EPFL/UM6P 100 PhDs for Africa

Published March 25, 2023 · Updated March 25, 2023

The UM6P/EPFL EXAF 100 PhDs for Africa programme is one of the three pillars of the Excellence in Africa initiative. It is designed to fund science and engineering graduates intending to complete a PhD at an African higher education institution.

PhD candidates benefiting from a UM6P/EPFL EXAF 100 PhDs for Africa fellowship will be jointly supervised by a professor employed by their African home institution and by an EPFL professor. They may spend short time periods at the EPFL in the laboratory of their EPFL co-supervisor, but will chiefly conduct their doctoral studies and their thesis research in Africa. Their degree will be solely awarded by their home institution.

Eligibility Criteria

To be a national of an African country
To hold a Master’s degree awarded after the 1st of January 2020 or to be enrolled in the final year of the master study
To have an outstanding academic track record
To be enrolled in an African academic institution when the fellowship will start, and to reside in an African country for the duration of the PhD
To have the endorsement of a professor of an African institution willing to supervise the doctoral thesis for its full duration

Funding

The programme awards funding of a maximum of 80’000 Swiss francs in total for a period of at most 54 months. Eligible costs include and are limited to:

Living allowance

A living allowance for the PhD fellow, which must be in line with the standard documented practices of the home institution

Tuition fees

Tuition costs may be included in the budget if there is written confirmation from the home institution that
Open science costs: costs for data storage and for granting access to data (open research data) and open access publication costs

Colloquia

Conference, summer school and workshop costs for the PhD fellow, namely travel (economy class airfares, public ground transportation), lodging, visa, vaccinations, meals, and (if applicable) conference registration fees
During the fellowship, the PhD fellow must participate in two summer schools organised by UM6P at Ben Guerir Campus in Morocco. Travel costs for these summer schools will also have to be included.

Costs Related to Joint Supervision

Travel costs for the PhD fellow to and from EPFL (economy class airfares, public ground transportation)
A supplementary living allowance for stay(s) at EPFL
Travel costs to and from the African home institution and EPFL for the supervisor and co-supervisor of the PhD fellow (economy class airfares, public ground transportation, lodging, and meals)
Other costs incurred by the joint supervision (e.g., joint participation in a conference, other costs related to stays at EPFL)

For more information: https://www.epfl.ch/research/domains/exaf/excellence-in-africa-2/exaf-a-dynamic-research-centre/presentation-of-the-programme-excellence-in-africa/digital-education/100-phd-for-africa/