World Bank Scholarships Program

The Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program (RSMFP) provides support to developing country citizens (.xlsx) who are current PhD candidates studying in developing countries, funding up to $25,000 to conduct PhD research on a development topic in a World Bank member country other than the Fellow's home country or country of residence. This is a wonderful opportunity for the most promising developing nation researchers to advance their doctoral work with the best international advisors and host institutions in their fields of study.

RSMFP was established in 1982 with $2.8 million in funding from the World Bank and the governments of Bangladesh, China, India, Kuwait, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, and former Yugoslavia.

ATTENTION:  The 2019 RSMFP call for applications is closed and all applicants awarded a fellowship have been notified. The next call for RSMFP fellowship applications from PhD candidates will open in 2020.

What can an applicant do before the next call?
Who is Eligible to Apply?
How to Apply?
What are the RSMFP Benefits?
What is the Selection Process?

What can an applicant do before the next call?

• Read information posted on this website and review eligibility criteria carefully.
• Identify a university advisor abroad who will sponsor your fellowship funded PhD research.  Please note, RSMFP does not provide guidance on choosing a host institution or research advisor.
• Ensure both your PhD advisor and your host university advisor are aware of and support your proposal for research that would be funded by an RSM fellowship.
• Begin gathering required documentation for the fellowship application, including: (1) if you are employed, proof of current employment; (2) diploma of highest degree earned; and (3) an official statement from your current university that you are either: (i) currently enrolled as a PhD student and have completed all coursework and exam requirements for your doctoral program; or (ii) currently enrolled in a research-only PhD program.
  
  

Please note that application guidelines that provide detailed application instructions will be posted on this website during the open call.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

Applicants Must:

• Be a national of a World Bank member developing country (.xlsx);
• Not hold dual citizenship of a developed country;
• Be 35 years of age or younger on the Application Deadline date;
• Be enrolled in a PhD program in a member developing country of the World Bank at the time of application
• Reside in a member developing country of the World Bank since enrolled in the PhD program;
• Have completed all coursework and exam requirements for attaining a PhD at the time of application;
• Have a PhD thesis centered on a field of development.
• Not be a staff member (which includes consultant) or a relative of a staff member of the World Bank Group

*Please note: All eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made. Eligibility criteria WILL NOT change during an open call for applications. However, this information is subject to change between the close of one application process and the opening of the next.

How to Apply?

When the call for applications is open, the application guidelines, online application, and a final list of eligibility criteria will be available on this site.

The RSMFP application must be completed online by the Application Deadline date and include:

• The completed application form
• An agreement to the terms and conditions for an RSMFP fellowship listed on the Application Form’s Signature Page;
• A completed recommendation form submitted online by the host university research advisor; and
• A completed recommendation form submitted online by the PhD Thesis supervisor.

All required documents must be uploaded online. Any documents an applicant provides by email, post or any means other than the online application form will not be reviewed.

What are the RSMFP Benefits?

RSMFP provides up to $25,000 (U.S.) for developing country nationals to travel abroad to conduct development-related PhD research under the supervision of a host advisor at a university, research or development institution in a World Bank member country. The Scholarship covers a 6 to 10 month period. Details on eligible expenditures are provided in the Application Guidelines.

What is the Selection Process?

The RSMFP uses the following process to review completed applications, with the aim to identify eligible candidates with the most innovative and relevant research proposals in the area of development.

Two qualified reviewers independently review each eligible application to assess the following:

1. Quality of the proposed fellowship (70%)
2. Prospects for a productive career in research on development post-PhD (30%) 

Information provided by your PhD thesis supervisor and your host institution research advisor are particularly important elements of your application.

The World Bank Robert S. McNamara Secretariat uses the average score of the two reviewers and the following other aspects to select the finalists:

• Maintaining a reasonably wide geographical distribution of awards;
• Maintaining a reasonable distribution of awards across gender;
• Giving fellowships to those applicants who, other things equal, appear to have limited financial resources;
• Giving preference to applicants currently employed as lecturers or researchers at an academic or research institution in a member developing country of the World Bank;
• Giving preference to applicants who have not received a JJ/WBGSP scholarship for a master’s degree program. 

