Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde/Government of Belgium-Directorate for Development Co-operation - DGD Scholarships

What you get

The DGD scholarships cover the costs of studying at Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, Belgium and are funded by the Belgian Directorate for Development Cooperation. The scholarship amount is full or partial: depending on your circumstances and the funds available, it may cover tuition fees, a living and accommodation allowance, return travel from your home country, health and third-party liability insurance, and study materials. No fixed monthly amount is published; the amount is determined on a case-by-case basis. Four levels of study are covered:

• Master's programmes as well as specialised short courses or work placements
• PhD (sandwich model): to 48 months’ funding period, spread over six calendar years, of which up to 24 months at the ITM
• Postdoctoral grants: up to three months per year at ITM, for a maximum of three years

Who can apply

• Nationality and residence: You are a national of a low- or middle-income country (as defined by the OECD-DAC list) and are currently living there.
• No high-income country ties: You do not hold a second nationality from a high-income country and have not worked in a high-income country for more than one year in the three years prior to submitting your application.
• Age: You will be 45 or younger when you receive your school leaving certificate.
• Programme admission: You have already been admitted to the ITM degree programme or the ITM programme to which you applied.
• Employment relevance: You work for an organisation where you can put what you’ve learnt into practice straight away.
• Field of study: All ITM programme areas are eligible – medicine, health sciences, tropical biology and related disciplines.
• PhD and predoctoral track only: Before you apply, you will need the official endorsement of an ITM line manager; you should therefore contact ITM first to arrange this.

Women will be given preference over male applicants with equivalent qualifications. Preference will also be given to applicants with at least two years’ relevant professional experience, those who have not previously received European training or a scholarship, and those working in the public sector, in research or for non-governmental organisations. Applicants from one of the 27 DGD partner countries (including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Peru and Vietnam) will be given priority in the selection process; however, this is a preference rather than a requirement.

How to apply

Apply for admission to your chosen ITM degree programme via the ITM online application system and then complete the DGD scholarship form as part of the same process. Deadlines vary depending on the programme: 15 September for the sandwich PhD programme, 15 March for postdoctoral fellowships, and programme-specific deadlines for Master’s programmes and short courses (listed in the ITM programme catalogue). For the PhD and postdoctoral programmes, you should ensure that you have the support of a supervisor before submitting your application.

How realistic are your chances?

The eligibility criteria are strictly defined: you must be from a low- or middle-income country, currently reside there, be employed in a relevant role, and already have been admitted to an ITM programme. This significantly narrows the pool of applicants compared with open scholarships. In the PhD programme, only 3 to 5 places are funded each year, whilst the postdoctoral fellowship offers up to 3 places – making these the most highly competitive funding levels. If you clearly meet the profile and come from one of the 27 priority countries, your prospects of securing a scholarship for a Master’s programme or a short course are more realistic.