In honor of our Doctor Honoris Causa Dorcas Muthoni, we offer the Dorcas Muthoni PhD Fellowship.
On December 15, 2017, Dorcas Muthoni, a Kenyan engineer and entrepreneur who founded the company Openworld, was awarded our university’s highest honor for her noteworthy contributions to the advancement of engineering studies among young women in Africa, youth mentoring, and her social commitment to the fight against poverty.
The Dorcas Muthoni PhD Scholarship intends to support gender equality and high-quality education, with an emphasis on African women. It is in line with our university’s institutional commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
This PhD Fellowship opened for applications in two editions: one in 2018 and the other in 2020. We are glad to present our 2024 third edition.
Dorcas Muthoni PhD Fellowship
Type | Fellowship |
Organisation | Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) |
Funding Type | Partially Funded |
Country to Study | Spain |
School to Study | Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) |
Gender | Men and Women |
Application Deadline | May 2nd, 2024 |
Advantages of Dorcas Muthoni PhD Fellowship
However, the following are the fellowship’s primary goals:
- To encourage gender parity and help close the gender gap in ICT by removing obstacles that prevent more women from pursuing professions in STEM fields and encouraging more women to pursue careers in science, technology, and engineering
- To share excellent research with African female researchers during their PhD studies and Our ICT department consists of more than 20 research groups that are very active in international research projects. Therefore, nationally, we are the only engineering university department in Spain to have been awarded, for the second time, the Spanish Research Excellence Seal Maria de Maeztu. However, the Maria de Maeztu Strategic Research Program is a 4-year research initiative funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness to promote artificial and natural intelligence for ICT and beyond within not only our Engineering ICT department but also our university.
- To support the societal influence that Africa will have in the future. It is anticipated that upon completion of their PhD studies, the applicants will return to their home countries in Africa to pursue careers in ICT.
The university offers a predoctoral contract with a minimum gross monthly salary of 1.470,98€ for the 1st and 2nd years and a gross monthly salary of 1.576,05€ for the 3rd year.
Teaching. PRC includes a teaching assistance load of 45 hours per academic year. These teaching hours are a compulsory pre-requisite to be able to enter the fellowship selection process.
Start-up Fund. Also, the fellowship will include a startup or landing fund to facilitate the fellow’s initial expenditures. The fund will be in the amount of 2500 euros.
Please note that the scholarship offered has been designed to support only one individual, and we cannot assure financial, logistical, or administrative support to cover for any family members.
Fees covered by the fellowship (PRC, Predoctoral Research Contract)
The “Dorcas Muthoni” fellowships/PRC include the annual tutorship fees, but neither the administrative fees nor the fees for validations of degrees issued by a university outside the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) without homologation. Check here for further information. Fees covered by the fellowship (PRC)
Process for Selection
Evaluation criteria
- Excellent Academic record of the candidate
- Motivation letter:
-Candidates expected contribution to the promotion of ICT gender equality
-Future expected social and economic impact (Africa)
Application Period
- Applications to the Dorcas Muthoni Fellowship (see details in point 2 below) and to the UPF-ICT PhD programme (see details in point 1 below) are to be submitted by May 2, 2024, at 23:59 hours CET (Central European Time).
- Dorcas Muthoni Fellowship Resolution: July 4, 2024
*The contracts of the people admitted during this period are envisaged to start at the beginning of October–November 2024. - Early applications are very much encouraged.
Deadline for Application
May 2nd, 2024
How to Apply
1. Application to the UPF ICT PhD programme (including support letter from potential DTIC @ UPF supervisor)
- Please read carefully the Eligibility requirements in this link
- It is compulsory to submit in your application a support letter from your potential supervisor in DTIC.
- Please complete this application to the ICT PhD programme at UPF
2. Application to the Dorcas Muthoni PhD Fellowship
- Please complete this application form for the Dorcas Muthoni fellowship
3. A motivation letter
- The applicant should explain her motivation to apply to this fellowship and the expected impact after the end of her PhD studies in terms of the ICT gender equality and social impact in Africa.
4. Preferred Teaching subjects
- As the contract will include a teaching assistance load of 45 hours per academic year. Please download and complete the form in this link and select the subjects you prefer to teach based on this list of subjects included at the end of the form. Once the completed, please ensure the form is signed by your potential PhD Supervisor.
5. A digital copy of your Passport
Please send all the documents listed in points 3, 4 and 5 to this email address: [email protected]
For more details,visit UPF website