The finalists are presented to the World Bank Robert S. McNamara Steering Committee (composed of some members of the World Bank Board of Directors and WB management) for final review and selection of the winners of the award. The RSMFP Secretariat notifies the public on this website that the selection is made and individually informs the winners of the Fellowship.

The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) is open to women and men from developing countries with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts who are applying to a master degree program in a development-related topic.   

Subject to available funding, JJWBGSP offers scholarships for master degree programs in  key areas of development. After earning their degree, developing country scholars commit to return to their home country to use their new skills and contribute to their countries’ social and economic development.

A JJWBGSP scholarship provides tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and travel allowance. View a detailed list of benefits.

Who is Eligible to Apply?
How to Apply
Selection Process
Scholarship Benefits

Who is Eligible to Apply?

Details on Eligibility Criteria for each call for applications are provided in that call’s Application Guidelines, and these detailed eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made.

Broadly speaking, Developing Country nationals must:

• Be a national of a World Bank member developing country;
• Not hold dual citizenship of any developed country;
• Be in good health;
• Hold a Bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree earned at least 3 years prior to the Application Deadline date;
• Have 3 years or more of recent development-related work experience after earning a Bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree;
• Be employed in development-related work in a paid full- time position at the time of submitting the scholarship application.  The only exception to this criterion is for developing country nationals from a country that will be on the updated list of Fragile and Conflict States provided to applicants in the Application Guidelines for each call for scholarships.
• On or before the Scholarship Application Deadline date, be admitted unconditionally (except for funding) for the upcoming academic year to at least one of the JJ/WBGSP partner or preferred university master’s programs located outside of the applicant’s country of citizenship and country of residence listed at the time the call for scholarship applications opens. The letter of admission must be uploaded before submitting your application. For details, see “How to Apply”.
• Not be an Executive Director, his/her alternate, and/or staff of any type of appointment of the World Bank Group or a close relative of the aforementioned by blood or adoption with the term "close relative" defined as: Mother, Father, Sister, Half-sister, Brother, Half-brother, Son, Daughter, Aunt, Uncle, Niece, or Nephew.

Please note: All eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made. Eligibility criteria WILL NOT change during an open call for applications. However, this information is subject to change between the close of one application process and the opening of the next.

How to Apply

Applicants can apply for scholarships to both Preferred and Partner Programs. The process to apply to a Preferred Program and to a Partner Program differs:

• Those seeking a JJ/WBGSP Partner Program scholarship must first apply for admission to one or more of the Partner Master’s Degree Program(s). See our Announcements posted on the right side of this website for upcoming calls for scholarship applications for developing country nationals to study at one of our partner master programs whose academic program begins before July 2020.  The list of JJ/WBGSP scholarships to Partner Master Degrees for cohorts of scholars that start their academic year after June 2020 will be posted in October 2019.  

After identifying those admitted to their academic program, each Partner Master Degree Program will identify a short list of JJWBGSP-eligible candidates who will then be invited by the JJWBGSP Secretariat to apply for a JJ/WBGSP scholarship.

• Those seeking a JJ/WBGSP Preferred Program scholarship must apply directly and be admitted unconditionally to one or more of the Preferred Program(s) before submitting a JJWBGSP scholarship through an open call typically announced within the first two months of a calendar year. The list of JJ/WBGSP Preferred Master Degrees offered for cohorts that start their academic year after June 2020 will be posted in October 2019.

