two references by this date, one of which must be from your current employer, otherwise it will be considered ineligible
- Apply Online through the given link.
Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.
Application Deadline: August 2, 2020
Application ClosedOfficial link