FACE-NDC Project (2023 to 2030)

Scholarships on offer

Call for Applications for PhD and Masters Scholarships in Renewable Energy and Green Innovations for the 2024/2025 Academic Year

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1. Background

Renewable energy stands at the forefront of global efforts to transition toward a sustainable and environmentally friendly future. By harnessing natural resources such as sunlight, water, wind, geothermal, and biomass, renewable energy technologies promise to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and foster economic growth through innovative energy solutions. The advancement of renewable energy is crucial for mitigating climate change and environmental impacts, including those related to food security.

The University of Zambia (UNZA) is one of the five consortium partners in the FACE-NDC Project (2023 to 2030), with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as the lead partner and the International Climate Initiative (IKI) from Germany as the principal funder. FACE-NDC project aims to empower society to achieve the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through three critical activities:

  • Developing context-specific climate change education materials and curricula for primary and secondary schools, universities, and vocational colleges;

  • Enhancing the country's institutional and human capacity to engage in the green transition;

  • Promoting non-formal education by strengthening clubs and civil society organizations to reach the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, ensuring that young people and women have a voice in the country's development trajectory.

One of the outputs of the FACE-NDC project is particularly focusing on professionals of public institutions, universities and the private sector to ensure that these groups have the necessary skills and capacities to support green transitions. Under this output as one of its focus areas, the FACE-NDC Project aims to provide MSc and PhD training scholarships to strengthen university-level education, and skill development that focuses on using renewable energy for climate change mitigation. Scholarships will be provided through the School of Natural Sciences, the School of Agricultural Sciences, and the School of Engineering.

2. Thematic Areas

The thematic areas of applied research for the scholarships will be situated within Renewable Energy Technologies and Green Innovations and will include, but are not limited to, the following themes:

(i) Renewable Energy Innovations and Technologies

(ii) Rational use of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Conservation 

(iii) Biomass and Bioenergy

(iv) Modelling energy solutions

(v) Energy Storage Systems

(vi) Renewable Energy and Integrated Development Planning 

(vii) Renewable Energy and Socio-cultural Change 

(viii) Grid Integration of Renewable Energy  

(ix) Policy, Governance and Management of Renewable energy 

(x) Off-grid and Decentralized Energy Solutions 

(xi) Climate Change and Resilient Energy Infrastructure 

(xii) Renewable energy for, and from, Agrifood Systems

3. Call for applications for scholarship

 Applications are invited from suitably qualified individuals for scholarships to study renewable energy at the University of Zambia.

3.1 PhD Programme

Level of study:                                      PhD

Number of scholarships                         Five (5)

Mode of study:                                        Full-Time

Programme Commencement Date:        February, 2025

Duration:                                             Three years

 

Eligibility

All applicants for doctoral scholarships should have the following:

  1. The applicant must be Zambian and in possession of a National Identity Card;

  2. The applicant must provide acceptance letters from the University of Zambia at the time of selection.

  3. PhD scholarship applicants must have admission to a program aligned or related to the FACE-NDC project.

  4. PhD scholarship applicants must submit a concept note of the proposed PhD research project.

  5. Applicants' academic certificates must be certified by ZAQA.

Eligible Programmes

  • PhD in Physics 

  • PhD in Chemistry

  • PhD in Geography

  • PhD in Renewable energy

  • PhD in Soil Science

Women are particularly encouraged to apply.

Scholarship coverage

The scholarships will cover:

  1. Tuition fees for three years are paid directly to the institution.

  2. Research fees are paid directly to the student upon the institution's approval of their research proposal.

Note: The scholarship does not cover an annual stipend or book allowance.

 

3.2 MSc. Programme

Level of study:                                        MSc

Number of scholarships:                        Five (5)

Mode of study:                                        Full-Time

Programme Commencement Date:        February, 2025

Duration:                                                 Two years

 

Eligibility

All applicants for Masters scholarships should have the following:

  1. The applicant must be Zambian and in possession of a National Identity Card;

  2. The applicant must provide acceptance letters from the University of Zambia at the time of selection.

  3. Applicants for the Master's level scholarship must be admitted to a program aligned with or related to the FACE-NDC project.

  1. MSc scholarship applicants must submit a concept note of the proposed research project.

  2. Applicants' academic certificates must be certified by ZAQA.

Eligible Programmes

  • MSc in Physics 

  • MSc in Chemistry

  • MSc Geography 

  • Masters of Engineering in Renewable energy

  • MSc in Integrated Soil Fertility Management,

  • MSc in Agronomy (Soils)

  • MSc in Agronomy (Crops)

Women are particularly encouraged to apply.

Scholarship coverage

The scholarships will cover: 

  1. Tuition fees for two years are paid directly to the institution.

  2. Research fees are paid directly to the student upon the institution's approval of their research proposal.

Note: The scholarship does not cover an annual stipend or book allowance.

4. Application and selection process

All applicants should have the following:

  • The applicant must provide acceptance letters for MSc or PhD in schools of Natural Sciences, Agricultural Sciences and Engineering from the University of Zambia at the time of selection.
  • PhD scholarship applicants must submit a concept note of the proposed PhD research project.
  • Applicants should produce original certificates at the time of Interviews

Submit the application along with Acceptance letter and Concept note to facendc.re@unza.zm 

The shortlisted candidates will be called for interviews.

Closing date:  31 December 2024

Note: The short candidates will be communicated by 10 January 2025