The next call for applications for a JJWBGSP Scholarship to one of our Preferred Programs is scheduled to open in March 2020. When the scholarship applications for the Preferred Program is open, the finalized list of preferred programs, the application guidelines, online application, and a finalized list of eligibility criteria will be available on this site. The scholarship application must be completed online and include two professional references. It must also include an unconditional (except for secured funding) letter of admission from the preferred master’s degree program that the applicant wants JJWBGSP funding. Note that if the applicant is admitted to several preferred master’s degree programs, he/she must choose at the time of submitting the scholarship application which program to attend with JJWBGSP funding. We have requested our preferred master’s degree programs to issue all letters of admission prior to the closing deadline for our scholarship application. Any documents an applicant provides by email, post or any means other than the online application form will not be reviewed.

Selection Process

The JJ/WBGSP uses the following process to review eligible scholarship applications from developing country nationals, with the aim of identifying the candidates with the highest potential, after completion of their graduate studies, to impact the development of their countries.

Two qualified assessors independently review each eligible application and score the application on a scale of 1 to 10, taking into account four main factors and the degree of cohesion among them:

1. Quality of Professional Experience (30% weight)
2. Quality of Professional Recommendations (30% weight)
3. Quality of Commitment to your Home Country (30% weight)
4. Quality of Education Background (10% weight)
   

The JJ/WBGSP Secretariat uses the average score of the two assessors and the following criteria to select the finalists:

• Maintaining a reasonably wide geographical distribution of awards
• Maintaining a reasonable distribution of awards across gender
• Unusual circumstances/hardships, when assessing the employment experience and other aspects of an application;
• Giving scholarships to those applicants who, other things being equal, have limited access to financial resources for graduate studies abroad.

The JJWBGSP Secretariat presents the finalists for the preferred program scholarship to the JJ/WBG Steering Committee (composed of members of the World Bank Board of Directors and WB management) for approval. The finalists for partnership scholarship are presented for approval on a rolling basis throughout the year, matching the JJWBGSP Partner university’s admission cycle. In all cases, winners are notified soon after the JJWBG Steering Committee approval. 

Scholarship Benefits

The JJ/WBGSP scholarship provides the recipient with the following benefits:

• Economy class air travel between your home country and the host university at the start of your study program and immediately following the end of the scholarship period. In addition to the two-way air travel, scholars will receive a US $500 travel allowance for each trip;
• Tuition for your graduate program and the cost of basic medical insurance obtained through the university.
• While on campus during the scholarship period, a monthly subsistence allowance to cover all living expenses (accommodations, food, etc., including books). The amount of the allowance varies depending on the host country.
  

Please note all JJ/WBGSP scholarships cover the duration of the graduate program or two years, whichever is less.

The JJ/WBGSP scholarship does not cover:

• VISA application(s) costs
• Expenses to bring and/or support a scholar's family members;
• Extra-curricular courses or training;
• Courses that do not meet the minimum credits required to earn the graduate degree;
  
• Language training not provided by the graduate program;
• Additional travel during the course of the study program;
• Expenses related to research, supplementary educational materials, field trips, participation in workshops/seminars, or internships; or
• Educational equipment such as computers.
• Resident permit fee
  

Note: The JJ/WBGSP scholarship may only supplement, and does not duplicate, any other source of financial support/fellowship you might have. If you are notified to be a semi-finalist or if you are awarded a scholarship, you must inform and document to the JJ/WBGSP at that time if you have other sources of scholarship funds. 

The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) provides scholarships for no more than a two-year duration to a limited number of Japanese mid-career professionals who are dedicated to the alleviation of poverty and enhanced shared prosperity in developing countries, and who have been admitted to or are currently enrolled in a master’s or PhD graduate degree program outside of Japan and in development-related fields. Graduate degrees related to Foreign Service, Diplomacy, Business (including MBAs) and Law (including LLMs), Medicine (including MDs) are not eligible for financing by the JJWBGSP scholarship.

After earning their degree, Japanese national scholars are expected to advance their professional career with a keen focus on the alleviation of poverty and enhanced shared prosperity in developing countries.

ATTENTION: The 2019 call for scholarship applications from Japan nationals is closed and all applicants awarded a scholarship have been notified. 

The next call for applications for a JJWBGSP Scholarship will open in March 2020.

