OPEC Fund Scholarship Award 2008

The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) is pleased to invite applications for its 2008 Scholarship Award. This annual scholarshipsupports aspiring graduate students from developing countries who wish toenhance their academic credentials.
Through the scheme, OFID aims to help highly motivated individuals overcome one of the biggest challenges to their careers - the cost of advanced academic study. The winner will receive a scholarship of up to US$100,000 (one hundred thousand US dollars) spread over a maximum of two years, toward the completion of a Master's Degree, or its equivalent, at an accredited educational institution.
The OFID scholarship will start in the autumn of the academicyear 2008/09.
Eligibility Criteria:Disbursement of the Scholarship Fund Required documents:OFID's Member Countries, eligible countries
I.Eligibility To be eligible the candidate must meet ALL of the following criteria: :[] Be between the ages of 22-32 at the time of submitting his/herapplication.
[]Be an undergraduate student in the final year of a Bachelor's Degreecourse (or equivalent) at an accredited college or university.
[]Have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 point ratingsystem, or its equivalent.
[]Be matriculated at an accredited university for the current academic year (2007/08), and be prepared to maintain full-time status for theduration of the Master's Degree program.
[]Be a national of a developing country (please see list of eligible countries below)
[] Select a course of study that pertains to development with particularemphasis on the low-income countries. Areas of study may include topicssuch as: Energy and Sustainable Development ; the Environment (e.g.desertification) ; Economics of Development ; International Political Economy ; Population, Poverty and Social Development; Politics of Alternative Development; Public Policy and Management; Rural Livelihoodsand Global Change; Women, Gender and Development.
PLEASE NOTE: Please read ALL of the directions below before proceeding with the application process:
1. Applicants are responsible for gathering and submitting all necessary information. Applications will be evaluated on the basis of information provided; therefore, all questions should be answered as thoroughly as possible. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Once anapplication has been submitted, no changes will be allowed to the application.
2. OFID will not consider applications received through a third party. Any such submission will be grounds for disqualification.
3. All applicants will receive an electronic reply once their applicationshave been successfully submitted. Please do not call or email OFID to askif your application has been received, or to inquire about your status.
4. Only the winner will be notified.
5. All applications become the property of OFID and will not be returnedto the applicants.
6. Applicants must complete the application form and essay requirement andemail the required materials to the address below.
All materials,including the on-line application, letter of recommendation, and other required documents must be emailed to scholarship@ ofid.org no later than December 28, 2007.II.
Disbursement of the Scholarship Fund
The terms and conditions of payment will be determined in coordinationwith the student upon his/her selection in accordance with the followingguidelines:
1.The tuition fees, including any supplementary examination fees as may berequired by the academic institution, will be paid by OFID directly to theacademic institution. Health insurance will be paid in accordance with theuniversity's own standard medical scheme.
2. A monthly allowance to cover living expenses, books and accommodationwill be transferred to the student's own personal bank account at thebeginning of each month, or as deemed appropriate by OFID.
3. OFID will pay for travel costs from the airport nearest to the student's place of residence to the airport nearest to the chosen place of study. Upon completion of the program, the student's repatriation costs will be paid by OFID.
Required documents:
1. A completed on-line application form.
2. A scanned copy of your most recent university transcripts.
3. A scanned letter of acceptance from your chosen educational institution confirming your admission, subject of study and duration of the Master'sDegree program, which should be a maximum of two years.
4. Proof of meeting any prerequisites, including language proficiency.
5. A short essay- of about 250 words in English giving reasons forapplying for OFID's scholarship, explaining your educational goals, and describing how awarding you the Scholarship will help development in yourcountry.
6. Letter of recommendation from academic advisor.
* In addition to OFID's Member Countries (Algeria, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, GSP Libyan AJ, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and BR Venezuela), eligible countries are:Africa :Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde,Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d`lvoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia,Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali,Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome&Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania,Tunisia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
[] APPLY ONLINE