The purposes of the Programme are to promote future leaders; to develop in-country capacity to achieve national SDG goals; and to build positive relationships with Ireland.

The Programme is planned to support graduates on their return home, through the skills they develop, to contribute to capacity building in their home countries and to become one of the next generation of leaders in their respective fields. It is also envisaged that they will contribute to building enduring positive personal and professional relationships with Ireland, promoting institutional linkages.

ALSO TRENDING: The ASCL Visiting Fellowship Programme for African Researchers

ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS FOR THE 2024/2025 IRELAND-AFRICA FELLOWS POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

To be eligible for an Ireland Fellows Programme – Casement Fellowship award commencing at the beginning of the academic year 2024, applicants must:

• Be a resident national of Nigeria.
• Have a minimum of two years’ substantial work experience that is directly relevant to your proposed programme(s) of study.
• Hold a bachelor’s level academic qualification from an accredited and government-recognised higher education institution, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) – i.e. a first-class honour, or second class honour, Grade 1 (a second class honour Grade 2 may be accepted if the applicant has substantial directly relevant work experience). It must have been awarded in 2012 or later (i.e. within the last 12 years).
• Not already hold a qualification at master’s level or higher. Not currently undertaking a programme at master’s level or higher, or be due to start a programme at master’s level or higher in the academic year 2023/24.
• Be applying to commence a new programme at master’s level in Ireland no sooner than August 2024.
• Be able to demonstrate the following: leadership abilities and aspirations; a commitment to the achievement of the SDGs within your own country; and a commitment to contribute to building positive relationships with Ireland.
• Have identified and selected three programmes relevant to your academic and professional background from the Casement Fellowship Directory of Eligible Programmes.
• Have a clear understanding of the academic and English language proficiencies required for all programmes chosen.
• Must not have applied to the Ireland Fellows Programme on more than one previous occasion.
• Be in a position to take up the Fellowship in the academic year 2024/2025.

In addition, please see the Ireland Fellows Programme Africa page.

MERITS

Ireland Fellows Programme awards are fully funded. The award includes;

1. Payment of academic fees
2. Visa application fees
3. Medical and travel insurance
4. Economy flights to and from Ireland
5. and the Irish residence permit fee.

Allowances include the following:

• A settling-in allowance towards items needed on arrival in Ireland;
• A completion and departure allowance at the end of the study period;
• A monthly living stipend of €700 (subject to review);
• Student accommodation is arranged and paid for trimesters 1 and 2 (normally September to May), and in trimester 3 a monthly accommodation stipend of €650- €850 depending on location in Ireland (subject to review).

In addition, the Ireland Fellows Programme features many extracurricular, training and volunteering opportunities to help you make the most of your experience in Ireland. The Fellowship covers the recipient only. Financial support or visas for spouses or dependents are not included within the scope of the programme.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR APPLICATION

The Stage 1 process is a preliminary application which seeks information under the headings detailed below and requires you to submit a scanned copy of the following documents with your application form:

• Official identification: either your passport (only the identity page is required) or other official identification documents if you do not have a passport at this time;
• Your undergraduate degree award certificate;
• Final degree academic transcripts. Please also include the explanation of the grading system, where provided with your transcript or otherwise available. Your application will not be valid unless copies of the above documents are included.

PROCEDURES FOR APPLICATION

Please read the Applicants Guidance Note carefully before completing as eligibility criteria may differ from country to country.

The application process consists of three stages:

• Stage 1   Preliminary Application; You can download the Stage 1 application form at Application Form
• Stage 2   Detailed Application;
• Stage 3   Interviews.

If shortlisted after the interview stage, all applicants will be needed to take another English language test, normally the IELTS exam, unless they are already in possession of an IELTS certificate that is dated 2022 or later which shows the applicant has achieved the necessary score for the course(s) they intend to apply to. Early preparation for the IELTS exam is strongly advised, even for native English speakers.

SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS

Applications must be typed and submitted by email to the Embassy of Ireland, Nigeria, at the following email address: casementfellowshipnigeria@dfa.ie.

• The application form can be submitted as a Microsoft Word (.docx) file or as a PDF.
• Copies of supporting documentation (listed above) should be in PDF format and should be submitted as separate attachments (i.e. the passport and transcript cannot be scanned into a single PDF file).
• Please use the following format when naming each of the documents to be attached: Your Name – Passport – Your Name – Undergraduate degree certificate – Your Name – Academic Transcript