Who is Eligible to Apply?
Selection Process
Scholarship Benefits

Who is Eligible to Apply?

Details on Eligibility Criteria for each call for applications are provided in that call’s Application Guidelines, and these detailed eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made.  In general, criteria include:

• Be a Japanese national
• On or after the date the call for scholarship applications opens, not be an Executive Director, his/her alternate, and/or staff of any type of appointment (including temporary and consultant) of the World Bank Group (The World Bank, International Development Association, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and International Center for Settlements of Investment Disputes); or not be a close relative of the aforementioned by blood or adoption with the term "close relative" defined as: Mother, Father, Sister, Half-sister, Brother, Half-brother, Son, Daughter, Aunt, Uncle, Niece, or Nephew.
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent university degree) earned at least three years before the date of the Application Deadline.
• On or after the date the JJWBGSP scholarship application process opens, not be employed by the Government of Japan or its related agencies, including JICA, local governments and the Central Bank.
• Have at least 3 years of paid development-related employment acquired since earning a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent university degree) and acquired within the past six years from the date of the Application Deadline. 
• At the time of the application submission, be either admitted unconditionally (except for financing) or currently enrolled full-time in a graduate program outside of Japan in an area of study related to development or be currently employed full-time in development-related work pertaining directly to developing countries.

Selection Process

The JJ/WBGSP uses the following process to review eligible scholarship applications from Japan nationals, with the aim of identifying the candidates with the highest potential, after completion of their graduate studies, to impact international development.

Two qualified assessors independently review each eligible application and score the application on a scale of 1 to 10, taking into account four main factors and the degree of cohesion among them:

1. Quality of Professional Experience and Recommendations (40% weight)
2. Quality of Completed Application Form (40% weight)
3. Quality of Education Background and Academic Recommendation (20% weight)

The JJ/WBGSP Secretariat uses the average score of the two assessors and the following criteria to select the finalists:

• Maintaining a reasonable distribution of awards across gender;
• Giving scholarships to those applicants who, other things being equal, have limited access to financial resources for graduate studies abroad.

The JJWBGSP Secretariat presents the finalists to the JJ/WBG Steering Committee (composed of members of the World Bank Board of Directors and WB management) for approval. Winners are by mid-July, after the JJWBG Steering Committee approval. 

Scholarship Benefits

The scholarship is fully funded by the Government of Japan, and provides for each scholarship recipient the following benefits during the scholarship period:

• If the scholar is not already attending the graduate program, the scholarship will fund one economy class air travel from his/her home country to the host university at the start of graduate degree program and a USD500 travel allowance.
• If at the end of the scholarship period the scholar has completed all requirements to earn the graduate degree, the scholarship will fund one economy class air travel from the host university to Japan or a developing country where the scholar has secured employment and a USD500 travel allowance.
• For the duration of the scholarship period, tuition for his/her graduate program and the cost of basic medical insurance that can be obtained through the university.
• While on campus during the scholarship period, a monthly subsistence allowance to cover all living expenses (accommodations, food, etc., including books). The amount of the allowance varies depending on the host country.

Please note all JJ/WBGSP scholarships cover the duration of the graduate program or two years, whichever is less.

The JJ/WBGSP scholarship does not cover:

• VISA application(s) costs
• Expenses to bring and/or support a scholar's family members;
• Extra-curricular courses or training;
• Courses that do not meet the minimum credits required to earn the graduate degree;
  
• Language training not provided by the graduate program;
• Additional travel during the course of the study program;
• Expenses related to research, supplementary educational materials, field trips, participation in workshops/seminars, or internships; or
• Educational equipment such as computers.
• Resident permit fee.
  

Note: The JJ/WBGSP scholarship may only supplement, and does not duplicate, any other source of financial support/fellowship you might have. If you are notified to be a semi-finalist or if you are awarded a scholarship, you must inform and document to the JJ/WBGSP at that time if you have other sources of scholarship funds.